Mapping Hope: Understanding Diseases of Despair and Strengthening Recovery Ecosystems in Appalachia

Description 

This webinar will describe research on the impact of diseases of despair on mortality within the Appalachian Region, focusing on mortality from three main causes: alcohol, prescription drug, and illegal drug overdose; suicide; and alcoholic liver disease/cirrhosis of the liver. While disease of despair mortality rates have started to decline since their peak in 2021, the Appalachian Region continues to experience higher rates than the non-Appalachian United States. The webinar will also highlight the Recovery Ecosystem Index Mapping Tool, an interactive map featuring overdose mortality data, along with data on substance use recovery ecosystems in counties across the United States. Critical features of a strong substance use recovery ecosystem include treatment services, recovery residences, harm reduction organizations, employment opportunities, and prevention organizations. 

Appalachian Regional Commission Report: Diseases of Despair

Speakers  

Michael Meit, MA, MPH, serves as Director of the East Tennessee State University (ETSU) Center for Rural Health and Research and Deputy Director of the ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center. With more than 25 years of experience in public health research and leadership, Meit’s work focuses on improving health and well-being in rural communities across Appalachia and the nation. His research explores the root causes of health disparities, with a particular emphasis on opioid use, overdose prevention, and substance use disorder in rural areas. Meit leads collaborative projects on opioid and overdose mortality, rural health disparities, and public health systems performance. 

Megan Heffernan, MPH is a Senior Research Scientist at NORC at the University of Chicago. She has over a decade of experience in public health research. Her work focuses on public health infrastructure, rural health, and substance use disorder. She has led the development of several mapping tools, including the Recovery Ecosystem Index and the Rural Health Mapping Tool. 

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