Investigating all-cause mortality in substance misuse service users
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating all-cause mortality in the substance misuse treatment population
IRAS ID
250319
Contact name
Jenny Ness
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 4 months, 30 days
Research summary
In England, the number of people dying from drug poisoning or misuse is the highest it has ever been, with rates increasing by a third since 2010 (Office for National Statistics (ONS), 2018a). These figures do not include the elevated mortality of drug users from other complex health and social issues, from chronic diseases (Mathers et al, 2013) to homicide (Pierce et al, 2015), and so the actual mortality rate will be much higher. The rising rate of drug-related deaths has precipitated a need for greater understanding of the factors that influence them. In the last twenty years a number of key risk factors have been identified: prison discharge, gender, age, recent admission to hospital, polydrug use and opioid substitute treatment (OST). However, few studies have explored multiple risk factors in combination. Those that have are mainly conducted among non-fatal overdose populations. This research will investigate associations between risk factors whilst attempting to predict their impact on early mortality. It will define drug-related deaths as all deaths of people in contact with substance misuse services, or within 12 months of discharge or disengagement with the service. Routinely collected data of individuals engaging in substance misuse services in Derbyshire Healthcare Foundation Trust (DHCFT) between 2012 and 2020 will be linked to mortality follow-up data and analysed. This research will extend the findings from the annual ONS report by looking at epidemiology, clinical outcomes and risk factors of mortality (not restricted solely to drug overdose). In this regard, the aim is to gain an understanding of substance misuse services in the context of the national drug strategy, and to consider what broader lessons can be learned for prevention.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/EM/0187
Date of REC Opinion
21 Jun 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion