Physical pain – often “self-medicated” without help from healthcare professionals – is an important contributor to non-medical prescription opioid (NMPO) use by young adults, suggests a study in the Journal of Addiction Medicine.
Young men with severe untreated pain are at especially high risk of frequent NMPO use, according to the new research, led by Brandon Marshall, of Brown University School of Public Health. Marshall comments: “Sex-specific patterns of pain and experiences interacting with health professionals could conceivably impact the way men and women report pain to healthcare providers, and the way young adults with severe physical pain are treated.”
Risk Factors for Frequent NMPO Use Differ for Young Men and Women
The study included 199 young adult NMPO users enrolled in the Rhode Island Young Adult Prescription Drug Study (RAPiDS), an ongoing study of opioid overdose prevention. Non-medical prescription opioid use refers to using opioids without a prescription or in a way other than prescribed. The NMPO users were a racially/ethnically diverse group; about two-thirds were male. About one-third had a previous opioid overdose.
One hundred and nineteen participants reported using NMPOs at least weekly. Marshall and colleagues evaluated the history of pain, pain treatment, and other factors associated with being a frequent NMPO user.
Eighty-five per cent of young adult NMPO users said they had experienced some type of injury or health condition that put them in severe pain – most commonly leg or back pain. Consistent with previous studies, most participants said they had used NMPOs to treat physical pain.
For the subjects reporting pain, there was evidence of inadequate pain treatment. About one-fourth of males and one-third of females said that a health professional had denied them medication to treat severe pain. Of those who did not seek medical treatment, many said they could “self-medicate” their pain and/or believed they would be denied prescription pain medications. Others said they didn’t like seeking medical help or didn’t have health insurance.
After adjustment for other factors, young men with higher pain scores were significantly more likely to report frequent NMPO use. White race was also a risk factor for frequent NMPO use among men. For women, older age and non-medical use of benzodiazepines were risk factors for frequent NMPO use. In contrast, established risk factors for opioid use disorder (OUD), such as mental health disorders or street drug use, were not associated with frequent NMPO use.
This study provides new evidence that physical pain – and using prescription opioids for self-treatment of pain – is common among young adults with NMPO use. The factors associated with frequent NMPO use appear to differ by sex: severe pain is an important risk factor in young men, while benzodiazepine use is a more important factor in women.
The study also provides insights into the reasons why some young adult NMPO users don’t seek medical care for severe pain. Especially if labeled as “drug seekers,” they may have difficulty receiving recommended pain treatment, or may self-medicate without asking for help. Marshall adds: “Harm reduction and pain management interventions for young adults may need to account for sex-specific drivers of frequent NMPO use, including self-medicating with prescription opioids to manage severe pain.”
Source: Science Daily
Reference: Tristan I. Evans, Elliott J. Liebling, Traci C. Green, Scott E. Hadland, Melissa A. Clark, Brandon D.L. Marshall. Associations Between Physical Pain, Pain Management, and Frequency of Nonmedical Prescription Opioid Use Among Young Adults. Journal of Addiction Medicine, 2017; 1 DOI: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000318
