| A new study shows that people with mental disorders may feel physical pain more acutely and be less able to cope with it. As a result, people with anxiety and depression use a disproportionate amount of painkillers.
Researchers estimated that 7.2 million of the 38.6 million people with anxiety and depression took opioids and adults with mental disorders were much more likely than people without them to use prescription opioids — 18.7 percent vs. 5 percent.
Studies also show that nearly 19 percent of the estimated 38.6 million people with those two most common mental health disorders received at least two prescriptions for opioids during a year.
So why is this happening? Findings show that it may be the mental disorder is affecting how the patient is rating the physical pain. So when a primary physician asks someone with a mental disorder to gauge his or her pain on a scale of 1-10, the answer is higher than the answers from patients without mental disorders. The study shows the direct link between mental disorders and physical pain. This study again verifies the need for a more integrated health care approach between primary care and mental health care. The patient needs to be treated as a whole – both mentally and physically – because one affects the other.
At Behavioral Safety Products, we understand the need for facilities to find safety products that are convenient, proven, and safe for patients. Behavioral Safety Products uses design processes which specifically create behavioral environments that are soothing to the patient and allow them to feel “at home” while in a state of treatment and recovery. This study will be published online in the Journal of American Board of Family Medicine.
Best Regards,
David DeLoache
President
Behavioral Safety Products |
