FACTS AND FIGURES
Learn about statistics, trends, and other relevant insights for behavioral health practitioners working to reduce health disparities and improve outcomes for people in underserved communities.
Midlife Overdose Mortality
Between 2021 and 2022, the highest overdose death rates were observed in individuals ages 35 - 44
(62.0 deaths per 100,000 and 63.
1 per 100,000, respectively).
1 This trend in midlife
overdose mortality suggests that middle-aged adults are particularly vulnerable to fatal overdoses,
potentially due to factors such as long-term substance use, availability of substances, socioeconomic
factors, and possibly less focus on this age group in prevention and treatment programs compared to
younger populations.
2,3 Age-adjusted rates were highest for American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN)
people with the rate increasing 15.0% from 56.6 deaths per 100,000 in 2021 to 65.
2 in 2022.
1 This rise
reflects deeper systemic issues such as lack of access to healthcare and mental health services, socio-economic
disadvantages, historical trauma, and the need for culturally appropriate prevention and treatment options for
AIAN communities.
4,5 This data underscores the need for targeted interventions that address the specific
vulnerabilities of middle-aged individuals and AIAN populations, and a multifaceted approach that includes
improving access to care, incorporating cultural competence into treatment and prevention programs, and
addressing the broader social determinants of health that contribute to these disparities.
SAMHSA provides resources to support coping and stress management strategies.
References
- Spencer, M. R., Garnett, M. F., & Miniño, A. M. (2023). Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 2002–2022.
- Kelly, B. C., & Vuolo, M. (2021). Developing explanatory models for life course shifts in the burden of substance use to inform future policy and practice. International Journal of Drug Policy, 94, 103182.
- Altekruse, S. F., Cosgrove, C. M., Altekruse, W. C., Jenkins, R. A., & Blanco, C. (2020). Socioeconomic risk factors for fatal opioid overdoses in the United States: Findings from the Mortality Disparities in American Communities Study (MDAC). PloS one, 15(1), e0227966.
- Soto, C., West, A. E., Ramos, G. G., & Unger, J. B. (2022). Substance and behavioral addictions among American Indian and Alaska native populations. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(5), 2974.
- Valasek, C. J., & Bazzi, A. R. (2023). Intersectionality and structural drivers of fatal overdose disparities in the United States: a narrative review. Current Addiction Reports, 10(3), 432-440.