• Declan T Barry, Mark Beitel, Brian Garnet, Dipa Joshi, Andrew Rosenblum, and Richard S Schottenfeld.
• Yale University School of Medicine, CMHC/SAC Room 220, 34 Park St., New Haven, CT 06519-1187, USA. declan.barry @yale.edu
• J Clin Psychiatry. 2009 Sep 1; 70 (9): 1213-8.

ObjectiveDifferences in psychiatric distress and substance use (licit and illicit) were examined in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) patients with a variety of pain experiences.MethodParametric and nonparametric statistical tests were performed on data obtained from 150 patients currently enrolled in MMT. Assessments were carried out at the 3 opioid agonist treatment programs operated by the APT Foundation, New Haven, Connecticut. Participants were recruited between March 2007 and March 2008.ResultsIn comparison to MMT patients reporting no pain in the previous week, those with chronic severe pain (CSP) (ie, pain lasting at least 6 months with moderate to severe pain intensity or significant pain interference) exhibited significantly higher (P < .01) levels of depression, anxiety, somatization, overall psychiatric distress, and personality disorder criteria but reported comparable rates of substance use. A third group, ie, non-CSP MMT patients reporting some pain in the past week, differed significantly (P < .05) from the other 2 pain groups on somatization and global psychiatric distress but reported comparable rates of substance use.ConclusionsPain-related differences in psychiatric problems exist in MMT patients and may have implications for program planning and outreach efforts.Copyright 2009 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

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