Premature mortality among the most disadvantaged
Published: 17 August 2022
A study led by the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit shows that homelessness, opioid addiction, involvement in the criminal justice system and psychosis are all independently and jointly linked to early and avoidable deaths
A study led by the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit shows that homelessness, opioid addiction, involvement in the criminal justice system and psychosis are all independently and jointly linked to early and avoidable deaths.
People affected by these disadvantages commonly experience exclusion from general society through stigma and discrimination.
Experiencing any one of these forms of extreme disadvantage is known to be associated with higher rates of ill health and premature death but forms of extreme disadvantage commonly co-occur. The study, which looked at more than half a million adults in Scotland, found that deaths from avoidable causes among people who faced multiple forms of extreme disadvantage was higher than among those who had only experienced one.
Dr Emily Tweed, lead author of the study, said:
"People affected by multiple forms of extreme disadvantage are dying early at appalling rates, often from conditions which are preventable or treatable. But there’s a huge amount we can do to support those affected – and prevent these experiences in the first place – by more joined-up working across different services and by tackling underlying causes such as poverty, unaffordable housing, and discrimination."
First published: 17 August 2022