Economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton have published groundbreaking studies on shifts in the way American mortality rates are changing. They discovered that the proportion of non-Hispanic whites dying in middle age is increasing. They attribute these rate changes to “deaths of despair”, which are caused by cumulative disadvantages in the labor market and subsequent social and emotional isolation, adoption of harmful behaviors, including addiction and alcoholism, and suicide. This is the first posting in a series exploring whether and how deaths of despair are affecting Texas. This week's posting will give a preliminary look at what some of the causative factors may be for these changes. Subsequent postings will examine these changes and what may be driving them and look toward solutions for Texas.