TY - JOUR
T1 - The impact of opioid use disorder on levels of educational attainment
T2 - Perceived benefits and consequences
AU - Ellis, Matthew S.
AU - Kasper, Zachary A.
AU - Cicero, Theodore J.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS®) System, an independent nonprofit post-marketing surveillance system that is supported by subscription fees from pharmaceutical manufacturers, who use these data for pharmacovigilance activities and to meet regulatory obligations. RADARS® System is the property of Denver Health and Hospital Authority, a political subdivision of the State of Colorado. Denver Health retains exclusive ownership of all data, databases and systems. Subscribers do not participate in data collection nor do they have access to the raw data. All authors are employees of Washington University in St. Louis, which receives research funding from Denver Health and Hospital Authority. Author Cicero serves as a paid consultant on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS®) System. None of the authors have a direct financial, commercial or other relationship with any of the subscribers of the RADARS® System.
Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS?) System, an independent nonprofit post-marketing surveillance system that is supported by subscription fees from pharmaceutical manufacturers, who use these data for pharmacovigilance activities and to meet regulatory obligations. RADARS? System is the property of Denver Health and Hospital Authority, a political subdivision of the State of Colorado. Denver Health retains exclusive ownership of all data, databases and systems. Subscribers do not participate in data collection nor do they have access to the raw data. All authors are employees of Washington University in St. Louis, which receives research funding from Denver Health and Hospital Authority. Author Cicero serves as a paid consultant on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS?) System. None of the authors have a direct financial, commercial or other relationship with any of the subscribers of the RADARS? System.
Funding Information:
This work was supported by private funds from Washington University in St. Louis and the Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS®) System, an independent nonprofit postmarketing surveillance system that is supported by subscription fees from pharmaceutical manufacturers, who use these data for pharmacovigilance activities and to meet regulatory obligations. RADARS System is the property of Denver Health and Hospital Authority, a political subdivision of the State of Colorado. Denver Health retains exclusive ownership of all data, databases and systems. Subscribers do not participate in data collection nor do they have access to the raw data. All authors are employees of Washington University in St. Louis, which receives research funding from Denver Health and Hospital Authority. Author Cicero serves as a paid consultant on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS®) System. None of the authors have a direct financial, commercial or other relationship with any of the subscribers of the RADARS® System.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2020/1/1
Y1 - 2020/1/1
N2 - Background/Aims: Adolescents and young adults have the highest rates of opioid use, and despite shared risk-factors such as mental health and social pressures, there is little information on the relationship between education and opioid use disorder. In this study, we sought to assess differences in educational attainment between opioid users and the general population, and the impact of opioid use on one's education. Methods: Patients (N = 14,349) entering opioid treatment programs across the United States were surveyed on educational attainment from 2010 to 2018. Data were compared to estimates from an annual survey administered by the US Census. A follow-up sub-set of opioid users (N = 240) was interviewed to add context and expand on the structured survey. Results: Nearly one-third (32.2%) of the US population is estimated to have earned a bachelor's/advanced degree, compared to just 7.8% of treatment-seeking opioid users. Over half of follow-up respondents (57.5%) reported initiating regular opioid use while attending an educational institution. The majority (68.0%) also indicated opioids negatively impacted their education, with drug-seeking behavior prioritized over attendance and academic performance. Perceived benefits included cognitive enhancement and therapeutic value for anxiety/depression. Conclusions: Our data suggest that opioid users achieve lower levels of education, which may result in both individual and economic costs. Prevention programs need to not only include education-specific risk factors (e.g., social norms), but underlying precipitators such as mental health, stigma, and the myth of risk-free cognitive enhancement. Opioid specific services should be available and disseminated to student populations, including certification of campus physicians to provide buprenorphine maintenance.
AB - Background/Aims: Adolescents and young adults have the highest rates of opioid use, and despite shared risk-factors such as mental health and social pressures, there is little information on the relationship between education and opioid use disorder. In this study, we sought to assess differences in educational attainment between opioid users and the general population, and the impact of opioid use on one's education. Methods: Patients (N = 14,349) entering opioid treatment programs across the United States were surveyed on educational attainment from 2010 to 2018. Data were compared to estimates from an annual survey administered by the US Census. A follow-up sub-set of opioid users (N = 240) was interviewed to add context and expand on the structured survey. Results: Nearly one-third (32.2%) of the US population is estimated to have earned a bachelor's/advanced degree, compared to just 7.8% of treatment-seeking opioid users. Over half of follow-up respondents (57.5%) reported initiating regular opioid use while attending an educational institution. The majority (68.0%) also indicated opioids negatively impacted their education, with drug-seeking behavior prioritized over attendance and academic performance. Perceived benefits included cognitive enhancement and therapeutic value for anxiety/depression. Conclusions: Our data suggest that opioid users achieve lower levels of education, which may result in both individual and economic costs. Prevention programs need to not only include education-specific risk factors (e.g., social norms), but underlying precipitators such as mental health, stigma, and the myth of risk-free cognitive enhancement. Opioid specific services should be available and disseminated to student populations, including certification of campus physicians to provide buprenorphine maintenance.
KW - Adolescents
KW - Education
KW - Opioid use disorder
KW - Young adults
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85075841053&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107618
DO - 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107618
M3 - Article
C2 - 31757520
AN - SCOPUS:85075841053
SN - 0376-8716
VL - 206
JO - Drug and Alcohol Dependence
JF - Drug and Alcohol Dependence
M1 - 107618
ER -