Researchers at Columbia University in the United States conducted the first study on the relationship between pain and the development of opioid addiction. Their results have just been published in the American journal of psychiatry .
They show that chronic pain increases the risk of opioid addiction, and that severe pain can even increase this risk by 41%.
An addiction that mainly affects men and young adults
These researchers came to this conclusion after analyzing data from a national study on alcohol and drug abuse that included more than 34,000 people. They examined prescriptions for painkillers and asked patients about their possible addiction problems by crossing this information with other variables such as anxiety disorders, family history or alcohol problems. They thus noted that “Young adults and men who suffered from chronic or more severe pain had an increased risk of developing addiction to prescription opiates” says Prof. Mark Offson, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University.
“When evaluating patients with pain, physicians should be aware of risk factors for addiction. If opioids are prescribed, it is important that they monitor their patients carefully for any warning signs. ” insists the doctor.
In the United States, addiction to painkillers is a real public health problem. The number of deaths caused by an overdose of commonly prescribed painkillers is indeed greater than the number of overdoses by heroin and cocaine.
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