Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2009 Sep;70(9):1213-8.
doi: 10.4088/JCP.08m04367. Epub 2009 Jul 14.

Relations among psychopathology, substance use, and physical pain experiences in methadone-maintained patients

Declan T Barry  1 , Mark Beitel, Brian Garnet, Dipa Joshi, Andrew Rosenblum, Richard S Schottenfeld
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Relations among psychopathology, substance use, and physical pain experiences in methadone-maintained patients

Declan T Barry et al. J Clin Psychiatry. 2009 Sep.

Abstract

Objective: Differences in psychiatric distress and substance use (licit and illicit) were examined in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) patients with a variety of pain experiences.

Method: Parametric and nonparametric statistical tests were performed on data obtained from 150 patients currently enrolled in MMT. Assessments were carried out at the 3 opioid agonist treatment programs operated by the APT Foundation, New Haven, Connecticut. Participants were recruited between March 2007 and March 2008.

Results: In comparison to MMT patients reporting no pain in the previous week, those with chronic severe pain (CSP) (ie, pain lasting at least 6 months with moderate to severe pain intensity or significant pain interference) exhibited significantly higher (P < .01) levels of depression, anxiety, somatization, overall psychiatric distress, and personality disorder criteria but reported comparable rates of substance use. A third group, ie, non-CSP MMT patients reporting some pain in the past week, differed significantly (P < .05) from the other 2 pain groups on somatization and global psychiatric distress but reported comparable rates of substance use.

Conclusions: Pain-related differences in psychiatric problems exist in MMT patients and may have implications for program planning and outreach efforts.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Rosenblum A, Joseph H, Fong C, Kipnis S, Cleland C, Portenoy RK. Prevalence and characteristics of chronic pain among chemically dependent patients in methadone maintenance and residential treatment facilities. JAMA. 2003;289(18):2370–2378. - PubMed
    1. Jamison RN, Kauffman J, Katz NP. Characteristics of methadone maintenance patients with chronic pain. J. Pain Symptom Manage. 2000;19(1):53–62. - PubMed
    1. Barry DT, Bernard MJ, Beitel M, Moore BA, Kerns RD, Schottenfeld RS. Counselors' experiences treating methadone-maintained patients with chronic pain: A needs assessment study. J Addict Med. 2008;2:108–111. - PubMed
    1. Larson MJ, Paasche-Orlow M, Cheng DM, Lloyd-Travaglini C, Saitz R, Samet JH. Persistent pain is associated with substance use after detoxification: a prospective cohort analysis. Addiction. 2007;102(5):752–760. - PubMed
    1. Lin EHB, Katon W, Von Korff M, Tang L, Williams JW, Kroenke K, Hunkeler E, Harpole L, Hegel M, Arean P. Effect of improving depression care on pain and functional outcomes among older adults with arthritis a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2003;290(18):2428–2429. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms