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Baumann-Larsen M, Storheim K, Stangeland H, Zwart JA, Wentzel-Larsen T, Skurtveit S, Dyb G, Stensland SØ. Childhood trauma and the use of opioids and other prescription analgesics in adolescence and young adulthood: The HUNT Study. Pain 2024; 165:1317-1326. [PMID: 38126936 PMCID: PMC11090031 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Opioid and nonopioid analgesics are commonly prescribed to young people to alleviate pain. Even short-term prescriptions increase the risk of persistent use and future misuse of potent analgesics, such as opioids. Childhood trauma exposure has been found to be related to pain conditions and to using more prescription analgesics. This large, prospective cohort study aimed to investigate the association of a broad range of childhood trauma exposures with prescription rates for opioid and nonopioid analgesics in adolescence and young adulthood. Self-reported data on childhood trauma exposures from adolescents (aged 13-19 years) who participated in the Young-HUNT3 Study (2006-2008, n = 8199) were linked to data from the Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD, 2004-2021). We found that exposure to childhood trauma was consistently associated with higher prescription rates for opioids throughout adolescence and young adulthood. The highest incidence rate ratio (IRR) in adolescence was observed for sexual abuse (IRR 1.63, confidence interval [CI] 1.19-2.23). In young adulthood, the highest IRR was observed for physical violence (2.66, CI 2.27-3.12). The same overall pattern was observed for nonopioid analgesics. The more frequent prescriptions of opioid and nonopioid analgesics to participants exposed to childhood trauma suggests a higher symptom load of pain causing them to seek professional help with pain relief. Receiving potent analgesics is not without risk, and the likelihood of misuse may be elevated among trauma-exposed individuals. A trauma-informed approach to pain could be vital for guiding clinicians to the most effective and least harmful treatment for each patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Baumann-Larsen
- Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Research and Innovation, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kjersti Storheim
- Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Research and Innovation, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Rehabilitation Science and Health Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
| | - Helle Stangeland
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, Oslo, Norway
| | - John-Anker Zwart
- Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Research and Innovation, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Tore Wentzel-Larsen
- Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, Oslo, Norway
- Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway, Oslo, Norway
| | - Svetlana Skurtveit
- Department of Chronic Diseases, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Grete Dyb
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, Oslo, Norway
| | - Synne Øien Stensland
- Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Research and Innovation, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, Oslo, Norway
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Baumann-Larsen M, Zwart JA, Dyb G, Wentzel-Larsen T, Stangeland H, Storheim K, Stensland SØ. Killing pain? A prospective population-based study on trauma exposure in childhood as predictor for frequent use of over-the-counter analgesics in young adulthood. The HUNT study. Psychiatry Res 2023; 327:115400. [PMID: 37574601 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Frequent and increasing use of over-the-counter analgesics (OTCA) is a public health concern. Pain conditions and psychological distress are related to frequent OTCA use, and as exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTE) in childhood appears to increase risk of experiencing such symptoms, we aimed to assess childhood PTEs and related symptoms in adolescence as predictors for frequent OTCA use in young adulthood. Prospective population survey data were used (n = 2947, 59.1% female, 10-13 years follow-up). Exposure to PTEs, symptoms of post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression, musculoskeletal pain and headache were assessed in adolescence (13-19 years). Use of OTCA was assessed in young adulthood (22-32 years) and use of OTCA to treat musculoskeletal pain and headache served as separate outcomes in ordinal logistic regression analyses. Overall, exposure to childhood PTEs, particularly direct interpersonal violence, was significantly and consistently related to more frequent use of OTCA to treat musculoskeletal pain and headaches in young adulthood. Adjusting for psychological symptoms and pain attenuated associations, indicating that these symptoms are of importance for the relationship between traumatic events and OTCA use. These findings emphasize the need to address symptomatology and underlying causes at an early age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Baumann-Larsen
- Department of Research and Innovation, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - John-Anker Zwart
- Department of Research and Innovation, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Grete Dyb
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, Oslo, Norway
| | - Tore Wentzel-Larsen
- Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, Oslo, Norway; Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway, Oslo, Norway
| | - Helle Stangeland
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kjersti Storheim
- Department of Research and Innovation, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Rehabilitation Science and Health Technology, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
| | - Synne Øien Stensland
- Department of Research and Innovation, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, Oslo, Norway
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