help answer my research question, I found many different themes that either helped explain the causes of the opioid epidemic, or that offered up advice for future programs/policies aiming to reduce overdose rates. One of the most common ideas my articles highlighted involved the rates of poverty within a certain geographic region. Specifically, by arguing that those individuals dealing with opioid addiction were most frequently seen in areas of low income; my articles were able to illustrate how an individual’s socioeconomic status affected their likelihood to turn to synthetic drug abuse. Additionally, overdose rates in rural areas have substantially surpassed those in urban areas; with Appalachia, New England, and Midwest regions considered to be the most affected. Individuals living in rural areas are 87% more likely to receive an opioid prescription than those living in urban areas; with this shift being contributed to the disproportionate number of older adults suffering from chronic pain who inhabit these desolate regions (Benson, Kuehn, & Weirich, 2019).
The most common occupations in rural areas are oftentimes more physical in nature and require long travel distances, leading individuals to experience higher ra...