The impact of opioid use disorder on levels of educational attainment: Perceived benefits and consequences

Abstract

Background/aims: Adolescents and young adults have the highest rates of opioid use, and despite shared risk-factors such as mental health and social pressures, there is little information on the relationship between education and opioid use disorder. In this study, we sought to assess differences in educational attainment between opioid users and the general population, and the impact of opioid use on one's education.

Methods: Patients (N = 14,349) entering opioid treatment programs across the United States were surveyed on educational attainment from 2010 to 2018. Data were compared to estimates from an annual survey administered by the US Census. A follow-up sub-set of opioid users (N = 240) was interviewed to add context and expand on the structured survey.

Results: Nearly one-third (32.2%) of the US population is estimated to have earned a bachelor's/advanced degree, compared to just 7.8% of treatment-seeking opioid users. Over half of follow-up respondents (57.5%) reported initiating regular opioid use while attending an educational institution. The majority (68.0%) also indicated opioids negatively impacted their education, with drug-seeking behavior prioritized over attendance and academic performance. Perceived benefits included cognitive enhancement and therapeutic value for anxiety/depression.

Conclusions: Our data suggest that opioid users achieve lower levels of education, which may result in both individual and economic costs. Prevention programs need to not only include education-specific risk factors (e.g., social norms), but underlying precipitators such as mental health, stigma, and the myth of risk-free cognitive enhancement. Opioid specific services should be available and disseminated to student populations, including certification of campus physicians to provide buprenorphine maintenance.

Keywords: Adolescents; Education; Opioid use disorder; Young adults.