Opioid misuse may lead to lasting physical, mental problems

In a new study, researchers found older adults in the U.S. who suffer prescription opioid misuse are at a higher risk for physical and mental quality of life problems as well as other complications.

The research was conducted by a team at Texas State University and elsewhere.

In the study, the data was collected from the 2012–2013 National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions-III, using adults 50 years and older.

Respondents were grouped into mutually exclusive categories: no lifetime opioid misuse, prior-to-previous year opioid misuse, previous year opioid misuse and persistent opioid misuse.

Groups were compared on health-related quality of life and mental health, physical health, and substance use variables, controlling for sociodemographics.

The team found that older adults with persistent opioid misuse experienced high rates of major depression (17.6%), emergency department use (42.7%) and any substance use disorder (37.4%).

Older adults who had experienced opioid misuse over the previous year had high rates of physical health diagnoses and health care utilization, with 45.6% undergoing overnight hospitalization.

Among those people who had experienced opioid misuse prior to the previous year, 13.7% of them had suffered major depression in the previous year.

The researchers conclude that older adults with persistent opioid misuse likely need multidisciplinary care for their significant physical and mental health and substance use conditions.

The lead author of the study is Ty Schepis, an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Texas State.

The study is published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

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