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One in three individuals who contract COVID-19 will experience lasting mental health impacts, according to a recent study. This startling discovery underscores the reality facing our nation: the challenges of this last year—the public health and economic ramifications of COVID-19, coupled with the longstanding racial and ethnic inequities that it highlighted—will be felt for years, if not decades, to come.

How State Health Departments Can Reduce Stigma to Improve Care for Patients Taking Long-Term Opioid Therapy systemic stigma, opioid therapy, chronic pain, behavioral health conditions, prescription opioids, social identities, mental health, effective care, clinical practice guidelines, mental illnesses, substance use disorder, pain relief, side effects, primary care, behavioral therapies, opioid use disorder, prescribed opioid, mental health care, pain management, relieving pain, health care systems, mental health problems, people with mental health, opioid addiction, treatment programs, astho, association of state and territorial health officials Grace DeLeon, Richa Ranade, Jessica Pough Long-term opioid therapy (LTOT)—often prescribed for chronic pain when other options have proven ineffective—is associated with negative perceptions due to the history of widespread opioid overprescription and the current overdose crisis. This stigma poses a barrier to care continuity for these patients, which is particularly concerning, as abruptly discontinuing such medication can lead to adverse health effects due to physical dependency. This resource aims to assist state and territorial health departments in mitigating stigma affecting patients already on LTOT for chronic pain, emphasizing the importance of care continuity to prevent serious health risks associated with abrupt medication discontinuation. Get the Report (PDF) website yes