Over the past three decades, the number of hospital beds available for

Dear ziyuen,

I'm happy to respond. This is another fantastic MGMAT question!

We want to explain the rise in "annual mortality rates for persons with mental disorders" in the US. Certainly the way the prompt is phrased suggest that decreasing the number of bed might be one factor. (I certainly suspect this is the case in the real world, and much to blame on various politicians, but that's besides the point.)

In this question, we have to figure out: what do we need to know to explain this increased mortality rate in the US? To some extent, Japan is simply a distraction in this question. It's relevant to know that there are post-industrial nations in which this mortality rate has declined while it has risen in the US, but the rise in the US is what we need to explain.

(A) Whether the number hospital beds available for inpatient psychiatric treatment has risen or declined in countries demographically similar to the United States.
Only weakly helpful. It would be suggestive, by analogy, but it would not establish anything conclusively. This is incorrect.

(B) The number of hospital beds available for inpatient psychiatric treatment in the United States prior to the three-decade period under discussion.
Vaguely relevant, but not conclusive for the current rise. This is incorrect.

(C) Whether other factors, such as a decreased occurrence of mental disorders, may have led to the decline in mortality in Japan.
This also would be suggestive. We need to know what explains the rise in the US. This is incorrect.

(D) Whether mental health care is more comprehensive in the United States or in Japan.
Vague, not conclusive. This is incorrect.

(E) Whether other factors in the United States may have led to increased mortal­ity for persons with mental disorders
Bingo! Something focused very specifically on what has lead to the increased mortality rate in the US. This is it!

OA = (E)

This is a truly superb question, because it has one clearly right answer and four tempting distractors as wrong answers. Hats off to MGMAT for this one!

Does all this make sense?
Mike