Perspectives on Opioid Misuse From Public Service Psychology: An Introduction

Despite practicing in multiple venues where people with opioid use disorders require services, most public service psychology providers are not delivering, or being trained to deliver, treatment for substance use disorders. In addition, unintentional overdose and death from opioids continue, treatment options for chronic pain remain limited, and a larger discussion on the problem and role of drug and alcohol addiction in society remains largely unspoken. The articles received and included in this special section present some changes in the way that precipitants and prevention of opioid use disorder may be addressed and the role of psychologists in this work