Researchers are working to get a clearer picture of how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated Appalachiaâs drug epidemic.
Dr. Kate Beatty and Michael Meit, faculty in the East Tennessee State University College of Public Healthâs Center for Rural Health Research, have co-authored an article in the Journal of Appalachian Health examining how the pandemic has affected substance abuse and overdose numbers in the region.
The article, âRural Appalachia Battling the Intersection of Two Crises: COVID-19 and Substance Use Disorders,â discusses the side effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Appalachia, including increased overdose deaths.
Dr. Margaret Miller, an alumna of East Tennessee State Universityâs Master of Public Health program, is the lead author of the article. Dr. Rebekah Rollston, a co-author, is also an alumna of the joint degree between the ETSU College of Public Health and the Quillen College of Medicine.