‘Deaths of despair’ are rising. It’s time to define despair
Scientists investigate whether despair is distinct from mental disorders
![woman staring off to the side looking troubled](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/101320_BB_despair_feat.jpg?fit=1028%2C579&ssl=1)
Researchers are developing ways to measure despair, distinct from any psychiatric ailment, that has contributed to deaths and mental suffering in the United States for several decades leading up to the current coronavirus pandemic.
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