Characteristics of pain patients with opioid-use disorder.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

"Nonmedical" (i.e., illicit) use of opioid analgesics has skyrocketed among the general population during the past decade, with similar increases observed among pain patients who take opioids by prescription.

OBJECTIVE:

Because 1 in 3 opioid-maintained pain patients may be affected, it is essential that healthcare providers learn more about this subpopulation as a first step toward improved detection, brief intervention, referral, and general management.

METHOD:

The authors examined baseline data for 40 chronic-pain patients in a treatment trial targeting opioid analgesic abuse.

RESULTS:

Abuse-disorder patients were dysfunctional and had high rates of psychiatric disorders and troublesome personality traits. Providers characterized patients as manipulative, drug-seeking, and noncompliant; patients complained that they were pharmacologically undertreated and were considered "addicts." Despite having severe pain and addiction, their average daily opioid dose was only 69% of that used to treat addiction in the same geographic region.

CONCLUSION:

Abuse-disorder patients had a similar physical but worse psychiatric/personality presentation than other chronic-pain patients, which suggests the need for increased psychiatric involvement.

• Authors: Deborah L Haller, Michelle C Acosta
• Journal: Psychosomatics (Psychosomatics) 2010 May-Jun Vol. 51 Issue 3 Pg. 257-66 ISSN: 1545-7206 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 20484724 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Analgesics, Opioid
• Illicit Drugs

Topics

• Activities of Daily Living (psychology)
• Adult
• Alcoholism (epidemiology, psychology)
• Analgesics, Opioid (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Comorbidity
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Female
• Health Behavior
• Humans
• Illicit Drugs
• Male
• Mental Disorders (epidemiology, psychology)
• Middle Aged
• Opioid-Related Disorders (epidemiology, psychology)
• Pain (drug therapy, epidemiology, psychology)
• Pain Clinics
• Personality Inventory (statistics & numerical data)
• Psychometrics
• Quality of Life (psychology)
• Referral and Consultation
• Substance-Related Disorders (epidemiology, psychology)