Mental Health Conditions and Substance Use Disorders Among Youth Subsequently Diagnosed With Opioid Use Disorder or Opioid Poisoning

• Authors: Edeanya Agbese, Penn State College of Medicine; Bradley D Stein, RAND Corporation; Benjamin Druss, Emory University; Andrew W Dick, RAND Corporation; Rosalie L Pacula, University of Southern California; Douglas L Leslie, Penn State College of Medicine
• Journal Title: JOURNAL OF ADDICTION MEDICINE
• Volume: Volume 16, Number 3
• Publisher: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS | 2022-05-01, Pages 357-359
• Type of Work: Article | Post-print: After Peer Review
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1097/ADM.0000000000000894
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery; Health Sciences, Public Health
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Substance Abuse; adolescents; mental health; opioid poisoning; opioid use disorder; substance use; young adults; ADOLESCENTS; ADULTS

Abstract

Purpose This study examined receipt of services for mental health conditions and non-opioid substance use disorders (SUDs) among privately insured adolescents and young adults (ie, youth) with subsequent clinically diagnosed opioid use disorder (OUD) or opioid poisoning. Methods Among individuals aged 12 to 25 years (N = 4926), healthcare service utilization claims for the 2 years before a newly clinically diagnosed OUD or opioid poisoning were assessed for mental health and nonopioid SUD service visits. Results Over half (60.6%) of the youth with clinically diagnosed OUD or opioid poisoning received mental health or nonopioid SUD services in the 2 years before the opioid poisoning or OUD diagnosis. Conclusion Many adolescents and young adults with clinically diagnosed OUD or opioid poisoning interacted with the healthcare system to receive services for mental health conditions and nonopioid SUDs before the OUD or opioid poisoning being diagnosed. Opportunities exist to design better intervention strategies to prevent OUD or opioid poisoning among adolescents and young adults.