The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it a multitude of health crises, each with lasting impacts on different age groups. For early adults—defined as individuals aged 25 to 44—death rates skyrocketed during the pandemic, exacerbating an already troubling trend that had been evident in the previous decade. This trend, which started around 2010, saw death rates for early adults rise consistently, but the pandemic exacerbated these figures, and death rates have remained disturbingly high post-pandemic.
According to new research conducted by the University of Minnesota and the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH), early adult death rates in 2023 were approximately 70% higher than they would have been if the negative trend observed before the pandemic had continued. This finding emphasizes the lingering effects of the pandemic on public health, specifically on young adults who were once considered relatively healthy.
The Research Overview: A Detailed Examination of Death Rates
Published in JAMA Network Open, the study analyzed death rates from 1999 to 2023, providing a comprehensive look at the changes in mortality patterns among early adults. The researchers used a detailed methodology to compare the actual death rates observed during the pandemic years (2020-2021) with the expected rates had earlier trends not been disrupted.
The findings were striking:
- Pandemic Surge: Between 2019 and 2021, there was a sharp and unexpected jump in the death rate for early adults. This increase occurred during the core years of the pandemic and was a significant deviation from previous trends.
- Post-Pandemic Impact: Even as the immediate threat of the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided, early adult death rates in 2023 remained nearly 20% higher than in 2019. This indicates that the pandemic’s toll on young adults’ health is far from over, and its long-term effects continue to reverberate across communities.
Contributing Factors to the Rising Death Rates
The study highlights several critical causes of the increased mortality rates among early adults post-pandemic. While the pandemic itself is often viewed as the central cause of the rise in death rates, the research found that other significant factors were at play.
- Drug-Related Deaths: The most significant contributor to excess mortality in 2023 for early adults was drug-related deaths, particularly from opioids. The opioid epidemic had already been a severe public health crisis before the pandemic, but the pandemic exacerbated these issues. Lockdowns, social isolation, and increased stress likely led to higher rates of drug misuse and overdose deaths.
- Natural Causes: A variety of natural causes also contributed to the increased mortality, including cardiometabolic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. These health issues have been rising steadily in recent years, often due to unhealthy lifestyle factors like poor diet and lack of physical activity. The pandemic’s stress and disruptions to healthcare systems likely worsened these conditions, leading to more deaths.
- External Causes: In addition to drugs and natural causes, early adults have seen a troubling rise in deaths from external factors, particularly car accidents. With more people returning to work and travel post-pandemic, road traffic deaths surged, contributing to the increase in early adult mortality.
A Broader Public Health Crisis
Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, the lead author of the study and an associate professor at the University of Minnesota, explained that the increase in deaths among early adults is not simply the result of one singular issue. “It’s drug and alcohol deaths, but it’s also car collisions, it’s circulatory and metabolic diseases—causes that are very different from each other. That tells us this isn’t one simple problem to fix, but something broader.”
This quote underscores the complexity of the crisis facing young adults today. It is not just one issue, such as the opioid epidemic, but a variety of contributing factors that have combined to create a more dangerous and unhealthy environment for this demographic.
The Need for Urgent Interventions
The findings from this research call for urgent action and comprehensive public health strategies to address the broader structural issues that have led to the rising mortality rates among early adults. The study’s coauthor, Andrew Stokes, an associate professor of global health at BUSPH, emphasized that the rising death rates are not just a result of the pandemic but reflect ongoing societal and structural challenges.
The solutions, Stokes argues, must be multi-faceted. Public health interventions should address the root causes of drug abuse, mental health crises, and the growing burden of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Additionally, policymakers should focus on improving access to nutritious foods, strengthening social services, and increasing regulation of industries that contribute to public health risks. These efforts could help address the underlying issues that are driving the worsening health of young adults.
A Long-Term Health Crisis for Early Adults
The research from the University of Minnesota and Boston University provides a stark warning about the health of early adults in the post-pandemic era. The increase in death rates, particularly from drug-related causes, heart disease, and external factors like car accidents, paints a troubling picture of the health crisis facing young adults today. With death rates continuing to rise, it is clear that the pandemic’s toll on this demographic is far from over.
As we look to the future, the focus must be on comprehensive, systemic changes to support the health and well-being of young adults. Public health strategies that prioritize mental health, addiction prevention, chronic disease management, and accident prevention are critical to addressing the needs of this vulnerable group. Only through a holistic approach can we hope to reverse the negative trend and ensure a healthier future for the generations to come.
The findings of this study serve as a reminder that health crises, particularly those impacting early adults, require not just immediate interventions but long-term strategies to address the root causes of rising mortality rates. The post-pandemic world may look different, but the health challenges faced by young adults remain pressing, and the need for action is more urgent than ever.