November 16th 2023.
Recent research suggests that there may be a link between long-term use of opioid painkillers in young people and poor mental health and addiction in later life. Scientists at St George's, University of London, and the University of Liverpool, have uncovered an alarming correlation between chronic pain in those under the age of 25 and mental illness in adulthood.
The study found that those with chronic pain and a prescription painkiller were 46% more likely to have a mental illness in adult life and had an 82% higher risk of substance misuse. The medical records of 853,625 people aged two to 24 were examined, of which 115,101 were diagnosed with chronic pain.
Professor Reecha Sofat, Breckenridge chair of clinical pharmacology and therapeutics at the University of Liverpool, expressed concern over the findings. She commented that regular use of painkillers to manage chronic pain may lead to an unintended reliance on pain medication in adult life. She highlighted the importance of referring these young people to specialised pain services for more targeted support.
The team also noted that patients with learning disabilities and autism were over-represented among those receiving repeat prescriptions in the absence of a diagnosis for chronic pain. This could indicate overprescribing among a vulnerable group. They said the trends identified in their work could be due to those prescribed painkillers from a young age having more severe or frequent pain.
Dr Andrew Lambarth, academic clinical fellow in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics at St George's, University of London, said that chronic pain management in young people needs to be optimized. He warned that it is essential to avoid over-reliance on medicines that could lead to dependence on prescription or non-prescription drugs in later life. He encouraged the consideration of other recognized and effective non-drug management approaches.
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