Systemic Issues in the Opioid Epidemic: Supporting the Individual, Family, and Community

• Published in: International journal of mental health and addiction Vol. 17; no. 5; pp. 1214 - 1228
• Main Authors: Vincenzes, Kristin A., McMahon, Beth, Lange, Jennifer, Forziat-Pytel, Kellie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-10-2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Addictions; Analgesics; Chronic illnesses; Community and Environmental Psychology; Disease control; Drug abuse; Drug overdose; Emergency medical care; Families & family life; Fentanyl; Health Psychology; Heroin; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental health; Methadone; Morphine; Mortality; Narcotics; Original Article; Prescription drugs; Psychiatry; Psychology; Psychopathology; Public Health; Rehabilitation; System theory; United States > US; Pennsylvania; Family; Addiction; Systems; Community; Opioids
• ISSN: 1557-1874; 1557-1882
• DOI: 10.1007/s11469-018-0041-3

The opioid epidemic is a national issue in the USA (The White House’s Office of Press Secretary
2016
). Researchers interviewed 16 participants focusing on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats they personally experienced while either recovering from an opioid addiction or experiencing the loss of a loved one due to opioid usage. This article focuses on the research study’s multi-systemic impacts and discusses implications via a systems approach to prevention and intervention.