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QUALITATIVE RESEARCH CONSULTANTS ASSOCIATION
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A few years ago, while speaking with a colleague
on the phone, I shared my sorrow over the death of a
young friend who had just turned 21. My colleague,
instantly supportive, asked me what she had died of.
When I confessed that it was a heroin overdose, my
colleague’s voice hardened, and she said in an accus-
ing tone, “Well, you know more people like that.”
What I didn’t say then was that we all do. Drug
overdoses in the U.S. are now the leading cause of
accidental deaths. In 2013, that was close to 44,000
Americans, far more than the 35,000 who died in auto
crashes that year or the 16,000 who were murdered.
S
hifts in how Americans perceive risk, access
healthcare, and parent their children
underlie many mental health trends. This
article attempts to shed some light on causal
societal, cultural, and industry trends
influencing QRCs’ findings—whether on how to
position a new pharmaceutical drug or design an
attractive health insurance plan.
and Other Mental Health Trends
Dying from
Overdoses