42% of American adults know someone who died of overdose: survey

A significant portion of the American population, approximately 42%, personally knows someone who has succumbed to a drug overdose, as detailed in a RAND Corporation survey.

The survey also reveals demographic disparities in exposure to overdose deaths, with higher incidences among women, married adults, U.S.-born citizens, and urban dwellers.

In particular, New England and the south-central and east-central regions of the United States report higher rates of grief, which correlates with areas hardest hit by the opioid epidemic.

Context for overdose deaths in the United States

Against a backdrop of more than 111,000 overdose deaths in a 12-month period ending in September, according to CDC data, the study illuminates the vast scope of the overdose crisis and its profound impact on American society.

The accumulated number since 2000 exceeds 1.1 million deaths, which represents a profound challenge for society and public health. This crisis does not affect those struggling with substance use, and it has a significant impact on their families, workplaces, and the broader healthcare system.

However, the experiences of those grieving overdose deaths have received little attention compared to research focused on the aftermath of suicides, suggesting a continuum of impact ranging from exposure to profound psychological distress and significant impairment. of the life.

Lead author Alison Athey, a behavioral scientist at RAND, emphasized the critical gap in addressing the needs of millions of people who have survived the loss of loved ones to overdose, suggesting a pressing need for more studies. about the effects and prevalence of such losses, especially within communities most affected by the overdose crisis.

About the overdose survey

The RAND study, which included responses to a survey of 2,072 adults, indicates that approximately 125 million American adults have been affected by the tragedy of an overdose, of whom 13% have experienced disruptions in their lives and more than 4% he faces the profound and continuing effects of his loss.

This research, to which researchers Beau Kilmer and Julie Cerel contributed, is part of RAND’s broader effort through its Social and Economic Wellbeing division and its Health Care group to improve social health and address the complexities of the impact of the overdose epidemic in American communities.

Experts such as Dr. Kurt Kleinschmidt and Robin Pollini emphasized to CNN the need to address the consequences of such deaths, noting the collective trauma experienced and the critical need to provide comprehensive support to survivors.

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