Is inequality killing us? Or is it family breakdown?

Institute for Family Studies senior fellow Laurie DeRose flags a new study in Demography making the case that higher income inequality contributes to higher levels of death among adults 45 and older.

The study identifies two possible ways inequality could lead to higher mortality. First, through status anxiety, which the authors note has been shown to “increase stress levels and chronic inflammation and have been widely associated with adverse consequences for health and mortality, including poor self-rated health, obesity, depression, and cardiovascular illness.”