Somatization, mental health and pain catastrophizing factors associated with risk of opioid misuse among patients with chronic non-cancer pain

ABSTRACT

Objective: To examine somatization, mental health, and pain catastrophizing factors as predictors of risk for opioid misuse in patients with chronic non-cancer pain.

Methods: Risk for prescription opioid misuse was examined using the Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM). Overall, 51 patients were enrolled in the study and completed the baseline survey that assessed anxiety (GAD-7), somatization (PHQ-15), depression (PHQ-9), and pain catastrophizing indicators (PCS).

Results: Overall, a high proportion of patients screened positive for anxiety (30%), somatization (73%), depression (43%), and pain catastrophizing subscales (magnification 29%, rumination 29%, and helplessness 18%). Patients who screened positive for anxiety disorder reported a significantly higher COMM score compared to those without symptoms (28.19 vs. 15.11, p < .0001). Patients with depressive symptoms also reported significantly higher COMM score compared to those without depressive symptoms (25.18, vs. 14.69, p = .0007). Those with PCS ‘magnification’ reported significantly higher COMM score (25.0), compared to those without ‘magnification’ (16.81; p = .018). Similarly, those with PCS ‘rumination’ scored higher on the COMM score compared to those without ‘rumination’ (25.9 vs 17.59, p = .038).

Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of future interventions to address mental health and pain catastrophizing symptoms when treating patients with chronic non-cancer pain for opioid misuse.

KEYWORDS:

• Somatization
• anxiety
• depression
• pain catastrophizing
• opioid misuse

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse grant [R21DA039458]; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases [R01AI132030], University of California, Office of the President (UCOP), National Human Genome Research Institute, and the Center for HIV Identification, Prevention, and Treatment Services (CHIPTS) NIMH grant [MH58107]. The funders played no role in the study, planning, analysis, or outcomes.