Upcoming Webinars: Opioid Abuse, Overdose, and Suicide

EDC will host an upcoming webinar series to examine the connection between opioid overdose and suicide—and their relation to chronic pain. SAMHSA’s Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPT) and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC), both housed at EDC, will co-host the series, which will feature leading experts who will help identify effective prevention strategies. 

“It’s always been difficult to know if an overdose is a suicide attempt—and for a long time, we didn’t really consider overdoses through the lens of suicide,” says EDC’s Chelsey Goddard. “Understanding their connection, and also examining the relationship to ongoing chronic pain, will help us respond more effectively to people at risk and, ultimately, save lives.”

“We’ve known for some time that substance abuse and suicide share many of the same risk factors,” adds EDC’s Elly Stout. “We’re examining the data to see what that intersection looks like for opioids, and where we can work together to amplify our collective impact.”  

The series, designed for state- and community-level prevention practitioners, will feature successful examples of effective interventions and highlight opportunities for collaboration between professionals in the substance abuse and suicide prevention fields.

• Part 1: Understanding the Connections
  Tuesday, June 5, 3–4:30 p.m. (ET)

Explore national data on the intersection of opioid abuse, overdose, and suicide; identify populations at increased risk; and explore factors shared across these pressing health concerns.

Featured speakers: Kristen Quinlan, epidemiologist for SPRC; Alex Crosby, medical epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. EDC’s Gisela Rots, coordinator for SAMHSA’s CAPT Northeast Resource Team, will facilitate.

• Part 2: The Role of Chronic Pain
  Thursday, June 28, 3–4:30 p.m. (ET)

Take an in-depth look at the role of chronic pain as a primary risk factor and the critical point of intervention for opioid abuse, overdose, and suicide.

Featured speakers: Paul Arnstein, director, Massachusetts General Hospital Cares about Pain Relief; Lisham Ashrafioun, research investigator, VA Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention. EDC’s Gisela Rots, coordinator for SAMHSA’s CAPT Northeast Resource Team, will facilitate.

The webinars are free, but registration is required. Register now for Part 2. View the recording of Part 1.