Theme: Clinical Research Year: 2021
Background: Childhood trauma and the misuse of opioids in adulthood are strongly correlated, however there is a limited understanding of what specific trauma experiences influence the development of opioid use disorder(OUD), including initiation and severity. Methods: This sub-analysis was a part of a prospective cohort investigation of individuals with OUD in the last three years, recruited from Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, MD. Childhood trauma was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, with impact score(CTQIS) calculated across six domains of trauma including death, sexual, injury/illness, violence, and major upheavals in parents or personally. Severity of OUD was measured by DSM-5 criteria, and age of first opioid use was self-reported. An unpaired t-test was used to determine the association between trauma domain and both severity and initiation of opioid use. Results: Of the 40 respondents, 73% male, 90% Black, with mean age 58, OUD severity 3.97 (range=0-11, IQR=6), and age of first opioid use 19 (range 11-35, IQR 6.5). 75%(30) endorsed experiencing at least one traumatic event in their childhood(median 2, range=0-5), and 53%(21) experienced the death of a very close friend or family member. Figure 1 depicts the results of specific CTQ domains. The mean CTQIS was 10.33(range 0-35, IQR 14.5). There was no significant association between CTQIS and OUD severity or age of first opioid use. For the participants with a CTQIS of 1 or more, report of a major life upheaval between their parents was associated with increased severity of OUD(p=0.0039).
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