Exploring Perinatal Prescription Opioid Use and Misuse in Primarily Rural Settings (On-Demand)-Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In the video, Dr. Jamie Morton presents findings from her research on perinatal prescription opioid use and misuse, with a focus on primarily rural settings. The study aimed to explore the pain experiences, socio-environmental factors, and healthcare experiences of women who used or misused prescription opioids during the perinatal period. The research included qualitative interviews with 12 women, revealing three main themes: pain experiences, the long and winding drug dependency journey, and system-level insights. The women reported experiencing physical and emotional pain, often stemming from past traumas. They also described difficulties in managing their pain, with healthcare encounters often failing to adequately address their pain needs. The research highlighted the impact of poverty, housing instability, and lack of mental health services on perinatal opioid use and misuse in rural areas. The women expressed a lack of support and faced stigma from healthcare providers, family members, and the community. The study emphasized the need for nonjudgmental communication, better education for healthcare professionals, and improved access to mental health services for women struggling with opioid use and misuse. The findings provide important insights into the experiences of this vulnerable population and suggest a need for further research and policy changes to better support women in rural areas dealing with perinatal opioid use and misuse.

Keywords

perinatal opioid use

misuse

rural settings

pain experiences

socio-environmental factors

healthcare experiences

women

qualitative interviews

system-level insights