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Health(care) in the Crisis: Reflections in Science and Society on Opioid Addiction

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  • Roxana Damiescu

    (Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55128 Mainz, Germany)

  • Mita Banerjee

    (Department of English and Linguistics, Obama Institute for Transnational American Studies, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55128 Mainz, Germany)

  • David Y. W. Lee

    (McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02478, USA)

  • Norbert W. Paul

    (Institute for History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, 55128 Mainz, Germany)

  • Thomas Efferth

    (Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55128 Mainz, Germany)

Abstract

Opioid abuse and misuse have led to an epidemic which is currently spreading worldwide. Since the number of opioid overdoses is still increasing, it is becoming obvious that current rather unsystematic approaches to tackle this health problem are not effective. This review suggests that fighting the opioid epidemic requires a structured public health approach. Therefore, it is important to consider not only scientific and biomedical perspectives, but societal implications and the lived experience of groups at risk as well. Hence, this review evaluates the risk factors associated with opioid overdoses and investigates the rates of chronic opioid misuse, particularly in the context of chronic pain as well as post-surgery treatments, as the entrance of opioids in people’s lives. Linking pharmaceutical biology to narrative analysis is essential to understand the modulations of the usual themes of addiction and abuse present in the opioid crisis. This paper shows that patient narratives can be an important resource in understanding the complexity of opioid abuse and addiction. In particular, the relationship between chronic pain and social inequality must be considered. The main goal of this review is to demonstrate how a deeper transdisciplinary-enriched understanding can lead to more precise strategies of prevention or treatment of opioid abuse.

Suggested Citation

  • Roxana Damiescu & Mita Banerjee & David Y. W. Lee & Norbert W. Paul & Thomas Efferth, 2021. "Health(care) in the Crisis: Reflections in Science and Society on Opioid Addiction," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-17, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:1:p:341-:d:474916
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Sarah DeWeerdt, 2019. "Tracing the US opioid crisis to its roots," Nature, Nature, vol. 573(7773), pages 10-12, September.
    3. Van Zee, A., 2009. "The promotion and marketing of oxycontin: Commercial triumph, public health tragedy," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 99(2), pages 221-227.
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