urss poster
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Methods The study used a mixed methods design and so employed both qualitative and quantitative techniques Quantitative: An online survey was created to collect data, which consisted of several measures including: Participants: (n=200) Inclusion criteria: an experience of pain in the last month or an experience of anxiety and used painkillers in the last month. Qualitative: In-depth semi-structured interviews were also conducted. Participants: (n=12) Inclusion criteria: used painkillers in the last month and are concerned about their level or type of painkiller use, and either experienced pin at least 15 days in the last month, or experienced anxiety that is not necessarily associated with pain (e.g. social anxiety or generalised trait anxiety). Data were analysed by a correlational statistical analysis and interpretative phenomenological analyses. 1 Office for National Statistics, 2013 2 Reay, 2008; House of Commons Home Affairs Committee, 2013 3 Elander et al., 2013; Page and Elander, 2014 4 Colloca and Benedetti, 2007 5 Social Anxiety Support Forum, 2013 6 Image sourced from: [https://www.flickr.com/photos/epsos/81162798 88/sizes/o/] Preliminary results Some emergent themes from the initial interview are; Loneliness/helplessness: - Feelings of self vs the other in in-group and out-group stereotyping; “the first thing you think is ‘it will never happen to me… I’m not one of them’” - Lack of support from medical professionals from which help is expected; “I also went through the drug addiction clinic, but they said they don’t deal with people like me” - Lack of understanding from close friends and family; “it irritates my husband because he can’t see me suffering and it’s causing arguments” Dependence: -Change from drugs as positive pain relief to a necessity “it’s not the positivity of it, but you’ve done it… so you kind of, get over the hurdle” - Cycles of reinforcement in multiple aspects of life, i.e. everyday tasks “if I do something it would be taking painkillers before go through whatever I need to go through, and then come back and have some more because you come back with more pain than when you left” Aims 1. Explore individual experiences of painkiller dependence and anxiety using in-depth, semi-structured interviews. 2. Examine relationships between anxiety and painkiller dependence using questionnaire measures. Background Prescription analgesics (painkillers) cause more UK deaths than illicit opiates 1 and parliamentary committees called for more research on addiction to medications including analgesics 2 . In previous research, analgesic dependence was related to risk factors for addiction more generally, but also to pain anxiety and anxiety about pain medication 3 . Anxiety increases pain frequency and intensity, leading to greater analgesic use 4 , but other types of anxiety may influence pain management and analgesic use in different ways. Anxiety about needing pain medication can inhibit analgesic use, compromising pain management, for example, and social anxiety forum members reported using painkillers to self-medicate for social anxiety 5 . For more information or to take part in the research, go to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1WCuCORnrlayuIYwLXFWc62q h9Bs07bWuNwPNkc4w53Y/viewform?usp=send_form or contact Ada or Hannah at [email protected] or [email protected].
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Transcript of urss poster
Methods The study used a mixed methods design and so employed both qualitative and quantitative techniques Quantitative: An online survey was created to collect data, which consisted of several measures including: Participants: (n=200) Inclusion criteria: an experience of pain in the last month or an experience of anxiety and used painkillers in the last month. Qualitative: In-depth semi-structured interviews were also conducted. Participants: (n=12) Inclusion criteria: used painkillers in the last month and are concerned about their level or type of painkiller use, and either experienced pin at least 15 days in the last month, or experienced anxiety that is not necessarily associated with pain (e.g. social anxiety or generalised trait anxiety). Data were analysed by a correlational statistical analysis and interpretative phenomenological analyses.
1 Office for National Statistics, 2013 2 Reay, 2008; House of Commons Home Affairs Committee, 2013 3 Elander et al., 2013; Page and Elander, 2014 4 Colloca and Benedetti, 2007 5 Social Anxiety Support Forum, 2013 6 Image sourced from: [https://www.flickr.com/photos/epsos/8116279888/sizes/o/]
Preliminary results Some emergent themes from the initial interview are; Loneliness/helplessness: - Feelings of self vs the other in in-group and out-group stereotyping; “the first thing you think is ‘it will never happen to me… I’m not one of them’” - Lack of support from medical professionals from which help is expected; “I also went through the drug addiction clinic, but they said they don’t deal with people like me” - Lack of understanding from close friends and family;
“it irritates my husband because he can’t see me suffering and it’s causing arguments”
Dependence: -Change from drugs as positive pain relief to a necessity
“it’s not the positivity of it, but you’ve done it… so you kind of, get over the hurdle”
- Cycles of reinforcement in multiple aspects of life, i.e. everyday tasks
“if I do something it would be taking painkillers before go through whatever I need to go through, and then come back and have some more because you come back with more pain than when you left”
Aims 1. Explore individual experiences of
painkiller dependence and anxiety using in-depth, semi-structured interviews.
2. Examine relationships between anxiety and painkiller dependence using questionnaire measures.
Background Prescription analgesics (painkillers) cause more UK deaths than illicit opiates 1 and parliamentary committees called for more research on addiction to medications including analgesics 2. In previous research, analgesic dependence was related to risk factors for addiction more generally, but also to pain anxiety and anxiety about pain medication 3. Anxiety increases pain frequency and intensity, leading to greater analgesic use 4, but other types of anxiety may influence pain management and analgesic use in different ways. Anxiety about needing pain medication can inhibit analgesic use, compromising pain management, for example, and social anxiety forum members reported using painkillers to self-medicate for social anxiety 5.
For more information or to take part in the research, go to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1WCuCORnrlayuIYwLXFWc62qh9Bs07bWuNwPNkc4w53Y/viewform?usp=send_form or contact Ada or Hannah at [email protected] or [email protected].
