Deaths of despair before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparative analysis of 27 European countries and the United States

BackgroundThe phenomenon of “deaths of despair” has been frequently described in the context of the United States but has rarely been analyzed across multiple countries. The onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, accompanied by the imposition of substantial restrictions by public authorities, may have worsened mental health at the individual level, thereby potentially increa...