WASHINGTON — When it comes to battling the opioid epidemic, psychological science offers useful insights on everything from the factors underlying addiction to treating chronic pain effectively without using medication, according to articles published.
This special issue entitled, “Psychology’s Role in Addressing the Dual Crises of Chronic Pain and Opioid-Related Harms,” includes 10 studies focusing on patterns of opioid use, misuse and abuse and ways to treat those living with chronic pain and opioid abuse.
“The studies look at how pain and opioid abuse affect a number of demographics,” said Robert D. Kerns, PhD, a psychology professor at Yale University, who co-edited the issue with Tonya M. Palermo, PhD, a professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine from the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Research Institute. “We know the risk factors can begin in adolescence and present unique concerns with treatment for older adults. We also know that this epidemic has disproportionately affected low-income communities and ethnic minorities.”
The editors of the issue said they hope the findings will encourage other researchers to conduct additional research that could help reduce opioid misuse, educate providers on best practices for prescribing pain medication and address co-occurring chronic pain and opioid use disorder in vulnerable populations.
“This research is an important step in expanding our understanding of the underlying issues at play with comorbid pain and substance abuse and how psychologists and other health care workers can continue to address these issues in an increasingly effective way,” said Palermo. “We look forward to seeing other researchers build on these findings and hope they will reach the professionals who are working with populations at risk.”
What started as a problem with doctors overprescribing medication to treat pain in the 1990s quickly morphed into a nationwide epidemic of opioid addiction that has ravaged communities and led to the deaths of 450,000 people between 1999 and 2018, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Health care professionals and other frontline workers have scrambled over the years to help the country cope with these issues.
Researchers inside and outside the federal government have worked to better understand the issues surrounding pain management and addiction issues. For example, the National Institutes of Health launched Helping to End Addiction Long-Term to provide scientific solutions to the opioid crisis, and other agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and CDC have dedicated significant resources to combating the problem.
As we work to eliminate COVID-19, it is important to remember that we have been battling another deadly health care issue for years,” said Palermo. “It is important that we continue to dedicate all necessary resources to better understanding the problems of chronic pain and addiction and how to mitigate them.
