A Diagram of the Social-Ecological Conditions of Opioid Misuse and Overdose

The United States is experiencing a crisis of opioid misuse and overdose. To understand the underlying factors, researchers have begun looking upstream to identify social and structural determinants. However, no study has yet aggregated these into a comprehensive ecology of opioid overdose. We scope...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 20; no. 20; p. 6950
Main Authors:	Brady, Benjamin R., Taj, Ehmer A., Cameron, Elena, Yoder, Aaron M., De La Rosa, Jennifer S.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Basel MDPI AG 20-10-2023 MDPI
Subjects:	Drug addiction Drug overdose Narcotics United States > US
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	The United States is experiencing a crisis of opioid misuse and overdose. To understand the underlying factors, researchers have begun looking upstream to identify social and structural determinants. However, no study has yet aggregated these into a comprehensive ecology of opioid overdose. We scoped 68 literature sources and compiled a master list of opioid misuse and overdose conditions. We grouped the conditions and used the Social Ecological Model to organize them into a diagram. We reviewed the diagram with nine subject matter experts (SMEs) who provided feedback on its content, design, and usefulness. From a literature search and SME interviews, we identified 80 unique conditions of opioid overdose and grouped them into 16 categories. In the final diagram, we incorporated 40 SME-recommended changes. In commenting on the diagram’s usefulness, SMEs explained that the diagram could improve intervention planning by demonstrating the complexity of opioid overdose and highlighting structural factors. However, care is required to strike a balance between comprehensiveness and legibility. Multiple design formats may be useful, depending on the communication purpose and audience. This ecological diagram offers a visual perspective of the conditions of opioid overdose.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-3 content type line 23 ObjectType-Review-1
ISSN:	1660-4601 1661-7827 1660-4601
DOI:	10.3390/ijerph20206950