Chronic pain diagnoses and opioid dispensings among insured individuals with serious mental illness.

Prescription opioids are associated with an increased risk of adverse drug events and individual’s underlying mental health conditions may be more likely to be prescribed long-term opioid therapy. This study examined opioid treatment patterns among individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder (MDD) and found that having a diagnosis of bipolar disorder or MDD was associated with increased odds of receiving chronic opioid mediations, whereas a diagnosis of schizophrenia was not.