Psychiatrists Can Play Vital Role in Stemming Opioid Crisis

Deaths from opioid overdoses continue to rise, heroin is a common topic of discussion in households, and states are suing pharmaceutical companies for unethical marketing of opioid pain medications. The conversation on the opioid crisis in the United States has become a matter of national interest and, as such, it is easy to forget it is more than a political matter: opioid use disorder (OUD) is a psychiatric disorder.

The urgency with which we as psychiatrists must act cannot be overstated. Despite the increased allocation of federal funding to educate communities on opioid misuse, prevent overprescription of opioids, and improve access to treatment, the opioid epidemic has continued to worsen. While it seems like we, as a nation, are losing an uphill battle, we believe that the stage is set for us, as psychiatrists, to intervene and make a difference.

Our society’s approach to battling opioid use disorder has had limited success. Although the 21st Century Cures Act and the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act increased federal funding to combat the opioid crisis, the results were modest at best. We invite you to attend our session at APA’s 2018 Annual Meeting and revisit the role the psychiatrist can play in the war against addictions.

Most Americans with OUD who would benefit from evidence-based addiction treatment do not receive such treatment; however, the vast majority of individuals who do not receive treatment are not aware that they need treatment or are not open to receiving treatment. This suggests that merely increasing the availability of treatment is insufficient to address the opioid epidemic. Indeed, adequate access to OUD services requires experts with advanced training in motivating individuals and bringing them into treatment. Psychiatrists ought to play an instrumental role in this regard.

Psychiatrists are unique among physicians in that we are keenly aware, in our everyday practice, of the false divide that exists between diseases of the mind and body. We are often called upon to weigh in on cases where the lines are blurred, and many of these cases involve substance use. We want to encourage psychiatrists to view substance use disorders as primary psychiatric illnesses. For patients to successfully gain control over their addictions the same way they gain control over their bipolar disorder, we must guide them using evidence-based, patient-centered approaches.

We have the ability to educate our colleagues and to collaborate with them to increase awareness in the house of medicine of the available treatments for patients with addictions and, through education, improve continuity of care. Moreover, we are uniquely qualified to educate the general public, educate and work with law enforcement officers, improve the criminal justice system, and influence and shape policy both locally and nationally. We invite you to collaborate with us in shifting the paradigm from one of despair to one of hope and opportunity and, ultimately, help patients regain control of their lives. ■