Rutgers Health researchers have secured a $2.9 million federal grant to examine a decade of drug overdose trends and treatment outcomes among adolescents and young adults.
Awarded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health, the funding supports a five-year study using national Medicaid records. Researchers will investigate fatal and nonfatal overdoses among individuals ages 12 to 29 who have experienced an overdose since 2016, according to Wrnjradio.
The project is led by Hillary Samples and Greta Bushnell, both core members of the Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Science at the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research. While drug overdose deaths have climbed sharply over the past decade according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many individuals survive initial incidents, creating a critical window for hospital intervention.
However, limited data exists regarding the specific care patients receive after hospital discharge. News Medical noted that the study will evaluate substances involved, whether incidents involved intentional self-poisoning, and subsequent behavioral health treatments.
Experiencing one nonfatal overdose increases your chances of having another overdose that could potentially be fatal.
Hillary Samples, Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Science
The research team will use Medicaid data—the largest source of health insurance for youth in the United States—to evaluate how risk levels vary across developmental stages, ranging from early adolescence to young adulthood. The analysis will also account for shifts in the broader drug environment, including the rise of fentanyl.
Investigators aim to determine whether follow-up addiction or mental health services effectively reduce the likelihood of repeat overdoses and mortality.
Life-threatening drug overdoses often mean patients need mental health or addiction treatment, yet we don’t always know if patients are connected with those vital services or what types of follow up care they receive.
Hillary Samples, Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research
Samples, an assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health, emphasized the ultimate objective of the federally funded project.
The goal of this research is to inform strategies used by clinicians that will improve post-overdose interventions and prevent future overdoses and deaths in this vulnerable population.
Hillary Samples, Rutgers School of Public Health
Ultimately, the study aims to provide clinicians with the necessary data to enhance intervention strategies and reduce the incidence of future overdoses and deaths.
