The Opioid Hydra: Understanding Overdose Mortality Epidemics and Syndemics Across the Rural‐Urban Continuum

• Published in: Rural sociology Vol. 85; no. 3; pp. 589 - 622
• Main Authors: Peters, David J., Monnat, Shannon M., Hochstetler, Andrew L., Berg, Mark T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.09.2020
• Subjects: Adult abuse & neglect; Community; Community Relations; Counties; Crises; Deaths; Drug abuse; Drug overdose; Drugs; Epidemics; Health problems; Heroin; Hopelessness; Membership; Mixtures; Multiculturalism & pluralism; Narcotics; Opioids; Overdose; Overdoses; Prescription drugs; Public health; Rural communities; Rural urban continuum; Substance abuse; Urban areas

The rapid increase of fatal opioid overdoses over the past two decades is a major U.S. public health problem, especially in non‐metropolitan communities. The crisis has transitioned from pharmaceuticals to illicit synthetic opioids and street mixtures, especially in urban areas. Using latent profile...