Employment Reductions and Government Revenue Losses from Opioid Misuse
By Amanda Honeycutt
The economic burden of the U.S. opioid epidemic likely exceeds $78.5 billion per year when considering its impact on healthcare, substance abuse treatment, the criminal justice system, and productivity costs. Although medication assisted treatment for opioid abuse (covered…
Inaugural substance abuse conference to be held April 29 at University Park
Penn State’s Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse (CCSA) will host a conference to bring together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, foundation representatives, and the public to discuss significant and emerging problems in combating substance abuse.
“Envisioning a Future Free from Addiction…
A close watch: IST seed grant funds study to assess and predict substance co-use
A technology-based intervention that could reduce the risk of young adults simultaneously using alcohol and marijuana may soon be as close as a user’s wrist, thanks to a new study launched by researchers at Penn State.
The team recently earned a seed grant from the College of Information Sciences…
Opioid crisis shows partnering with industry can be bad for public health
By Jonathan H. Marks, Director of the Bioethics Program and affiliate faculty in Law and International Affairs, Pennsylvania State University, for The Conversation
“Show me the bodies!” someone demanded at the end of my lecture a few years ago.
As a scholar of public health ethics, law and policy,…
Why Social Science? - Because It Requires Confronting the Assumptions We Have About Others
By Lee Hoffer, PhD, Associate Professor of Medical Anthropology, Case Western Reserve University
Social science comes in many varieties, is comprehensive in scope, and applied to an infinite number of real-world challenges, questions, and problems society faces. At its core, it concerns the human…
Sharkey shares impact of Penn State research across University and beyond
Since the University’s founding when Penn State’s first president Evan Pugh set forth the college’s research vision in 1859, innovation and knowledge creation have been a foundational element of the land-grant mission, according to Neil Sharkey, vice president for research.
Describing…
Project ECHO prepares doctors to manage addiction care closer to home
For patients suffering from opioid use disorder, and for the physicians in small towns across Pennsylvania who are their first level of care, Project ECHO offers hope. The effort aims to give primary care physicians the tools they need to treat the growing group of Pennsylvanians addicted to…
Student shares story of opioid addiction to support others
Erin Bergner, a Penn State Abington junior, is motivated, to say the least: She carries extra courses so she can graduate early, works in a faculty research lab, and holds down another part-time job. And all the while she is managing her recovery from opioid addiction and telling her story on…
Overdose deaths could increase with ‘changing nature’ of opioid epidemic
The opioid epidemic in the United States could be responsible for 700,000 overdose deaths between 2016 and 2025, according to a new study published today in JAMA Network Open.
“Preventing people from misusing prescription opioids is important and could help prevent some overdose deaths in the long…
Sterner awarded $2.7M to help fight opioid crisis
A Penn State Abington faculty member was instrumental in securing three grants totaling more than $2.7 million to combat the opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania and nationwide.
Glenn Sterner, assistant professor of criminal justice at Abington and an expert on the illicit use of opioids, said the…
New, evidence-based diagnostic tool developed for abusive head trauma
Abusive head trauma is the leading cause of traumatic death and disability in infants and young children in the United States. However, multiple studies have shown that disparities and bias can affect physicians’ decisions to evaluate, diagnose and report suspected abuse. In response, researchers…
Penn State mounts broad attack on opioid addiction in Pennsylvania
A startling 13 to 16 people die each day in Pennsylvania due to opioid overdose, among the more than 70,000 Americans who succumbed to the epidemic in 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That gives Pennsylvania the dubious distinction of being ranked near the top of…
Students create eye-catching ad campaigns warning of opioid dangers
Students who take Arpan Yagnik’s advertising classes often get more than they bargained for — starting with at least four weeks of creative aerobics. The end result? Increased creativity, confidence and highly coveted job skills.
“After students complete the classes, they have an arsenal of…
Important NIDA Funding Opportunity: Opioid-Induced Respiratory Depression
The Lung Association wanted to make you aware of an important funding opportunity from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). According to the NIH, more than 2 million Americans have opioid use disorder. Millions more misuse opioids, taking medications longer or in higher doses than…
Stop Overdoses in PA Week/Get Help Now - free Naloxone December 13
As you are likely aware, the commonwealth, and the entire country is in the midst of a major public health crisis, the opioid epidemic.
Under the leadership of Governor Wolf, the efforts in Pennsylvania to address this epidemic have been widespread, and have brought about change on the local,…
Seed funding available to combat substance abuse
Penn State’s Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse (CCSA) is seeking to support interdisciplinary teams of Penn State researchers whose work is aimed at combating opioid and other substance abuse.
CCSA Interim Director Stephanie Lanza, professor of biobehavioral health and director of the Edna…
'Ask the Experts' addresses the opioid epidemic on cesarean sections
The latest episode in the “Ask the Experts” series features Danielle Symons Downs, professor of kinesiology and obstetrics and gynecology, and associate director of the Social Science Research Institute at Penn State, discussing her research on the links between cesarean section…
Addiction medicine expert to give two presentations
Judson Brewer, M.D., Ph.D., an international expert in addiction medicine, will give two presentations at Penn State College of Medicine on Dec. 18.
Brewer will present "The Craving Mind: From Cigarettes to Cupcakes to Smartphones, the Mechanisms Underlying How Mindfulness Helps Change Unhealthy…
The five types of problem drinking are more common at different ages
Alcohol abuse is more complicated than simply drinking too much. There may be five separate types of problem drinkers, according to Penn State researchers, and each one may be more common at different stages of life.
In a study, Penn State researchers discovered five distinct classes or “profiles”…
A Systems Approach to Opioid Mitigation
Opioid and related substance abuse is devastating many communities across the country and has proven a particularly difficult problem to address. In this presentation, Griffin will discuss research being done at the Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering at Purdue University to help mitigate…
Public comment requested on White House report to stem the opioid crisis
The White House National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) is seeking public comment on the Draft Report of the Fast Track Action Committee (FTAC) on Health Science and Technology Response to the Opioid Crisis. Comments are requested by December 5, 2018 and may be submitted to OpioidsRoadmap@…
HEALing Communities Study: Developing and Testing an Integrated Approach to Address the Opioid Crisis
We are pleased to announce the launch of the NIDA 19-017 - HEALing Communities Study: Developing and Testing an Integrated Approach to Address the Opioid Crisis (Data Coordinating Center) (UM1- Clinical Trials Not Allowed) competition. Click on the link below to view more information.
Internal…
Great Valley students develop app to combat veteran opioid abuse
Penn State Great Valley students and alumni recently used their data analysis and coding skills in a state-wide challenge to fight the opioid epidemic, where they received recognition from SAP, a multinational leader in enterprise application software.
After working together at Penn State’s…
New State Program to Help Individuals Battling Opioid Use Disorder Find and Maintain Housing in Pennsylvania
Governor Tom Wolf today announced a new state program that aims to direct $15 million for an opioid housing initiative that will fund a minimum of eight pilot projects in eligible urban and rural communities throughout the commonwealth. The proposed pilot programs must help individuals to become…
SSRI Spotlight: Michael Donovan
As the Director of Policy & Outreach at Penn State’s Administrative Data Accelerator, Michael Donovan leads policy operations and facilitates collaborative projects between government partners and researchers to support the utilization of scholarly research in evidence-based policymaking.
At…