Establishing the Contributions of Romantic Partners in Older Individuals’ Prescription Opioid Misuse

 Although characteristics of older people who are at risk of developing opioid misuse are well known, there is little known of relationship-based risk factors for misuse and abuse of prescribed opiates in this population. Given that most older adults live with a romantic partner, and that partners and spouses have long been recognized as determinants of health habits, including the use of substances, this represents a significant gap in the literature. Absent this knowledge, a comprehensive framework for the development of interventions to prevent potentially serious prescription drug misuse in this age group remains unlikely. Dr. Lauren Papp, Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is addressing this gap in the literature.

Dr. Papp and her team are working to determine the extent to which partner factors contribute to an individual’s increasing risk of opioid misuse in the short-term following a new prescription. Their hypothesis is that the romantic relationship context is a robust predictor of opioid misuse risk and problematic prescription behaviors. This study will augment an ongoing study of 80 adults (and their partners) who receive a new prescription for non-chronic pain during an emergency department (ED) visit.

In total, 98 individuals and their partners will be recruited in the ED. Patients and their partners report on their background risk for opioid misuse (eg. substance history, depressive symptoms), tendency to catastrophize pain, and understanding of opioid related harms. Both patients and partners are assessed at baseline in the ED, based having a new opioid prescription. The patient is then assessed again at one month later on their current opioid prescription behaviors.

The study’s research questions are:

1. To what extent do romantic partners’ levels of risk for misuse, tendency to catastrophize pain, and knowledge of opioid harms demonstrate concordance?

2. To what extent do romantic partner factors pertaining to prescription drug misuse predict older adults’ opioid misuse behavior in the short term?

The results are expected to be significant because they will provide new opportunities for the development of targeted interventions and evidence-based policies. And knowledge of romantic partners’ similarity in opioid factors and partner contributions to serious prescription drug behavior among older adults will be valuable for effectively combating the opioid epidemic in this population and improving vital aging outcomes.