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Pain and Chemical Dependency News
This study assessed the influence of medication beliefs, symptom severity,
disability, mood, and psychiatric history on opiate medication misuse behaviors
in 288 chronic pain patients. Data were gathered using questionnaires and reviewing
electronic medical records. The results demonstrate that patients with a history
of substance abuse showed greater medication misuse despite similar dosages
and self-rated opiate effectiveness. Misusers believed more strongly in the
potential for opiate addiction and that they required higher doses than others,
but also had greater belief in opiate effectiveness and the importance of free
access. Although both anxiety and substance abuse history are related to medication
misuse, analysis indicated that these factors may be influenced by medication
beliefs. These data suggest important roles for historical, affective, and cognitive
variables in understanding medication misuse. Patients with a history of substance
abuse report stronger beliefs in opiate effectiveness while simultaneously showing
awareness of their addiction potential. These issues should be addressed prior
to prescribing opiates. A history of substance abuse may be associated with
increased opiate medication misuse independent of differences in reported opiate
effectiveness. Self-attributions regarding opiate treatment related to need
for higher doses, dose control, and addiction potential, may be important mediators
of this relationship and interact with anxiety to produce heightened risk of
opiate misuse. Schieffer BM, Pham Q, Labus J, Baria A, Van Vort W, Davis P,
Davis F, Naliboff BD. Adapted from J Pain. 2005 Sep;6(9):620-629.
Read more: PMID 16139781
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16139781&query_hl=36
Credit: PubMed, developed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information
(NCBI) at the
National Library of Medicine (NLM).
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