Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on chronic pain and opioid use in marginalized populations: A scoping review
IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a variable effect on vulnerable populations, including patients with chronic pain who rely on opioid treatment or have comorbid opioid use disorder. Limited access to care due to isolation measures may lead to increased pain severity, worse mental health sym...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1046683/full |
| _version_ | 1797845486248394752 |
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| author | Karen Choe Eleanor Zinn Kevin Lu Dung Hoang Lawrence H. Yang Lawrence H. Yang |
| author_facet | Karen Choe Eleanor Zinn Kevin Lu Dung Hoang Lawrence H. Yang Lawrence H. Yang |
| author_sort | Karen Choe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a variable effect on vulnerable populations, including patients with chronic pain who rely on opioid treatment or have comorbid opioid use disorder. Limited access to care due to isolation measures may lead to increased pain severity, worse mental health symptoms, and adverse opioid-related outcomes. This scoping review aimed to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the dual epidemics of chronic pain and opioids in marginalized communities worldwide.MethodsSearches of primary databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycINFO were performed in March 2022, restricting the publication date to December 1, 2019. The search yielded 685 articles. After title and abstract screening, 526 records were screened by title and abstract, 87 through full-text review, of which 25 articles were included in the final analysis.ResultsOur findings illuminate the differential distribution of pain burden across marginalized groups and how it serves to heighten existing disparities. Service disruptions due to social distancing orders and infrastructural limitations prevented patients from receiving the care they needed, resulting in adverse psychological and physical health outcomes. Efforts to adapt to COVID-19 circumstances included modifications to opioid prescribing regulations and workflows and expanded telemedicine services.ConclusionResults have implications for the prevention and management of chronic pain and opioid use disorder, such as challenges in adopting telemedicine in low-resource settings and opportunities to strengthen public health and social care systems with a multidisciplinary and multidimensional approach. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:39:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9e34d3ee7ea64298a7d8b4bb1536d78d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:39:49Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-9e34d3ee7ea64298a7d8b4bb1536d78d2023-04-17T06:01:09ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652023-04-011110.3389/fpubh.2023.10466831046683Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on chronic pain and opioid use in marginalized populations: A scoping reviewKaren Choe0Eleanor Zinn1Kevin Lu2Dung Hoang3Lawrence H. Yang4Lawrence H. Yang5School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, United StatesTeachers College Columbia University, New York, NY, United StatesTeachers College Columbia University, New York, NY, United StatesTeachers College Columbia University, New York, NY, United StatesSchool of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, United StatesMailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United StatesIntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a variable effect on vulnerable populations, including patients with chronic pain who rely on opioid treatment or have comorbid opioid use disorder. Limited access to care due to isolation measures may lead to increased pain severity, worse mental health symptoms, and adverse opioid-related outcomes. This scoping review aimed to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the dual epidemics of chronic pain and opioids in marginalized communities worldwide.MethodsSearches of primary databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycINFO were performed in March 2022, restricting the publication date to December 1, 2019. The search yielded 685 articles. After title and abstract screening, 526 records were screened by title and abstract, 87 through full-text review, of which 25 articles were included in the final analysis.ResultsOur findings illuminate the differential distribution of pain burden across marginalized groups and how it serves to heighten existing disparities. Service disruptions due to social distancing orders and infrastructural limitations prevented patients from receiving the care they needed, resulting in adverse psychological and physical health outcomes. Efforts to adapt to COVID-19 circumstances included modifications to opioid prescribing regulations and workflows and expanded telemedicine services.ConclusionResults have implications for the prevention and management of chronic pain and opioid use disorder, such as challenges in adopting telemedicine in low-resource settings and opportunities to strengthen public health and social care systems with a multidisciplinary and multidimensional approach.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1046683/fullchronic nonmalignant painCOVID-19opioid useaddictionpain management |
| spellingShingle | Karen Choe Eleanor Zinn Kevin Lu Dung Hoang Lawrence H. Yang Lawrence H. Yang Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on chronic pain and opioid use in marginalized populations: A scoping review Frontiers in Public Health chronic nonmalignant pain COVID-19 opioid use addiction pain management |
| title | Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on chronic pain and opioid use in marginalized populations: A scoping review |
| title_full | Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on chronic pain and opioid use in marginalized populations: A scoping review |
| title_fullStr | Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on chronic pain and opioid use in marginalized populations: A scoping review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on chronic pain and opioid use in marginalized populations: A scoping review |
| title_short | Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on chronic pain and opioid use in marginalized populations: A scoping review |
| title_sort | impact of covid 19 pandemic on chronic pain and opioid use in marginalized populations a scoping review |
| topic | chronic nonmalignant pain COVID-19 opioid use addiction pain management |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1046683/full |
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