title: Depression - A major but neglected consequence contributing to the health toll from prescription opioids?
abstract: Prescription opioid analgesic (POA) use is common especially in North America, and associated with extensive morbidity and mortality. While medical and non-medical POA use have been documented to be associated with mental health problems, and specifically depression, newly emerging epidemiological evidence suggests that incident depression post-initiation of POA use may be common. Neurobiological - specifically regarding impacts of POAs on brain functioning - and/or psycho-social processes may be relevant pathways; these must be better understood, also to guide clinical practice for interventions. Incident depression outcomes may be an added component to the extensive health toll from widespread POA use.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. Electronic address: benedikt.fischer@utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Benedikt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Health Outcomes and Performance Evaluation (HOPE) Research Unit, Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, CAMH, Toronto, Canada; Mental Health and Addictions Research Program, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kurdyak
authors.affiliation: Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction (CARMHA), Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: Elliot M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Goldner
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003863:Depression / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D009656:North America / Q000453:epidemiology; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D063487:Prescription Drug Misuse / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000639:trends
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid
keywords: Depression; Prescription opioid analgesics; Public health