Alexander Testa1, Douglas B Weiss2, Mateus R Santos3. 1. Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Texas at San Antonio, 501 W. César E. Chávez Blvd, San Antonio, TX, 78207, USA. alexander.testa@utsa.edu. 2. School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, California State University, San Bernardino, CA, USA. 3. Department of Criminology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
Abstract
PURPOSE: This study assesses the relationship between opioid mortality and homicide rates across 25 member countries of the organization for economic co-operation and development (OECD) over time and investigates the role of country-level public health expenditures in this relationship. METHODS: Fixed effects linear regression is used to assess the longitudinal association between opioid mortality and cross-national homicide rates in 25 OECD countries between 2000 and 2017. Moderation analyses are conducted to assess the interaction between opioid mortality rates and public health expenditures per capita. RESULTS: Study findings revealed a positive bivariate association between opioid mortality and homicide rates. However, this association became null after controlling for public health expenditures. Moderation analyses revealed that there is a strong positive association between opioid mortality and homicide rates when public health expenditures are low, which becomes gradually weaker at higher levels of health expenditures. CONCLUSION: This study suggests one consequence of the opioid epidemic may be increased homicide rates, and this association is stronger in countries with lower public health expenditures. These findings highlight the potential role of governments to combat the associated harms of rising opioid use through greater investments in public health care.
PURPOSE: This study assesses the relationship between opioid mortality and homicide rates across 25 member countries of the organization for economic co-operation and development (OECD) over time and investigates the role of country-level public health expenditures in this relationship. METHODS: Fixed effects linear regression is used to assess the longitudinal association between opioid mortality and cross-national homicide rates in 25 OECD countries between 2000 and 2017. Moderation analyses are conducted to assess the interaction between opioid mortality rates and public health expenditures per capita. RESULTS: Study findings revealed a positive bivariate association between opioid mortality and homicide rates. However, this association became null after controlling for public health expenditures. Moderation analyses revealed that there is a strong positive association between opioid mortality and homicide rates when public health expenditures are low, which becomes gradually weaker at higher levels of health expenditures. CONCLUSION: This study suggests one consequence of the opioid epidemic may be increased homicide rates, and this association is stronger in countries with lower public health expenditures. These findings highlight the potential role of governments to combat the associated harms of rising opioid use through greater investments in public health care.
Authors: Mary F Brunette; David W Oslin; Lisa B Dixon; David A Adler; Jeffrey Berlant; Matthew Erlich; Michael B First; Beth Goldman; Bruce Levine; Samuel Siris; Helena Winston Journal: Psychiatr Serv Date: 2019-09-10 Impact factor: 3.084
Authors: Helena Biancuzzi; Francesca Dal Mas; Valerio Brescia; Stefano Campostrini; Marco Cascella; Arturo Cuomo; Lorenzo Cobianchi; Ander Dorken-Gallastegi; Anthony Gebran; Haytham M Kaafarani; Franco Marinangeli; Maurizio Massaro; Angela Renne; Giacomo Scaioli; Rym Bednarova; Alessandro Vittori; Luca Miceli Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-09-17 Impact factor: 4.614