Chronic pain severity in opioid-dependent patients

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2008;34(1):101-7. doi: 10.1080/00952990701523706.

Abstract

Treatment-seeking opioid-dependent patients present frequently with chronic pain (CP). This pilot study examined the feasibility and utility of a single-item rapid screening tool for identifying CP with implications for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment in a sample of patients presenting for inpatient opioid detoxification (n = 110). Most respondents (91.2%) reported pain in the past week. Forty-seven (42.8%) had CP. Individuals with severe CP had significantly greater depressive symptom severity, pain-related functional interference, and were more likely to be on disability than individuals with mild to moderate CP or no CP. The relationships were supported in a multivariate model. The results suggest it is feasible and important to assess for CP severity in SUD treatment settings.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Chronic Disease
  • Comorbidity
  • Depressive Disorder / diagnosis
  • Depressive Disorder / epidemiology
  • Depressive Disorder / psychology
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Female
  • Hospitalization
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Medical Assistance / statistics & numerical data
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Opioid-Related Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Opioid-Related Disorders / epidemiology
  • Opioid-Related Disorders / rehabilitation
  • Pain / diagnosis*
  • Pain / epidemiology
  • Pain / psychology
  • Pain Threshold / psychology
  • Pilot Projects
  • Prognosis
  • Severity of Illness Index