Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic, Social Vulnerability, and Opioid Overdoses in Chicago

Abstract

Introduction: This research was undertaken to examine the individual and neighborhood drivers that contributed to increases in opioid overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: The incident location and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Social Vulnerability Index (along with the individual indicators) were then geocoded to 1 of the 77 Chicago Community Areas. Changes in opioid overdose death rates were calculated and compared for each Chicago Community Area using linear regression between 2019 and 2020.

Results: Opioid overdose deaths increased by 45% from 2019 to 2020. Chicago Community Areas in the highest 25th percentile of social vulnerability before the pandemic had a 2.8 times higher rate of opioid overdose deaths than Chicago Community Areas in the lowest 25th percentile. The increase in opioid overdose death rate observed from 2019 to 2020 was 10.2 times higher in the most socially vulnerable Chicago Community Areas than in the least vulnerable communities. Chicago Community Areas with the highest degree of social vulnerability had a higher baseline and disproportionate relative increase in opioid overdose death rate compared with the least vulnerable Chicago Community Areas.

Conclusions: COVID-19 has revealed the urgent need for policies that better support the social and economic security of disadvantaged communities, particularly for residents who use opioids.

Keywords: CCA(s), Chicago Community Area(s); OOD(s), Opioid Overdose Death(s); SVI, Social Vulnerability Index; Social Vulnerability Index; neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage; opioid overdose deaths.

Figure 1

Spatial analysis of overdose death rate per 100.00 residents and SVI. SVI quartile: The Chicago Community Areas with a lighter color represent the less vulnerable area. OOD rate changes: The OOD rate change between 2019 and 2020 was the difference in the rate of OOD in 2020 from the rate in 2019; thus, positive numbers indicate an increase in the OOD rates. OOD, opioid overdose death; SVI, Social Vulnerability Index.