Substance use and misuse patterns and disability status in the 2020 US National Alcohol Survey: A contributing role for chronic pain

Peer Support at the Intersection of Disability and Opioid (Mis)Use: Key Stakeholders Provide Essential Considerations

“…Much of what emerged in our interviews with stakeholders regarding considerations in establishing models of peer support for individuals with disabilities and co-occurring OUD/SUD corroborates the published literature in behavioral health on treatment barriers [ 1 , 6 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ] and potential benefits [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. The translation of behavioral health peer support models would seem justifiable, particularly given the high prevalence of co-occurring behavioral health conditions for individuals living with these disabilities [ 4 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ]. However, efforts to specify and test peer support models have largely occurred in the behavioral health domains [ 12 ].…”

“…Population-based data examining the intersection of disability and opioid (OUD)/substance use disorders (SUD) in the United States (US) is limited, but a growing body of research suggests that individuals with physical, cognitive, and/or sensory disabilities may experience higher rates of opioid/substance use disorders than individuals without disabilities [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Peer support has emerged as a promising model of service delivery in behavioral health with a growing body of literature suggesting positive outcomes for both the person served and the peer [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ].…”

“…The potential for opioid misuse and opioid use disorder (OUD) more broadly among individuals with disabilities has garnered increasing attention, considering the current opioid epidemic, particularly given the significant association between prescription opioid misuse and the treatment of chronic non-cancer pain [ 18 ]. Individuals with disabilities are a heterogeneous group; some may be significantly more likely to live with chronic pain and to experience co-occurring mental health conditions than their non-disabled peers [ 3 , 8 ], two factors associated with a heightened risk for prescription opioid use and misuse [ 4 ]. The COVID-19 pandemic has conveyed significant day-to-day stress, has contributed to challenges in accessing treatment, and has been accompanied by a significant increase in opioid overdose [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”

Longitudinal assessment of drinking changes during the pandemic: The 2021 COVID‐19 follow‐up study to the 2019 to 2020 National Alcohol Survey

“…Data for the current study are from the latest wave of the cross‐sectional adult National Alcohol Survey (N14 hereafter) and a COVID‐19 follow‐up survey (N14C hereafter) of N14 participants who consented to be re‐contacted. The N14 data collection was conducted from February 2019 to April 2020 (02 to 09/2019 pilot phase, 09/2019 to 04/2020 full‐scale data collection) by the Alcohol Research Group (Reif et al, 2022 ). We note that there were 158 interviews conducted after March 17, 2020, when a national alert on COVID‐19 was issued, and sensitivity analyses removing these cases were compared to the presented results.…”

Cancer Disparities Experienced by People with Disabilities

“…The NCI also claims that chronic inflammation can cause DNA damage and lead to cancer [ 19 ], and that people with obesity may have an increased risk of several types of cancer, such as cancers of the breast in post-menopausal women and cancers of the colon [ 20 ]. People with disabilities report disproportionately higher rates of risk factors, including obesity [ 21 ], cigarette smoking [ 22 ], and substance misuse [ 23 ]. Moreover, chronic inflammation characterizes many disabling health conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and systemic lupus erythematosus [ 24 ].…”