Deaths from drug overdoses are taking an increasing toll on American children

According to one study, 2% of all children nationwide had lost a family member to a drug overdose in 2019. study by researchers from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and Pennsylvania State University. The findings, published in the American Journal of Public Healthshed light on the often overlooked emotional toll of overdose deaths on the youngest and most vulnerable members of society and provide the first concrete data quantifying their impact.

Since 2006 opioid-related deaths have increased faster than those caused by other substances. In 2019, opioid overdose deaths were 2.4 times more common than non-opioid related deaths. By 2022, they were three times more common.

The research revealed a disturbing trend: About 2% of children born in 2009 lost a family member to an overdose by age 10, compared to just over 1% of those born in 2001.

“We predict that this rate will rise even higher – possibly to 5% – by the time children born in 2009 turn 18,” says Emily Smith-Greenaway, professor of sociology and professor of spatial sciences at USC Dornsife. “It’s alarming how many younger children are losing loved ones.”

Ashton Verdery, co-author and professor of sociology and social data analytics at Penn State, underscored the concerns. “We found that 5-year-olds are now experiencing loss at the same rate as 10-year-olds were 15 years ago,” he said.

Meanwhile, the researchers noted that the number of family deaths from other causes has remained stable.

The unraveling of family systems

The death of a family member, regardless of the cause, can destabilize a child’s life, often leading to long-term mental health problems, academic challenges and even substance abuse later in life, according to Childhood Grief. research. One study found that adolescent boys, especially those who have lost a parent, are prone to alcohol and substance abuse.

When the loss is due to a drug overdose, the trauma is often more intense because of the suddenness of the loss and the stigma surrounding it, the researchers explained.

“Not only do children lose the support they need during critical stages of development, but these losses often occur under traumatic and painful circumstances – the toll can last a lifetime,” says Smith-Greenaway.

While it was not surprising to the research team that children are 2 to 2.5 times more likely to lose a male relative than a female relative to an overdose, the recent increase in overdose deaths among women particularly worrying. According to the National Institutes of Health, overdose deaths among women ages 35 to 44, especially among women who are pregnant or postpartum, more than tripled between 2018 and 2021. Smith-Greenaway noted that this trend could further strain already fragile family systems.

To estimate the number of children affected by familial overdose deaths, the researchers combined CDC data on causes of death related to drugs and fertility with Census population data from 2000 to 2019 – a period unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic .

Although the study focused on immediate family members, Smith-Greenaway and Verdery suggest the number of children affected would likely be higher if the deaths of friends, neighbors or stepparents had been included. Furthermore, the sharp increase in overdose deaths between 2020 and 2023, which is not addressed in the study, suggests that their estimates may underestimate the full extent of the crisis.