Multi-state modelling of opioid usage, addiction, and overdose

Opioid addiction and overdose is an ongoing crisis in the United States and Canada. While many researchers have attempted to explain the epidemic and its impacts, the existing researches have paid little attention to the interim transitions that lead to opioid abuse, overdose, and death. This project proposes a theoretical approach to understanding the transitions providing probabilistic estimates for the transitions rates in a multi-state modelling framework. The project aims to provide insight on how the crisis is affecting different demographic groups at different stages of opioid usage.