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Published Online: 10 September 2019

The Opioid Epidemic and Psychiatry: The Time for Action Is Now

Mary F. Brunette, M.D. [email protected], David W. Oslin, M.D., Lisa B. Dixon, M.D., M.P.H., David A. Adler, M.D., Jeffrey Berlant, M.D., Ph.D., Matthew Erlich, M.D., Michael B. First, M.D., Beth Goldman, M.D., M.P.H., Bruce Levine, M.D., Samuel Siris, M.D., and Helena Winston, M.D., M.Phil.Authors Info & Affiliations
Publication: Psychiatric Services
Volume 70, Number 12
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201800582
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Abstract

The number of people with opioid use disorder and the number of overdose deaths in the United States have increased dramatically over the past 20 years. U.S. Congress passed the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, which was signed into law in 2018, authorizing almost $8 billion to address the crisis. As experts in the treatment of central nervous systems disorders, psychiatrists can play a leading role in expanding treatment for people with opioid use disorder and in advocating for policy changes to support community treatment for this group.

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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Psychiatric Services
Go to Psychiatric Services
Psychiatric Services
Volume 70 • Number 12 • December 01, 2019
Pages: 1168 - 1171
PubMed: 31500545

History

Received: 22 December 2018
Revision received: 22 April 2019
Revision received: 12 June 2019
Accepted: 18 July 2019
Published online: 10 September 2019
Published in print: December 01, 2019

Keywords

  1. Administration and management
  2. Alcohol and drug abuse
  3. Opioid
  4. Psychiatry
  5. Buprenorphine

Authors

Details

Mary F. Brunette, M.D. [email protected]
Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, Dallas (all authors); Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire (Brunette); Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center, Philadelphia (Oslin); Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Dixon, Erlich, First); Department of Psychiatry, Tufts Medical Center, Boston (Adler); Optum Idaho, Boise (Berlant); Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New York (Siris); Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora (Winston).
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David W. Oslin, M.D.
Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, Dallas (all authors); Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire (Brunette); Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center, Philadelphia (Oslin); Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Dixon, Erlich, First); Department of Psychiatry, Tufts Medical Center, Boston (Adler); Optum Idaho, Boise (Berlant); Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New York (Siris); Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora (Winston).
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Lisa B. Dixon, M.D., M.P.H.
Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, Dallas (all authors); Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire (Brunette); Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center, Philadelphia (Oslin); Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Dixon, Erlich, First); Department of Psychiatry, Tufts Medical Center, Boston (Adler); Optum Idaho, Boise (Berlant); Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New York (Siris); Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora (Winston).
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David A. Adler, M.D.
Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, Dallas (all authors); Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire (Brunette); Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center, Philadelphia (Oslin); Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Dixon, Erlich, First); Department of Psychiatry, Tufts Medical Center, Boston (Adler); Optum Idaho, Boise (Berlant); Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New York (Siris); Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora (Winston).
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Jeffrey Berlant, M.D., Ph.D.
Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, Dallas (all authors); Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire (Brunette); Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center, Philadelphia (Oslin); Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Dixon, Erlich, First); Department of Psychiatry, Tufts Medical Center, Boston (Adler); Optum Idaho, Boise (Berlant); Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New York (Siris); Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora (Winston).
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Matthew Erlich, M.D.
Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, Dallas (all authors); Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire (Brunette); Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center, Philadelphia (Oslin); Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Dixon, Erlich, First); Department of Psychiatry, Tufts Medical Center, Boston (Adler); Optum Idaho, Boise (Berlant); Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New York (Siris); Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora (Winston).
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Michael B. First, M.D.
Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, Dallas (all authors); Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire (Brunette); Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center, Philadelphia (Oslin); Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Dixon, Erlich, First); Department of Psychiatry, Tufts Medical Center, Boston (Adler); Optum Idaho, Boise (Berlant); Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New York (Siris); Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora (Winston).
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Beth Goldman, M.D., M.P.H.
Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, Dallas (all authors); Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire (Brunette); Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center, Philadelphia (Oslin); Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Dixon, Erlich, First); Department of Psychiatry, Tufts Medical Center, Boston (Adler); Optum Idaho, Boise (Berlant); Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New York (Siris); Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora (Winston).
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Bruce Levine, M.D.
Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, Dallas (all authors); Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire (Brunette); Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center, Philadelphia (Oslin); Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Dixon, Erlich, First); Department of Psychiatry, Tufts Medical Center, Boston (Adler); Optum Idaho, Boise (Berlant); Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New York (Siris); Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora (Winston).
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Samuel Siris, M.D.
Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, Dallas (all authors); Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire (Brunette); Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center, Philadelphia (Oslin); Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Dixon, Erlich, First); Department of Psychiatry, Tufts Medical Center, Boston (Adler); Optum Idaho, Boise (Berlant); Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New York (Siris); Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora (Winston).
View all articles by this author
Helena Winston, M.D., M.Phil.
Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, Dallas (all authors); Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire (Brunette); Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center, Philadelphia (Oslin); Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Dixon, Erlich, First); Department of Psychiatry, Tufts Medical Center, Boston (Adler); Optum Idaho, Boise (Berlant); Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New York (Siris); Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora (Winston).
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Notes

Send correspondence to Dr. Brunette ([email protected]).

Competing Interests

Dr. Adler is co-owner of Health and Productivity Services and reports receiving grant funding from Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The other authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests. Editor Emeritus Howard H. Goldman, M.D., Ph.D., served as decision editor on the manuscript.

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