News from the Greater Southern California Node: New Publication

The Greater Southern California Node has a new publication out about CTN-0143 (Social Determinants of Health: Needs and Consequences Associated with Substance Use Disorders):

A scoping review of interventions addressing social determinants of health and their influence on opioid use disorder outcomes. Cousins SJ, et al. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 2025;276:112858.

Over the past decade, opioid overdose deaths have risen sharply. The Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) framework can guide interventions to improve opioid use disorder (OUD) outcomes. Understanding which SDOH-focused interventions work — and how they affect OUD — can help meet the needs of people at risk or living with OUD.

This scoping review looked at SDOH interventions and their impacts on OUD outcomes across five domains. Most focused on the healthcare system (37%), improving provider training, access, and care quality. Others addressed community and social context (30%) through support programs and coalitions; economic stability (16%) via employment and financial incentives; neighborhood environment (9%) through Housing-First models; and education (2%) with early prevention programs.

These efforts generally reduced opioid use, overdoses, and stigma. However, inconsistent SDOH definitions and limited rigorous evaluation hinder clear conclusions. Strengthening study design and measurement is crucial to advance effective SDOH-based OUD interventions.

Read the full paper here! (free full text)

Posted on October 14, 2025