ResearchPosted on rand.org Jul 21, 2021Published in: Journal of Addiction Medicine (2021). doi: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000894
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.
Among individuals aged 12 to 25 years (N = 4,926), 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.
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.
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.
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