SAMHSA email

Angel, Karen C. (CDC/DDNID/NCIPC/OD)
To:
Subject:

Angel, Karen C. (CDC/DDNID/NCIPC/OD)
FW: disorder questions

From: Han, Beth (SAMHSA/CBHSQ)   
Sent: Monday, January 20, 2020 10:31 PM 
To: Shaw, Kate M. (CDC/DDNID/NCIPC/OD) ; CBHSQ Request (SAMHSA) 

Cc: Angel, Karen C. (CDC/DDNID/NCIPC/OD) ; Yun, Shumei (SAMHSA/CBHSQ) 
; Zhang, Xingyou (SAMHSA/CBHSQ) ; Lopez, Elizabeth 
(SAMHSA/CMHS) ; Gonzales, Lindsey (SAMHSA/CBHSQ) 

Subject: RE: disorder questions 

Hello Kate and Karen, 

Please see my feedback and the bullets below, which may help you compare the corresponding NSDUH questionnaire 
items cleared by the OMB and have been implemented in the NSDUH data collection for the past 5 years. You also can 
find the 2020 NSDUH questionnaire at: http://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/nsduh‐2020‐questionnaire 

Thanks, 

Beth  

Have you ever gotten enough pain medication to bring your pain to a tolerable level (as prescribed)?  (Y/N/Refused) 

NSDUH has been assessing prescription opioid use disorder based on the DSM criteria, including the tolerance symptom 
(same criterion for DSM‐IV and DSM‐5) below.   



DRPR06   [IF PAI12MON  = 1] During the past 12 months, did you need to use more prescription pain relievers than you used to in order 
to get the effect you wanted? 

1                Yes 
2                No 
DK/REF 
PROGRAMMER:  SHOW 12 MONTH CALENDAR 



DRPR07   [IF DRPR06=2 OR DK/REF] During the past 12 months, did you notice that using the same amount of prescription pain relievers 
had less effect on you than it used to? 

1                Yes 
2                No 
DK/REF 
PROGRAMMER:  SHOW 12 MONTH CALENDAR 

Do you ever take your pain medication because you are upset, using the medication to relieve or cope with problems 
other than pain? (Y/N) 
Pain is a subjective perception. It can be physical pain or psychological pain. NSDUH asks about past‐year prescription 
pain reliever misuse (see the 3 criteria for misuse) before querying about the motivations for the most recent misuse.    



PRINTROYR1 [IF PR12MON = 1] Earlier you reported having used certain prescription pain relievers during the past year.  Now 
please think about whether you used any of these pain relievers in any way a doctor did not direct you to use them. 
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When you answer these questions, please think only about your use of the drug in any way a doctor did not direct you to
use it, including:
1.
2.
3.

Using it without a prescription of your own
Using it in greater amounts, more often, or longer than you were told to take it
Using it in any other way a doctor did not direct you to use it



PRYMOTIV
[IF PRMISUSE12=1] 
Now think about the last time you used [PRLASTFILL2] in any way a doctor did not direct you to use [FILL WITH ‘them” IF 
RPRYLAST =17.  ELSE FILL WITH “it”]. 

What were the reasons you used [PRLASTFILL2] the last time?  To select more than one reason from the list, press the space bar
between each number you have typed.  When you have finished, press [ENTER]. 

1
To relieve physical pain 
2
To relax or relieve tension 
3
To experiment or to see what [IF RPRYLAST=17 THEN “they’re” ELSE “it’s”] like 
4
To feel good or get high 
5
To help with my sleep 
6
To help me with my feelings or emotions 
7
To increase or decrease the effect(s) of some other drug 
8
Because I am “hooked” or I have to have [IF RPRYLAST=17 THEN “them” ELSE “it”]
9
I used [IF RPRYLAST=17 THEN “them” ELSE “it”] for some other reason  
DK/REF



PRYMOT1
[IF MORE THAN ONE RESPONSE 1-9 CHOSEN IN PRYMOTIV] Which was the main reason you used 
[PRLASTFILL2] the last time? 

                                    PROGRAMMER:  FILL AS RESPONSE OPTIONS ONLY THOSE CHOSEN IN PRYMOTIV 
1
To relieve physical pain 
2
To relax or relieve tension 
3
To experiment or to see what [IF RPRYLAST=17 THEN “they’re” ELSE “it’s”] like 
4
To feel good or get high 
5
To help with my sleep 
6
To help me with my feelings or emotions 
7
To increase or decrease the effect(s) of some other drug 
8
Because I am “hooked” or I have to have [IF RPRYLAST=17 THEN “them” ELSE “it”]
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[IF PRYMOTIV=9] The other reason I reported

DK/REF

Do you ever use pain medications or drugs obtained outside of a medical doctor’s directions (e.g. pills taken from friends, 
or purchased illegally)? (Y/N) 
It seems to me that you combine the questions for misuse of prescription pain relievers with the questions for the 
sources of misused prescription pain relievers. For NSDUH, we ask these questions separately.   



