Polysubstance Use, Mood Disorders, and Chronic Conditions With Anxiety in Opioid Patients.
Sophia Liu, Christian Nwabueze, Yue Pan and 5 others
PMID 34301163WHAT IT FOUND
Among 1,645 opioid treatment patients, 31.2% reported a history of anxiety or panic disorder.
Anxiety was more common with sedative use disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, multiple substance use disorders, and chronic conditions.
Key findings
0131.2% of 1,645 participants reported a history of anxiety or panic disorder.
02In adjusted analysis, sedative use disorder, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, skin problems, and hypertension were significantly associated with anxiety disorder.
03More than two substance use disorders, one or two mood disorders, and one or more than two chronic conditions were significantly associated with anxiety disorder.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The analysis used baseline data only, so it cannot show that substance use disorders, mood disorders, or chronic conditions caused anxiety, or that anxiety caused them. Anxiety, mood disorders, and chronic conditions were based on self-reported history, so recall bias and social desirability bias are possible. Participants were people seeking treatment in opioid treatment programs, so findings may not apply to all people with opioid use disorder. The original START study had a different primary aim, liver enzyme changes during buprenorphine/naloxone and methadone, and this paper did not test those treatments.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat these associations as evidence that anxiety causes substance use, mood disorders, or chronic conditions, or that treating one condition will improve opioid outcomes. The analysis used baseline self-reported history only and cannot determine cause or treatment effects.