Beyond the brink: Unraveling the opioid crisis and its profound impacts
研究了美国自1990年代中期恶化的阿片类药物危机对家庭成员和医疗系统的广泛影响，发现对成年子女等家庭护理者造成显著负面效应，并增加家庭护理和医院使用。
This paper examines the long-standing and severe public health crisis, the opioid epidemic in the United States, which has been worsening since the mid-1990s. In contrast to previous research, it investigates the broader impacts of this epidemic, particularly on family members and healthcare systems. Using a comprehensive dataset spanning from 1998 to 2010, the study analyzes opioid use at the three-digit ZIP code level, utilizing data from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and individual-level data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) in a two-way fixed effect model. The findings reveal significant negative effects on family caregivers, notably adult children, due to the opioid epidemic. Additionally, opioid exposure is associated with increased healthcare utilization, including home health care and hospital use. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the multifaceted consequences of the opioid epidemic.