Public Health Impacts of Drug Overdose and Mental Health
Abstract
Drug overdose occurs when a level of drug toxicity is reached within the substance user’s body and causes a variety of dangerous physical responses, which may include death. Nonfatal overdoses can have severe and long-lasting medical and psychological impacts on survivors. Both fatal and nonfatal overdose are on the rise around the world, with much of this increase attributable to opioid and opioid analogue overdose incidents. Mental health status is inherently connected to substance abuse and overdose risk. Rising overdose incidents are impacting the fabric of society, with demonstrably negative effects on family structure and long-term outcomes for children. This chapter explores how global regionality, demographics, and socioeconomic status affect and are affected by overdose, as well as the legal, judicial, legislative, and public health implications of substance use disorder, mental health disorders, and the increasing rates of overdose.
Publication Title
Handbook of Substance Misuse and Addictions: From Biology to Public Health
Recommended Citation
Kedia, S., Dillon, P., Schmidt, M., Entwistle, C., & Arshad, H. (2022). Public Health Impacts of Drug Overdose and Mental Health. Handbook of Substance Misuse and Addictions: From Biology to Public Health, 243-266. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92392-1_14
