Allison Lin, M.D., and Lara Coughlin, Ph.D., co-authored a Viewpoint article published in JAMA Psychiatry identifying barriers to treatment and providing recommendations to support individuals who use both stimulants and opioids

Overdose deaths in the U.S. rose to over 100,000 in 2021. As this number continues to rise, it also reflects a shift in the underlying substances responsible for the majority of overdose deaths. Most people who die from overdose use multiple substances, often a combination of opioids and stimulants. While the American Society of Addiction Medicine and the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry have made positive strides updating clinical guidelines for Stimulant Use Disorder (StUD), the recommendations still fall short of addressing the needs of the growing population of people who use both stimulants and opioids.

In a new Viewpoint article published in JAMA PsychiatryAllison Lin, M.D., and Lara Coughlin, Ph.D., joined with lead author Benjamin Howell, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine, to highlight the urgent need for research-informed clinical guidance to better support people with co-occurring Stimulant and Opioid Use Disorders. Read the full release about the publication

Dr. Coughlin is a faculty affiliate member of U-M’s Opioid Research Institute