BACKGROUND
Interventions are urgently needed to reduce prescription opioid misuse risk factors, including anxiety and concomitant use of sedatives. However, only 5 randomized controlled opioid intervention trials have been conducted, with none showing improvements in anxiety.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to determine the feasibility of using an online behavior change community, compared to a control Facebook group, to reduce anxiety and opioid misuse among chronic pain patients.
METHODS
51 high-risk non-cancer chronic pain patients were randomly assigned to either a Harnessing Online Peer Education (HOPE) peer-led online behavior change intervention or a control group (no peer leaders) on Facebook for 12 weeks. Inclusion criteria were: 18 years or older, a UCLA Health System patient, prescribed an opioid for non-cancer chronic pain between 3 and 12 months ago, and a score of ≥ 9 on the Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM) and/or concomitant use of benzodiazepines. Participation in the online community was voluntary. Patients completed baseline and follow-up assessments on Generalized Anxiety Disorder screener (GAD-7), COMM, and frequency of social media discussions about pain and opioid use.
RESULTS
Compared to control group participants, intervention participants showed a baseline-to-follow-up decrease in anxiety, and more frequently used social media to discuss pain, prescription opioid use, coping strategies, places to seek help, and alternative therapies for pain. Both groups showed a baseline to follow-up decrease in COMM score.
CONCLUSIONS
Results support the feasibility of using an online community interventions as a low-cost tool to decrease risk for prescription opioid misuse and its complications.
CLINICALTRIAL
ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02735785
Social media as an emerging tool for reducing prescription opioid misuse risk factors
