Psychiatric Comorbidity and Inpatient Characteristics of Older Adolescents with Opioid Use Disorders in the U.S

Author(s): Wanqing Zhang, Kelsey Thompson

Objective: The opioid crisis has substantially affected health services utilization. Hospitalizations for opioid use disorders (OUD) have increased significantly among adolescents and youth in the United States. This study examined the characteristics of hospitalization for OUD among older adolescents with comorbid psychiatric disorders (CPD).

Methods: This analysis focused on older adolescents where OUD was given as the primary reason for hospital admission. Multivariable logistic regressions were performed to identify demographic and clinical factors associated with OUD hospitalizations with CPD, using secondary data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample.

Results: CPD was documented in 58% of OUD adolescent inpatients. Mood and anxiety were the most common types of CPD. Several demographics variables discriminated between OUD inpatients with vs without CPD. The odds of having comorbid mood disorders were nearly 2 times greater for female than for male adolescents and were significantly higher for adolescents from Midwest regions compared with those from Northeast and West regions.

Conclusions: Hospitalizations due to OUD were tripled for adolescents with CPD relative to adolescents without CPD; nearly half of the adolescents hospitalized with OUD had mood disorders. Specific primary care and access to mental health treatment strategies should target groups most at risk for both OUD and mood related disorders.