Unveiling the Silent Toll: Understanding Drug Overdose Loss Across America
A recent survey conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reveals the pervasive impact of drug overdose on American families, regardless of political or socioeconomic background. Published in JAMA Health Forum on May 31, the survey, which included over 2,300 participants, found that 32 percent of U.S. adults—approximately 82.7 million individuals—have lost someone they know to a fatal drug overdose. Alarmingly, for nearly one-fifth of respondents (18.9 percent), representing an estimated 48.9 million adults, the individual lost to overdose was a close family member or friend.
Interestingly, political party affiliation did not significantly affect the rates of reported loss due to overdose. However, those who had experienced the tragedy of overdose loss were more inclined to consider addiction as a critically important policy issue.
Lead analyst Alene Kennedy-Hendricks, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Bloomberg School, emphasized the national scale of the drug overdose crisis, labeling it as a "national tragedy." Kennedy-Hendricks underscored the significance of acknowledging the bereaved individuals impacted by overdose, suggesting that their visibility in advocating for policy change is essential.
Over the past few decades, over one million Americans have succumbed to drug overdoses, with more than 100,000 deaths annually in recent years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Although there was a slight decrease in overdose deaths in the previous year, the numbers remain distressingly high. The crisis has evolved through various phases, from prescription opioids to heroin and, most recently, powerful synthetic opioids like FYL, escalating the risk of overdose due to their potency and the unpredictability of the illicit drug supply.
While the survey did not specifically address opioids, the majority of overdose deaths in the past two decades have been opioid-related. This crisis has not only affected the direct victims but also their broader social circles.
Kennedy-Hendricks and her colleagues initiated the study to shed light on the extensive impact of the overdose crisis beyond its direct victims, a facet that has been largely overlooked in previous research.
The study, titled "Experience of Personal Loss Due to Drug Overdose Among U.S. Adults," was a collaborative effort involving researchers from multiple institutions, including Boston University School of Public Health, the University of Minnesota, and the de Beaumont Foundation. The senior author of the paper is Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, MPH, the dean of Boston University School of Public Health.
The survey was part of the CLIMB (COVID-19 and Life Stressors Impact on Mental Health and Well-being) study, led by Catherine Ettman, PhD, an assistant professor at the Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management. Questions were posed to participants from March 28 to April 17, 2023, as part of CLIMB Wave 4. Results indicated that overdose loss was reported across all income groups, with a slightly higher prevalence among lower-income respondents.
Remarkably, the rate of reported overdose loss did not significantly differ among self-described Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, highlighting the widespread nature of the crisis.
The study also revealed a strong consensus across all demographics regarding the importance of addressing addiction as a policy priority. Respondents who had experienced overdose loss demonstrated an even higher likelihood of prioritizing addiction as a critical policy issue.
Moving forward, the researchers intend to delve deeper into the associations between overdose loss and various social factors, such as institutional trust, in subsequent waves of the CLIMB survey.
In conclusion, the findings of this survey underscore the urgent need for comprehensive and inclusive strategies to address the devastating toll of the overdose crisis on American families and communities.
Source: John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Interestingly, political party affiliation did not significantly affect the rates of reported loss due to overdose. However, those who had experienced the tragedy of overdose loss were more inclined to consider addiction as a critically important policy issue.
Lead analyst Alene Kennedy-Hendricks, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Bloomberg School, emphasized the national scale of the drug overdose crisis, labeling it as a "national tragedy." Kennedy-Hendricks underscored the significance of acknowledging the bereaved individuals impacted by overdose, suggesting that their visibility in advocating for policy change is essential.
Over the past few decades, over one million Americans have succumbed to drug overdoses, with more than 100,000 deaths annually in recent years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Although there was a slight decrease in overdose deaths in the previous year, the numbers remain distressingly high. The crisis has evolved through various phases, from prescription opioids to heroin and, most recently, powerful synthetic opioids like FYL, escalating the risk of overdose due to their potency and the unpredictability of the illicit drug supply.
While the survey did not specifically address opioids, the majority of overdose deaths in the past two decades have been opioid-related. This crisis has not only affected the direct victims but also their broader social circles.
Kennedy-Hendricks and her colleagues initiated the study to shed light on the extensive impact of the overdose crisis beyond its direct victims, a facet that has been largely overlooked in previous research.
The study, titled "Experience of Personal Loss Due to Drug Overdose Among U.S. Adults," was a collaborative effort involving researchers from multiple institutions, including Boston University School of Public Health, the University of Minnesota, and the de Beaumont Foundation. The senior author of the paper is Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, MPH, the dean of Boston University School of Public Health.
The survey was part of the CLIMB (COVID-19 and Life Stressors Impact on Mental Health and Well-being) study, led by Catherine Ettman, PhD, an assistant professor at the Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management. Questions were posed to participants from March 28 to April 17, 2023, as part of CLIMB Wave 4. Results indicated that overdose loss was reported across all income groups, with a slightly higher prevalence among lower-income respondents.
Remarkably, the rate of reported overdose loss did not significantly differ among self-described Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, highlighting the widespread nature of the crisis.
The study also revealed a strong consensus across all demographics regarding the importance of addressing addiction as a policy priority. Respondents who had experienced overdose loss demonstrated an even higher likelihood of prioritizing addiction as a critical policy issue.
Moving forward, the researchers intend to delve deeper into the associations between overdose loss and various social factors, such as institutional trust, in subsequent waves of the CLIMB survey.
In conclusion, the findings of this survey underscore the urgent need for comprehensive and inclusive strategies to address the devastating toll of the overdose crisis on American families and communities.
Source: John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health