In the United States and on average, 130 people die from opioid overdoses each day.[mfn] Weir, K. (2019, June). How psychologists improve care. Monitor on Psychology, 50(6). http://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/06/cover-opioids-care [/mfn]
Common types of prescription opioids are oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and methadone. Fentanyl is a significantly more powerful synthetic opioid that is reserved for treating severe pain; however, illegally made and illegally sold fentanyl has risen in recent years. The most common prescription opioid drugs involved in deaths due to overdose are methadone, oxycodone, and hydrocodone.[mfn] Ossiander EM. Using textual cause-of-death data to study drug poisoning deaths. Am J Epidemiol 2014 Apr 1;179(7):884-94.[/mfn] In 2016, approximately 11.5 million Americans reported misuse of prescription opioids.[mfn] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2018 Annual Surveillance Report of Drug-Related Risks and Outcomes — United States. Surveillance Special Report 2pdf icon. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Published August 31, 2018.[/mfn]
There were three waves in terms of overdose trends with the first starting in the 1990s due to prescription opioids, the second starting in 2010 due to the increase in heroin, and the third due to synthetic opioids, specifically fentanyl in combination with other drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, and counterfeit pills.[mfn] Drug Enforcement Administration. 2019 National Drug Threat Assessment. Drug Enforcement Administration Strategic Intelligence Section, U.S. Department of Justice. Published December 2019. Accessed March 17, 2020 from https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-01/2019-NDTA-final-01-14-2020_Low_Web-DIR-007-20_2019.pdf [/mfn] Approximately 500,000 people died from an opioid overdose between the years of 1999 to 2019.[mfn] Wide-ranging online data for epidemiologic research (WONDER). Atlanta, GA: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics; 2020. Available at http://wonder.cdc.gov.[/mfn]
San Francisco Bay Area and Surrounding Counties
Counties within and that surround the San Francisco Bay Area with high rates of death due to drug overdoses are Alameda County, Contra Costa County, San Francisco County, Solano County, Sonoma County, Santa Cruz County, San Joaquin County, Yolo County, and Merced County.[mfn] American Psychological Association. (2020). County-level Interactive Map: Distributions of Licensed Psychologists, Drug Overdose Mortality Rates, and Suicide Mortality Rates [Interactive Data Tool]. http://www.apa.org/workforce/data-tools/geographic-distribution[/mfn] Although medication treatment can help to reduce overall cravings and risk of overdose, medication treatment alone does not address the many other possible conditions that often are foundational or co-occurring with opioid misuse.[mfn] Weir, K. (2019, June). How psychologists improve care. Monitor on Psychology, 50(6). http://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/06/cover-opioids-care [/mfn] About half of all individuals who experience substance misuse also have co-occurring mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).[mfn] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health. (2021). Substance Use and Co-Occurring Mental Disorders. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/substance-use-and-mental-health[/mfn]
Treatment Options
Effective behavioral therapies for treating people with co-occurring substance use disorders include, but are not limited to, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). CBT is a type of psychological treatment that is often referred to as Talk Therapy, and it is based on the principle that psychological problems are caused due to certain ways of thinking and due to certain learned patterns of behavior. Thus, CBT treatment typically involves efforts to change both thinking and behavioral patterns. DBT is another type of treatment that focuses on mindfulness, behavioral patterns, emotion regulation, and interpersonal skills development.
The Opioid Crisis
In the United States and on average, 130 people die from opioid overdoses each day.[mfn] Weir, K. (2019, June). How psychologists improve care. Monitor on Psychology, 50(6). http://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/06/cover-opioids-care [/mfn]
Common types of prescription opioids are oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and methadone. Fentanyl is a significantly more powerful synthetic opioid that is reserved for treating severe pain; however, illegally made and illegally sold fentanyl has risen in recent years. The most common prescription opioid drugs involved in deaths due to overdose are methadone, oxycodone, and hydrocodone.[mfn] Ossiander EM. Using textual cause-of-death data to study drug poisoning deaths. Am J Epidemiol 2014 Apr 1;179(7):884-94.[/mfn] In 2016, approximately 11.5 million Americans reported misuse of prescription opioids.[mfn] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2018 Annual Surveillance Report of Drug-Related Risks and Outcomes — United States. Surveillance Special Report 2pdf icon. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Published August 31, 2018.[/mfn]
There were three waves in terms of overdose trends with the first starting in the 1990s due to prescription opioids, the second starting in 2010 due to the increase in heroin, and the third due to synthetic opioids, specifically fentanyl in combination with other drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, and counterfeit pills.[mfn] Drug Enforcement Administration. 2019 National Drug Threat Assessment. Drug Enforcement Administration Strategic Intelligence Section, U.S. Department of Justice. Published December 2019. Accessed March 17, 2020 from https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-01/2019-NDTA-final-01-14-2020_Low_Web-DIR-007-20_2019.pdf [/mfn] Approximately 500,000 people died from an opioid overdose between the years of 1999 to 2019.[mfn] Wide-ranging online data for epidemiologic research (WONDER). Atlanta, GA: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics; 2020. Available at http://wonder.cdc.gov.[/mfn]
San Francisco Bay Area and Surrounding Counties
Counties within and that surround the San Francisco Bay Area with high rates of death due to drug overdoses are Alameda County, Contra Costa County, San Francisco County, Solano County, Sonoma County, Santa Cruz County, San Joaquin County, Yolo County, and Merced County.[mfn] American Psychological Association. (2020). County-level Interactive Map: Distributions of Licensed Psychologists, Drug Overdose Mortality Rates, and Suicide Mortality Rates [Interactive Data Tool]. http://www.apa.org/workforce/data-tools/geographic-distribution[/mfn] Although medication treatment can help to reduce overall cravings and risk of overdose, medication treatment alone does not address the many other possible conditions that often are foundational or co-occurring with opioid misuse.[mfn] Weir, K. (2019, June). How psychologists improve care. Monitor on Psychology, 50(6). http://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/06/cover-opioids-care [/mfn] About half of all individuals who experience substance misuse also have co-occurring mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).[mfn] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health. (2021). Substance Use and Co-Occurring Mental Disorders. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/substance-use-and-mental-health[/mfn]
Treatment Options
Effective behavioral therapies for treating people with co-occurring substance use disorders include, but are not limited to, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). CBT is a type of psychological treatment that is often referred to as Talk Therapy, and it is based on the principle that psychological problems are caused due to certain ways of thinking and due to certain learned patterns of behavior. Thus, CBT treatment typically involves efforts to change both thinking and behavioral patterns. DBT is another type of treatment that focuses on mindfulness, behavioral patterns, emotion regulation, and interpersonal skills development.
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