1 in 5 Overdose Deaths in 2022 Had Unrelated Mental Illness

Medscape September 13, 2024
Edited by Deepa Varma

TOPLINE:

In 2022, nearly 22% of people who died of drug overdose had a non–substance-related mental health disorder (MHD), new data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show. Investigators say the findings point to the need for incorporating mental health care in overdose prevention efforts.

METHODOLOGY:

• The study analyzed data from the CDC’s State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System for 2022, covering 43 states and the District of Columbia.
• A total of 63,424 unintentional and undetermined intent drug overdose deaths during 2022 were included; 92.3% had medical examiner or coroner reports.
• MHDs were identified using source documents such as medical records and categorized according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition,...

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