The sixteen “control group” countries they examined were Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. A few differences immediately jumped out to the researchers:

Single-parent homes are far less common in the control countries than in the U.S.
All provide pre-natal and maternal care.
Free schooling for children begins at age three and continues through high school.
College tuition is far more affordable.
Employers allow far more paid leave.
Healthcare is essentially free.

“All these countries provide support from cradle to grave to help families make it through each stage of the life cycle,” Sterling told Medical News Today. “The U.S. provides no such assistance.”