Research Guides: Opioid Epidemic: Books, Articles, & More

Books

Beautiful Boy by David Sheff
Call Number: available through U-Borrow (pick "Statewide Catalog" option in OneSearch)

Now a major motion picture! In Beautiful Boy, journalist David Sheff offers a raw and heartfelt account of his son Nic’s descent into meth addiction, capturing the anguish and helplessness of watching a beloved child unravel. Through candid reflection, exhaustive research, and personal resilience, Sheff portrays the emotional toll on families and the relentless hope that recovery—even if uncertain—is worth fighting for.
Dopesick by Beth Macy
Call Number: RC568.O45 M33 2018

ISBN: 9780316523172

Beth Macy’s deeply reported account of America’s opioid epidemic reveals how corporate greed, regulatory failures, and systemic inequality fueled a crisis that infiltrated every corner of society—from affluent suburbs to struggling Appalachian towns. Through hauntingly intimate stories of families, communities, and first responders, Macy illustrates the widespread devastation and resilient human spirit that define the battle against opioid addiction.
The Opioid Epidemic in the United States by Kant B. Patel; Mark E. Rushefsky
Call Number: E-book

This book analyzes the U.S. opioid epidemic through the lens of public policy, tracing its roots to the 1990s rise of OxyContin and exploring how governmental fragmentation hindered effective responses. It offers a critical examination of the political, social, and economic factors that fueled the crisis and provides insights into more effective policymaking for future health emergencies.
Pain Killer by Barry Meier
In Pain Killer, investigative journalist Barry Meier traces the origins of the opioid epidemic to Purdue Pharma’s deceptive marketing of OxyContin and the profiteering of the Sackler family, whose influence masked the drug’s addictive risks. Through gripping stories of whistleblowers, devastated families, and failed government oversight, Meier reveals how corporate misconduct and regulatory negligence unleashed a national tragedy.
A Time-Release History of the Opioid Epidemic by J. N. Campbell; Steven M. Rooney
Call Number: Available through InterLibrary Loan (see "Can't find it in the catalog?")

This book traces the 200-year evolution of opioids, from early alkaloid discoveries like morphine to the rise of synthetic painkillers and the resulting crises driven by science, medicine, and commerce. Through a historical and chemical lens, it explores how the laboratory became central to both healing and harm, shaping a complex and ongoing epidemic.

Catalog Search Help

If you need help brainstorming keywords to search in the catalog, try some of these out:

Prescription drugs
Pharmaceutical policy
Public health
Substance abuse
Fentanyl -- United States
Fentanyl -- Overdose -- United States -- Prevention
Opioid abuse -- United States -- Prevention
Opioid abuse -- Treatment -- United States
Opioid-Related Disorders -- prevention & control
Opioid-Related Disorders -- History
Drug abuse -- United States -- Prevention
Analgesics, Opioid -- adverse effects

Find Articles

Articles can be a great way to delve into academic literature and get an idea of research trends. Here are some databases to give you a head start:

APA PsycInfo

Bibliographic database of scholarly literature in the psychological, social, behavioral, and health sciences APA PsycInfo covers journals, books, reviews, and dissertations.

Topics include:

Biological and Developmental Processes
Behavioral Neuroscience
Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement
Developmental Psychology
GeroPsych: The Journal of Gerontopsychology and Geriatric Psychiatry
Journal of Comparative Psychology
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition
Journal of Psychophysiology
Neuropsychology
Psychology and Aging

Clinical
Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention
European Journal of Psychological Assessment
International Journal of Play Therapy
Journal of Abnormal Psychology
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
Journal of Counseling Psychology
Journal of Latina/o Psychology
Journal of Psychotherapy Integration
Professional Psychology: Research and Practice
Psychoanalytic Psychology
Psychological Assessment
Psychological Services
Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy
Psychology of Violence
Psychotherapy
Rorschachiana
Schizophrenia Bulletin
Training and Education in Professional Psychology

Cognitive/Learning/Education
Dreaming
Journal of Educational Psychology
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology
School Psychology Quarterly

Core
American Psychologist
Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology/Revue canadienne de psychologie exprimentale
Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne
History of Psychology
Journal of Experimental Psychology: General
Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology
Methodology: European Journal of Research Methods for the Behavioral and Social Sciences
Nordic Psychology
Psychological Bulletin
Psychological Methods
Psychological Review
Review of General Psychology
Translational Issues in Psychological Science
Zeitschrift fr Psychologie

Human Resources/Industrial/Organizational/Management
Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research
Journal of Applied Psychology
Journal of Diversity in Higher Education
Journal of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Economics
Journal of Occupational Health Psychology
Journal of Personnel Psychology

Health
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology
Families, Systems, & Health
Health Psychology
International Journal of Stress Management
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors
Rehabilitation Psychology

Social Psychology and Social Processes
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry
Asian American Journal of Psychology
Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology
Emotion
Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice
Journal of Family Psychology
Journal of Latina/o Psychology
Journal of Media Psychology: Theories, Methods, and Applications
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Motivation Science
Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts
Psychology of Men & Masculinity
Psychology of Religion and Spirituality
Psychology, Public Policy, and Law
Social Psychology

Abbreviation: psyapa
Vendor: American Psychological Association
Coverage: 1894–Current
Subjects: Art Education, Early Childhood Education, Education, Educational Psychology, Exceptional Student Education, Human Development & Family Science, Higher Education, Instructional Systems & Learning Technologies, Medicine, Music Education, Psychology, Sociology, Sport Psychology, Teacher Education
Type: Indexes / Catalogs
Health Policy Reference Center

Health Policy Reference Center is a full-text database covering all aspects of health policy and related issues. It supports decision making, planning and research in a variety of health care system areas.

