Combining social capital and geospatial analysis to measure the boston’s opioid epidemic

Abstract

Social support is considered an important factor in the recovery of individuals, who suffer from drug use disorder. Traditional drug treatment interventions have mainly focused on the individual without taking into consideration the social and environmental conditions that may support or reduce drug use. By combining a social capital framework with geospatial research methodologies, we mapped hot spots and cold spots within the 23 Boston neighborhoods and identified where social ties were stronger or weaker. The spatial correlation analysis and Geographically Weighted Regression demonstrated that in areas where social capital is low, there is a moderately high incidence of opioid deaths and sick assist calls. Our analysis shows that in neighborhoods where residents are involved in charitable organizations, where people gather around religious organizations, or where unions are more active, people help each other more and might be aware of actions to take to prevent opioid-related deaths.