ArticleJournal of affective disorders2022
Psychological distress and the risk of drug overdose death.
Article in Journal of affective disorders, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- Psychosocial factors associated with overdose subsequent to Illicit Drug use: a systematic review and narrative synthesis.Harm reduction journal · 2024Pooled it
- Is access to crisis teams associated with changes in behavioral health mortality?Health affairs scholar · 2025Article
- Loneliness and fearfulness are associated with non-fatal drug overdose among people who inject drugs.PloS one · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPrevious research has shown an association between psychological distress and overdose death among specific populations. However, few studies have examined this relationship in a large US population-based cohort.
methodsData from the 2010-2018 NHIS were linked to mortality data from the National Death Index through 2019. Psychological distress was measured using the Kessler 6 scale. Drug overdose deaths were examined, and deaths from all other causes were included as a comparison group. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate mortality risk by psychological distress level.
resultsThe study population included 272,561 adults. Adjusting for demographic covariates and using no psychological distress as the reference, distress level was positively associated with the risk of overdose death: low (HR = 1.8, 95 % CI = 1.1-2.8), moderate (HR = 4.1, 95 % CI = 2.5-6.7), high (HR = 10.3, 95 % CI = 6.5-16.1). A similar pattern was observed for deaths from all other causes: low (HR = 1.2, 95 % CI = 1.1-1.2), moderate (HR = 1.9, 95 % CI = 1.7-2.0), high (HR = 2.6, 95 % CI = 2.4-2.8). LIMITATIONS: Limited substance use information prevented adjustment for this potentially important covariate. DISCUSSION: Adults with psychological distress were at greater risk of drug overdose death, relative to those without psychological distress. Adults with psychological distress were also at increased risk of death due to other causes, though the association was not as strong.
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Registered trials
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