Comorbidity of Lifetime History of Abuse and Trauma With Opioid Use Disorder: Implications for Nursing Assessment and Care

Background: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a public health crisis and is challenging to treat. Previous research has shown correlations between OUD, abuse/trauma, and chronic pain. Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate history of lifetime sexual, physical, and/or emotional abuse among participants in a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program for OUD, and to investigate associations between abuse history and chronic pain. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of intake data from a 2-year, nonexperimental cohort treatment program of patients with OUD in rural Colorado. De-identified data were provided by 476 adult MAT patients using the Adult Addiction Severity Index (ASI-6). The ASI-6 includes three yes/no questions about history of abuse (emotional, physical, and sexual), with separate scoring for "past 30 days" and "lifetime" abuse. Results: Lifetime history among MAT program for OUD patients was 23% for sexual abuse, 43% for physical abuse, and 58% for emotional abuse. History of physical abuse was significantly associated with having a chronic pain diagnosis, chi(2) = 4.49, p = .03, and also with higher reported pain levels, t(460) = 2.71, p = .007. Conclusion: Lifetime history of physical abuse was associated with OUD and chronic pain, yet standard pain assessments do not assess these factors. In health care settings, the implementation of standardized trauma-informed screening tools, prompt recognition of abuse/trauma history, and adjunct psychological interventions may reduce stigma, reduce opioid use escalation, and help patients overcome OUD.