Mental Health Update | Opioid misuse higher than previously believed

Using Opioids for Pain is a reasonable path for those with serious chronic pain, however, there is a growing concern over the fact at 1 in 4 are misusing it.

According to information from studies and in PsychCongress.com for substance abuse and addiction:

"On average, misuse was documented in approximately 1 out of 4 or 5 patients, and addiction in approximately 1 out of 10 or 11 patients," researchers reported.

Between 21% and 29% of opioids prescribed for chronic pain are misused, according to a study published in the April issue of Pain. Researchers combed through 38 previously published studies to arrive at the updated estimates of problematic opioid use for the new report.

Investigators defined opioid misuse as using the medication in ways other than instructed, regardless of harmful effects. Addiction indicated continued opioid use despite potential or actual harmful effects.

Considering the gap between estimated rates of opioid misuse and actual addiction—which the study suggests ranges from 8% to 12%—researchers recommended that healthcare providers better target their resources to address problematic use. Patient education and monitoring of patients at risk for misuse, for example, are 2 low-intensity interventions that could be more feasible than avoiding prescribing opioids all together.

Mental Health Note | Researchers also noted that 35 of the 38 studies reviewed were based in the United States.

Drug Addiction | That "curious finding,” they wrote, “suggests that this issue is of both high interest and is perhaps a problem that is somehow uniquely relevant to the United States.”

Health Care Bottom line:  No matter where the problem exists, there is a need for proper diagnosis that includes finding out where the Opioids use / misuse is and to do something about it.