Substance-related disorders: A review of prevalence and correlates among patients with chronic pain

Publication date: Available online 29 June 2017Source: Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological PsychiatryAuthor(s): Marc O. Martel, Yoram Shir, Mark A. WareAbstractOver the past few decades, research has revealed high rates of substance-related disorders among patients with chronic pain. In addition to their potentially deleterious health consequences, substance-related disorders have consistently been associated with negative pain-related outcomes among patients with chronic pain. The goal of this narrative review was to provide an overview of studies that have examined the prevalence and correlates of substance-related disorders among patients with chronic pain. A particular focus was placed on opioids, sedatives/hypnotics, cannabis, tobacco, and alcohol given that these substances have received the bulk of research attention among patients with pain. Research conducted to date suggests that a host of biological and psychological factors are likely to contribute to the elevated rates of substance-related disorders among patients with chronic pain. In this review, in addition to reviewing the prevalence and correlates of substance-related disorders among patients with pain, we briefly discussed the changes that were recently made from the DSM-4 to the DSM-5 in the diagnostic criteria for substance-related disorders, and the implications of these changes for the assessment of patients with chronic pain. We also provided a brief overview of instruments that can be ...
Source: Progress in Neuro Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research