"Examining Impacts of Public Policies on Chronic Non-Cancer Pain and Mental Health Outcomes"

Public Health/Health Policy and Management

Committee: 

Marian Jarlenski (Advisor), Health Policy and Management

Coleman Drake, Health Policy and Management

Jeanine Buchanich, Biostatistics 

Jessica Merlin, Pitt School of Medicine

Abstract:

Chronic non-cancer pain and mental health conditions affect millions of adults each year and are both leading causes of disease burden in the U.S. Several public policies have aimed to intervene and improve public health outcomes associated with these conditions. As of 2022, thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia have implemented medical cannabis programs, including 21 states that permit recreational cannabis use. Previous studies indicate individuals with chronic non-cancer pain or mental health conditions use cannabis to treat symptoms for these conditions, despite limited evidence of cannabis as an effective treatment for these conditions.”The COVID-19 pandemic may have also exacerbated these conditions due to increased stress and disruption in routines or healthcare utilization. This dissertation examines the impacts of public policies on diagnosed chronic non-cancer pain and mental health outcomes among commercially insured adults. For all chapters, we used national deidentified administrative healthcare claims data, which include information on enrollment and demographic characteristics, inpatient, outpatient, and emergency department medical claims, and outpatient pharmacy claims for approximately 15-17 million unique individuals enrolled in a commercial or Medicare Advantage health insurance plan.