Hispanics, Addictions, and the Opioid Epidemic: Brief Report

Abstract

Opioid addiction is a public health concern. Opioid overdose death rates account for one third to a half of all global substance-related deaths. Opioid mortality rates increased nearly fivefold in the United States between 1999 and 2016. Recent research has found health care disparities in the United States among minority populations with opioid use disorder, particularly Hispanics. Current literature also suggests that a number of social and cultural factors, including the stigma linked to mental illness and treatment in the Hispanic culture, may further negatively contribute to the problem. This brief report pays close attention to the opioid epidemic in the United States and addresses issues related to the crisis among Hispanics. Recommendations for clinical practice, research, and health care policy are also discussed.

The relationship between Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) and death from cardiovascular disease or opioid use in counties across the United States (2009–2018)

“…Recent research has linked lower opioid mortality among Hispanics to health care disparities in the US among Hispanic populations with opioid use disorder. For example, while the number of visits for buprenorphine prescriptions increased from 0.04% to 0.36% in the US between 2012 and 2015, White Americans were more likely to receive treatment compared with other ethnic groups, especially Hispanics [ 64 ]. Current literature further suggests that the stigma linked to psychiatric illness in the Hispanic culture, creates barriers to care, which in turn may have a role to play in reducing mortality from opioid overdose among Hispanics [ 62 – 64 ].…”

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Opioid Prescriptions in Benign and Malignant Pancreatic Disease in the United States

“…Despite lower rates of illicit opioid use and opioid-related deaths among Hispanics compared with other racial-ethnic groups, overall rates of overdose and mortality from opioids have risen in past years 33 . Stigma around mental illness and mental health care are also prevalent among Hispanic communities 34 . Rising opioid use coupled with fear that Hispanics may not seek treatment for opioid misuse may cause hesitation among prescribers.…”

“…33 Stigma around mental illness and mental health care are also prevalent among Hispanic communities. 34 Rising opioid use coupled with fear that Hispanics may not seek treatment for opioid misuse may cause hesitation among prescribers.…”

Harm reduction implementation among HIV service organizations (HSOs) in the U.S. south: a policy context analysis and results from a survey of HSOs

“…Whereas earlier eras of drug misuse covered by the media among Black communities was met with aggressive and violent criminal persecution (i.e., crack cocaine use and the War on Drugs), the public discourse associated with the opioid crisis focused on addiction as illness and treatment as the required intervention [ 37 , 40 , 42 , 43 ]. Furthermore, when Black and Latinx individuals have sought services related to opioid misuse, they have been less likely to receive high quality treatment due to a range of structural barriers including lack of insurance, lack of community services, provider mistrust and bias, and stigma [ 44 – 47 ]. The third wave of the epidemic hit these communities harder than previous waves: Black and Latinx communities have seen a sharp rise in opioid-related fatal and non-fatal overdoses since 2016, with increases in deaths now outpacing Whites [ 9 , 48 ].…”