Population Health Issue: Opioid Epidemic.
The opioid crisis is a major issue of public health in the US. Over the past 20 years, the abuse of opioids and deaths from opioid overdose have had a profound effect on people, families and communities throughout the United States. The crisis got on the presidential agenda after the numerous overdose deaths and the related economic burden, and its impact on the health care system. There are different types of policy, prevention and treatment services available to help combat the opioid epidemic.
Social determinant that affects the opioid epidemic
Socioeconomic status (poverty and unemployment) is the most important social determinant of the opioid epidemic. Faruque et al., (2025) noted that the access to services, which encompasses access to basic healthcare, access to mental health service, access to education and access to employment, is low in low-income communities. These stresses and problems increased an individual’s susceptibility to stress, despair and substance abuse. Further, there is a lack of availability of treatment centers and insurance coverage in many rural and underserved communities, which also helps to contribute to opioid addiction and overdose. Thus, social-economic disparities are a key contributor to the opioid crisis.
Two recent Presidents and their approach to the issue
President Barack Obama
President Barack Obama has taken some measures to expand access to health care under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to help alleviate the opioid epidemic. The ACA leveraged insurance coverage for mental health and substance abuse treatment services, providing more access for millions of Americans to treatment. Also, during his tenure, funding was recommended for prevention programs and the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and community-based treatment programs. Prevention, treatment, recovery and overdose-reversal strategies will be covered in World (2025) Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). They brought attention to and the options of treatment for opioid use disorder, but by the time of his presidency, the opioid epidemic had made it more difficult to prevent opioid overdose death.
President Donald Trump
In 2017, President Donald Trump made the opioid epidemic a public health emergency. His administration was one that was keen and determined to limit opioid prescriptions, tighten up the border to stop illegal drug trafficking and communicate to raise awareness. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and recovery services were also available for funding, as were law enforcement efforts to reduce illegal opioid distribution. The declaration made the problem of drug addiction public attention of the nation. Others, however, pointed out that the answers were more to do with a social/mental health issue than a law enforcement one that would make people more susceptible to addiction.
If I would be head coach, I would do things differently.
As Coordinator for the opioid crisis, I would be emphasizing more on the prevention and counseling and community-based solutions. Increase mental health resources in low resource settings where many individuals who are living with OUD are also living with depression, anxiety or trauma (Siantz et al., 2025). Secondly, I would provide more treatment centers in the nation, particularly in remote more rural areas where resources to help are scarce. In addition, I would increase the education outreach to the schools and communities on hazards of substance misuse prevention. I would also support policies on poverty, unemployment and housing insecurity as key social determinants that are important to the development of addiction. Last but not least, I would urge the partnership of the health care services, public health officials and the community to develop an integrated prevention and recovery program.
Conclusion
Opioid overdose continues to be an important population health issue to which strong leadership and evidence-based policy responses are needed. One of the significant social determinants of socioeconomic inequalities is opioid misuse and addiction. President Obama and President Trump were going to have policies that could be key to solving the crisis – but in different ways. A comprehensive approach to reduce opioid related harms and improve the health of the population will require a comprehensive approach to prevent mental health, treatment and social services in the future.
References
Faruque, F., Shah, G. H., & Bohler, R. M. (2025). The Association Between Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) and Mental Health Status in the US. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 15(5), 87. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe15050087
Siantz, E., Cabassa, L. J., & Gordon, A. J. (2025). Promoting Health Equity Among People With Opioid Use Disorder and Serious Mental Illness Through the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program. Substance Use: Research and Treatment, 19. https://doi.org/10.1177/29768357251342749
World. (2025, August 29). Opioid overdose. Who. Int; World Health Organization: WHO. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/opioid-overdose
CLICK HERE TO ORDER A PLAGIARISM – FREE PAPER
is little wonder why healthcare items become such high profile components of presidential
agendas. It is also little wonder why they become such hotly debated agenda items.
Consider a topic (mental health, HIV, opioid epidemic, pandemics, obesity, prescription drug prices,
or many others) that rises to the presidential level. How did the current and previous presidents
handle the problem? What would you do differently?
Reference:
New York State Department of Health. (n.d.). Making New York the healthiest state: Achieving the
triple aim . Retrieved June 21, 2021 from
https://www.health.ny.gov/events/population_health_summit/docs/what_is_population_health.pdf
RESOURCES
To Prepare:
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
WEEKLY RESOURCES
(https://waldenu.instructure.com/courses/226506/modules/items/9722108)
Review the Resources and reflect on the importance of agenda setting.
Consider how federal agendas promote healthcare issues and how these healthcare issues
become agenda priorities.
BY DAY 3 OF WEEK 1
Post your response to the discussion question: Consider a population health topic that rises to the
presidential agenda level. Which social determinant most affects this health issue? How did two
recent presidents handle the problem? What would you do differently?
BY DAY 6 OF WEEK 1
Respond to at least two of your colleagues* on two different days by expanding on their response
and providing an example that supports their explanation or respectfully challenging their
explanation and providing an example.
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