60 Percent of People Who Die From Opioid Overdose Suffer Chronic Pain

A study of people who die from opioid overdoses found just over 60 percent suffer from chronic pain, HealthDay reports.

Many also struggle with anxiety or depression, the researchers report in the American Journal of Psychiatry. The study included medical records of more than 13,000 adults who died from an opioid overdose between 2001 and 2007.

“The frequent occurrence of treated chronic pain and mental health conditions among overdose decedents underscores the importance of offering substance use treatment services in clinics that treat patients with chronic pain and mental health problems,” said lead investigator Dr. Mark Olfson of Columbia University Medical Center.