TY - JOUR
PY - 2022//
TI - Quality of life and opioid use motives: direct and indirect associations with risky opioid use in a community sample of adults
JO - Substance use and misuse
A1 - Earnest, Jennifer D.
A1 - Hatch, Melissa R.
A1 - Hurlocker, Margo C.
SP - ePub
EP - ePub
VL - ePub
IS - ePub
N2 - PURPOSE: The opioid epidemic in the United States has resulted in mass mortality and economic costs exceeding $1 trillion. Poor health-related quality of life is evident among individuals entering treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Yet, little research has examined the influence of quality of life on risky opioid use among non-treatment-seeking adults. To help inform OUD prevention efforts, this study examined the association among quality of life domains, opioid use motives, and risky opioid behaviors in a community sample of opioid users.
METHODS: Participants (Nā=ā278) were adults who endorsed past month opioid use and were not currently in treatment for OUD. Participants responded to questions regarding their opioid use and misuse, opioid use motives, opioid use consequences, and quality of life.
RESULTS: The physical health domain of quality of life was associated with risky opioid use. Specifically, poorer physical health predicted risky opioid use and this relationship was partially explained by more social and pain motives to use opioids. Surprisingly, no other quality of life domains predicted risky opioid use.
CONCLUSION: This study represents a meaningful first step in identifying optimal targets for OUD prevention efforts with community samples. Our findings suggest that physical health is an important quality of life indicator to prevent opioid-related harm and development of OUD.
Language: en
LA - en SN - 1082-6084 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2022.2136497 ID - ref1 ER -