Results from a preliminary trial suggests low doses of a common painkiller could help treat emotional pain as well as physical.
A research team from Washington State University worked in conjunction with scientists from the University of Haifa in Israel to conduct an experiment to see how an opioid called buprenorphine could counter suicidal feelings, writes The New Scientist.
Low doses of buprenorphine were given to a test group of 40 patients identified as high risk for suicide while a psychiatrist monitored the volunteers’ emotions weekly using a questionnaire for a month period. Placebos were given to another 20 patients.
Here’s how the results broke down. The average score of the questionnaire was 20, which as New Scientist explains “is deemed worrying enough to hospitalize a person for their own safety.”
Patients given the opioid saw their score go down six points after one week and nearly 10 points by the experiment’s conclusion. The placebo group saw their scores dip two points. Twelve members taking the drug were unable to participate in the full trial, and two patients (one from each group) tried to commit suicide during the experiment.
Volunteers who completed the full treatment period reported that their condition did not worsen.
Popular Science adds buprenorphine “didn’t inhibit the efficacy of other forms of treatment,” like antidepressants. More research needs to be done to determine which patients should take these painkillers for treating suicidal thoughts as well as to understand the safest dosing since these drugs have addictive qualities.
The study was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Filed Under: Drug Discovery
