Schizophrenia in high risk opioid users: A short communication on an autopsy study.

• We used routine health service and office for national statistics data to identify decedents of opioid overdose who had received a diagnosis of schizophrenia. • Our data suggests the period prevalence of schizophrenia amongst high risk opioid users to be significantly higher than amongst the general population. • Our findings raise questions regarding high risk use of opioid drugs by people with schizophrenia, and what steps may be necessary to minimise the risk of overdose in this population. The prevalence of schizophrenia among high risk opioid users was investigated as part of a wider investigation into opioid-related deaths. We found that over 6% of our sample of 312 decedents of opioid overdose had received a schizophrenia related diagnosis over a 36 month period prior to their death. This represents a near 8× increase on previously estimated period prevalence of schizophrenia in the general population. Though not conclusive, our findings raise questions about the extent to which opioid drugs are used by people with schizophrenia, and about how to best address high risk opioid use in people with schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]