title: Reasons for opioid use among patients with dependence on prescription opioids: the role of chronic pain.
abstract: The number of individuals seeking treatment for prescription opioid dependence has increased dramatically, fostering a need for research on this population. The aim of this study was to examine reasons for prescription opioid use among 653 participants with and without chronic pain, enrolled in the Prescription Opioid Addiction Treatment Study, a randomized controlled trial of treatment for prescription opioid dependence. Participants identified initial and current reasons for opioid use. Participants with chronic pain were more likely to report pain as their primary initial reason for use; avoiding withdrawal was rated as the most important reason for current use in both groups. Participants with chronic pain rated using opioids to cope with physical pain as more important, and using opioids in response to social interactions and craving as less important, than those without chronic pain. Results highlight the importance of physical pain as a reason for opioid use among patients with chronic pain.
authors.affiliation: McLean Hospital, 115 Mill St, Belmont, MA 02478, United States; Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA, 02115, United States. Electronic address: rweiss@mclean.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Roger D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: McLean Hospital, 115 Mill St, Belmont, MA 02478, United States; Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA, 02115, United States; University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, 7526 Louis Pasteur MC7733, San Antonio, TX, 78229, United States.
authors.forename: Jennifer Sharpe
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Potter
authors.affiliation: McLean Hospital, 115 Mill St, Belmont, MA 02478, United States; Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA, 02115, United States.
authors.forename: Margaret L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.affiliation: McLean Hospital, 115 Mill St, Belmont, MA 02478, United States; Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA, 02115, United States.
authors.forename: R Kathryn
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: McHugh
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Science Research Unit, Mt. Sinai at St. Luke's, 1111 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY, 10025, United States.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haller
authors.affiliation: Universidad San Francisco de Quinto, Escuela De Medicina, Quito, Ecuador.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.affiliation: Adapt, Inc., 548 SE Jackson St., Roseburg, OR 97470, United States.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gardin
authors.affiliation: University of New Mexico Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions (CASAA), 2650 Yale SE MSC11-6280 Albuquerque, NM 87106, United States.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, 7526 Louis Pasteur MC7733, San Antonio, TX, 78229, United States.
authors.forename: Kristen D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Rosen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D066249:Craving; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D063487:Prescription Drug Misuse; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid
keywords: Chronic pain; Opioid analgesics; Opioid dependence; Prescription drug abuse; Relapse