Abbreviation: hprc
Vendor: EBSCO
Subjects: Health, Public Health
Type: E-Journal Collections, Indexes / Catalogs
MEDLINE (ProQuest)

Produced by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, this database contains millions of citations—derived from thousands of biomedical and life science journals—and is indexed with Medical Subject Headings (MeSH®) from the NLM controlled vocabulary. Covers all areas of medicine, including clinical medicine, experimental medicine, dentistry, nursing, health services administration, nutrition, and much more.

Subject coverage:
Behavioral psychology
Clinical psychology
Developmental psychology
Neurology
Personality, Psychobiology
Psychometrics
Social psychology

Abbreviation: medline-csa
Vendor: ProQuest
Coverage: 1946–Current
Subjects: Communication Disorders, Human Development & Family Science, Medicine, Music Therapy, Nursing, Public Health
Type: Indexes / Catalogs
OECD

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development provides access to publications (reports, research papers, policy papers, briefs, and datasets) and is a knowledge hub for regional and global engagement and best practices in public policy.

Tutorials:
User Guide

Subjects include:
Agriculture and Food
Development
Economics
Education
Employment
Energy
Environment
Finance and Investment
Governance
Industry and Services
Nuclear Energy
Science and Technology
Social Issues/Migration/Health
Taxation
Trade
Transport
Urban, Rural and Regional Development

Abbreviation: sourceoecd
Vendor: OECD
Subjects: Anthropology, Art, Business, Communication, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Demography and Population Studies, Economics, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Geography, Higher Education, Human Development & Family Science, Information Studies, International Affairs, Law, Music Education, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration and Policy, Public Health, Retail Entrepreneurship, Sociocultural and International Education, Urban and Regional Planning
Type: Datasets / Statistics, Directories, E-Book Collections, E-Journal Collections
PubMed (NLM)
PubMed, is a service of the National Library of Medicine, which provides access to over 16 million MEDLINE citations back to the mid-1960's and additional life science journals. MEDLINE is the primary database used for getting to the subject content of articles in medicine. There are several ways to get to MEDLINE, including OVID and PubMed. The FSU customized version of PubMed links directly from the article reference to the full article for all electronic journals available at FSU.

Tutorials:
PubMed Online Training

See also: MeSH (Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) is the National Library of Medicine's controlled vocabulary thesaurus and will assist you in formulating your successful searches.)

Abbreviation: pubmd
Vendor: National Library of Medicine
Subjects: Biological Sciences, Engineering, Communication, Communication Disorders, Medicine, Music Therapy, Nursing & Integrative Physiology, Public Health, Urban and Regional Planning
Type: E-Journal Collections, Indexes / Catalogs

If you need specialized research help, you can always schedule an appointment with a subject librarian by going to the Academic Liaison and Research Specialist Directory.

Documentaries/Film

Did you know FSU has access to film databases? You can stream movies and series for FREE using your FSU login credentials. Check out the film recommendations and databases below.

Film Recommendations:

The Crime of the Century
*Available on HBO* Explores how Big Pharma’s practices fueled the epidemic.
One Second at a Time
The true story of Christine Ortoll. Her struggle is told from her own journals and by those who supported her, including family, close friends, and leading experts in the treatment area for both mental health and substance use disorder.
Safety Net: Helping College Students in Recovery Thrive
Short Film by FSU Alumnus Mike Ortoll Focused on the Need for College Recovery Programs.

Film Databases:

Films on Demand: Health & Medicine Collection
Educational videos on topics such as disorders & disabilities, personal health & wellness, public health, health care & treatment, and health careers.

Abbreviation: fodhm
Vendor: Films Media Group
Subjects: Medicine, Nursing
Type: Streaming Video
Kanopy Streaming Video

Kanopy is a streaming video resource with a broad collection of over 26,000 films on every subject imaginable and from leading producers such as Criterion Collection, The Great Courses, New Day Films, HBO California Newsreel, Kino Lorber, PBS, BBC, First Run Features, The Video Project, Media Education Foundation, and Documentary Education Resources.

Abbreviation: kanopy
Vendor: Kanopy
Subjects: Film Studies
Type: Streaming Video
Swank
Swank Digital Campus’ online streaming service provides instant access to thousands of feature films, documentaries, foreign films and TV shows suitable for any academic department, including history, literature, social sciences, health science and more. They have exclusive rights to many of Hollywood’s biggest studios, including:
- Paramount
- Universal
- Sony
- Lionsgate
- Warner Bros
Swank Digital Campus specializes in providing movie and TV content for academic use to colleges all across the country.

Abbreviation: swank
Vendor: Swank Motion Pictures
Type: Streaming Video

Opioid Epidemic

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Books

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Find Articles

Documentaries/Film