Nearly 100,000 children in the US lost a parent to a drug overdose or gun violence in 2020, study finds

CNN
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Deaths from drug overdoses and firearm-related injuries have reached record levels in the United States in recent years, creating a “double burden” for children who face an increased risk of losing their parents and dying themselves. According to the authors of the book, new research.

Overall, more than 1 million children have lost a parent to drug overdose or gun violence over the past 20 years, according to the report. studypublished Saturday in the medical journal JAMA – and that burden has increased significantly over time.

In 2020 alone, nearly 100,000 children lost a parent to drug overdose or gun violence, nearly triple the number in 1999, a study found. These two causes of death accounted for 23% of all orphans in 2020, almost double the number in 1999.

Direct data on the number of children orphaned by drugs and firearms is not available, so in this study, researchers analyzed federal mortality data, birth rate data, and demographic statistics to determine the number of children orphaned by drugs and firearms. The scale of death was estimated.

Researchers have found that the average age of people who die from drug overdoses and firearm-related injuries in the United States is about 42 years old, the age at which adolescents and teenagers are more likely to have children. did.

federal government data Drug overdose deaths are most common and fastest growing among people in their mid-30s to 40s, new study shows, with a significant jump in parental loss due to drug overdose. It turned out that there was. Approximately 72,800 children lost a parent to drug overdose in 2020, a 345% increase from the 16,000 children affected in 1999, according to the study.

The number of children who lost a parent to gun violence increased by 39%, from 18,000 in 1999 to 25,000 in 2020, compared to the number of children who lost a parent to all other causes of death. The number increased by 24%.

Other studies have shown that losing a parent can negatively impact a child’s health, education, and livelihood in the short and long term. Robin Gurwitch, a psychologist and professor at Duke University School of Medicine, said losing a parent to drugs or guns is especially difficult.

She says it’s more socially acceptable to talk about some causes of death, such as cancer. Deaths from guns and drugs are not only traumatic deaths, they are often “spoken about in whispers.”

“Not being able to talk openly and freely about this issue makes it harder for children to get the help they need,” said Gurwitch, who was not involved in the new study. “For children who are internalized, this can lead to everything from severe behavioral challenges to other types of mental health challenges such as bereavement, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. The risk of leakage is very high.”

Children are about three times more likely to lose their father to drug overdose or gun violence than their mother, according to a new study, which is broadly consistent with trends in mortality from these two causes. ing.

And black youth are disproportionately affected, primarily because firearm death rates are disproportionately high among black fathers.

In 2020, about 1 in 1,000 Black children lost a parent to gun violence, compared to 1 in 3,000. Overall, according to a new study.

These “substantial” disparities in the burden of experiencing parental death “result in lifelong health disadvantages and contribute to cumulative racial disadvantage,” the study authors wrote. ing. “Efforts to stem this problem should prioritize avoiding drug overdoses and gun violence, especially among structurally marginalized groups.”