PRINTROYR1 [IF PR12MON = 1] Earlier you reported having used certain prescription pain relievers during the past year.  Now 
please think about whether you used any of these pain relievers in any way a doctor did not direct you to use them. 
When you answer these questions, please think only about your use of the drug in any way a doctor did not direct you to
use it, including:
4.
5.

Using it without a prescription of your own
Using it in greater amounts, more often, or longer than you were told to take it
2

6.

Using it in any other way a doctor did not direct you to use it



PRYGOT [IF PRMISUSE12=1 AND PRMISCOUNT=1 AND PRDKREFFLAG=2] Now think again about the last time you used
[PRLASTFILL2] in any way a doctor did not direct you to use [FILL WITH “them” IF RPRYLAST=17. ELSE FILL WITH “it”].
[IF PRMISUSE12 = 1] How did you get the [PRLASTFILL]? If you got the [PRLASTFILL] in more than one way, please
choose one of these ways as your best answer.
1
I got a prescription for the [PRLASTFILL] from just one doctor
2
I got prescriptions for the [PRLASTFILL] from more than one doctor
3
I stole the [PRLASTFILL] from a doctor’s office, clinic, hospital, or pharmacy
4
I got the [PRLASTFILL] from a friend or relative for free
5
I bought the [PRLASTFILL] from a friend or relative
6
I took the [PRLASTFILL] from a friend or relative without asking
7
I bought the [PRLASTFILL] from a drug dealer or other stranger
8
I got the [PRLASTFILL] in some other way
DK/REF



PRYGOTSP [IF PRYGOT = 8] Please type in the other way you got the [PRLASTFILL3].
You do not need to give a detailed description — just a few words will be okay. When you have finished typing your answer,
press [ENTER] to go to the next question.
_____________
DK/REF
PROGRAMMER: DO NOT ALLOW BLANKS IN PRYGOTSP. 



PRYFRL [IF PRYGOT =4] You reported that you got the [PRLASTFILL] from a friend or relative for free. How did your friend or
relative get the [PRLASTFILL]?
1
He or she got a prescription for the [PRLASTFILL] from just one doctor
2
He or she got prescriptions for the [PRLASTFILL] from more than one doctor
3
He or she stole the [PRLASTFILL] from a doctor’s office, clinic, hospital, or pharmacy
4
He or she got the [PRLASTFILL] from another friend or relative for free
5
He or she bought the [PRLASTFILL] from another friend or relative
6
He or she took the [PRLASTFILL] from another friend or relative without asking
7
He or she bought the [PRLASTFILL] from a drug dealer or other stranger
8
He or she got the [PRLASTFILL] in some other way
DK/REF

PRYFRLSP

[IF PRYFRL = 8] Please type in the other way your friend or relative got the last [PRLASTFILL3] you used.
You do not need to give a detailed description — just a few words will be okay. When you have finished typing your answer,
press [ENTER] to go to the next question.
_____________
DK/REF

From: Han, Beth (SAMHSA/CBHSQ)  
Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2020 1:37 PM 
To: Shaw, Kate M. (CDC/DDNID/NCIPC/OD)  
Cc: Angel, Karen C. (CDC/DDNID/NCIPC/OD) ; Yun, Shumei (SAMHSA/CBHSQ) 
; Zhang, Xingyou (SAMHSA/CBHSQ) ; Lopez, Elizabeth 
(SAMHSA/CMHS) ; Gonzales, Lindsey (SAMHSA/CBHSQ) 

Subject: RE: disorder questions 

Hi Kate and Karen,  

It’s very nice discussing this important issue with you today. I will think about these questions and will get back to you 
this week.  
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Also, attached are some recent articles of mine on prescription opioid use, misuse, use disorder, and motivation and 
sources of the most recent misuse in the past year.  

Best, 

Beth   

From: Shaw, Kate M. (CDC/DDNID/NCIPC/OD)   
Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2020 12:55 PM 
To: Han, Beth (SAMHSA/CBHSQ)  
Cc: Angel, Karen C. (CDC/DDNID/NCIPC/OD)  
Subject: disorder questions 

Hi Beth, 

Thanks so much for the discussion today. 

Here are the 3 questions we mentioned. We’d appreciate any insight you have. 

Have you ever gotten enough pain medication to bring your pain to a tolerable level (as prescribed)?  (Y/N/Refused) 
Do you ever take your pain medication because you are upset, using the medication to relieve or cope with problems 
other than pain? (Y/N) 
Do you ever use pain medications or drugs obtained outside of a medical doctor’s directions (e.g. pills taken from 
friends, or purchased illegally)? (Y/N) 

Thanks, 
Kate 

Kate M. Shaw, PhD 
Office of Science (OS) 
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) 
[email protected] 
404‐498‐0789 

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