#Lifeexpectancy

Recent research highlights a global shift: with the average human lifespan rising rapidly, younger generations are poised to experience profoundly different careers, family lives, and retirement than any generation before. According to a new analysis shared by ROAR Forward and featured in a US media report, life expectancy in developed nations has ballooned from 62 years a century ago to approximately 80 today, with experts forecasting over 20 million centenarians worldwide by 2100. This longevity revolution is sending ripple effects across societies—and nowhere are those effects more relevant than in rapidly aging Asian nations like Thailand.

A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed a staggering 33-year difference between the highest and lowest life expectancies globally, underscoring persistent and widening health inequities across nations and within societies. The findings, released on 6 May 2025, highlight that one’s health and longevity are shaped less by biology than by where one is born and raised, the opportunities available, and the degree to which social and economic structures expose individuals to disadvantage and discrimination (UN News).

A widely-prescribed antidepressant may significantly shorten lifespan—by up to six years—according to recent findings circulated by the international medical community. The claim, based on a new research review highlighted by several medical news outlets and summarized in a viral Yahoo Lifestyle article, is igniting debate among doctors, mental health professionals, and patients in Thailand and around the world over the safety and prescription practices of this common medication.

The backdrop of this news is the widespread and growing use of antidepressant drugs, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which include widely-recognized names such as sertraline, fluoxetine, and paroxetine. With depression and anxiety rates rising globally—including in Thailand, where mental health awareness has increased sharply in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic—these medications are standard tools for primary care doctors and psychiatrists alike [World Health Organization].