[strawpeople]

> we are seeing things like declines in lifespans and increases in suicide, but I don't think mental illness is increasingly nearly as much as the stats would lead you to believe at face value.

This just seems like a flat out contradiction. How would suicides ‘skyrocket’ if mental illness is not increasing.

Agreed that 2012 may be irrelevant and we may not know the cause.

[faeriechangling]

It's not a contradiction, I'm saying that an underlying increase in mental illness plausibly explains some of the effect, but I'm unconvinced it explains the entire effect.

[strawpeople]

What could explain the increase in suicides if not mental illness?