Social mobility may explain life expectancy gap between rich and poor

Between the lines: Drug, alcohol and suicide-related deaths — which have led to declining U.S. life expectancy — are labeled as "deaths of despair" and are often linked to decreasing socioeconomic prospects.

• "A growing body of literature suggests that living in areas with low social mobility may harm individuals’ health by reducing their beliefs about future well-being, consequently increasing stress or diminishing the motivation to engage in healthy behaviors," the authors write.

Go deeper:

• Employers, not patients, have the most health insurance choices
• When a generic drug doesn't do much to lower costs for patients