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Addiction and Chronic Pain: Training Addiction Psychiatrists

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Abstract

Objective

Addiction psychiatrists are increasingly asked to address chronic pain in patients with addiction. Because of historic “divisions of labor” between physicians who manage pain and addiction psychiatrists who manage addiction, limited guidance exists for preparing addiction psychiatry trainees to address this comorbidity.

Methods

A 1-h focus group composed of five geographically well-distributed addiction psychiatry fellowship directors/faculty was conducted to explore existing curricula, identify themes, and build consensus regarding educational goals for addiction psychiatry fellows in the area of chronic pain management.

Results

Discussion resulted in five broad categories of themes involving perceptions of the importance of chronic pain training for addiction psychiatrists; barriers to curriculum development (one notably being that the addiction psychiatrist’s role in managing chronic pain is poorly articulated); facilitators to such development; and potential curricular content and roles of addiction psychiatrists in relation to chronic pain training.

Conclusion

Educators in addiction psychiatry should clarify their role in the management of chronic pain and prioritize training in this area.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Ellen Lockard Edens & John Encandela

  2. Women’s College Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Inbal Gafni

Authors
  1. Ellen Lockard Edens
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  2. Inbal Gafni
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  3. John Encandela
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ellen Lockard Edens.

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Edens, E.L., Gafni, I. & Encandela, J. Addiction and Chronic Pain: Training Addiction Psychiatrists. Acad Psychiatry 40, 489–493 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-015-0412-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-015-0412-z

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