Deaths of Despair

Americans without a college degree live in a different nation than the one inhabited by more educated people. Those lacking such a credential die at higher rates from heart disease and at much higher rates from drug abuse, alcoholism and suicide. They report more pain and mental anguish, and millions no longer work or look for work. Some researchers say that many without college degrees have dropped out of the workforce because of the disappearance of unionized jobs that pay well in the nation's industrial heartland. Others say those who have stayed in the workforce suffer from health problems caused by overwork and high stress that can lead to premature death. Since the majority of American adults lack a college degree, social scientists worry that this education-based difference undermines confidence in institutions and capitalism. Experts disagree on what causes this sharp gap between the educated and the rest of the population and what should be done about it.