The Norwegian Addiction, Pain and Trauma study (NOR-APT)

Patients in treatment for alcohol and substance use disorders often have other physical and mental health concerns that can contribute to the development of dependence, and make it more difficult to treat the dependence. Chronic pain and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are two conditions that are often underdiagnosed and undertreated among patients in substance use treatment. The NOR-APT study will focus on increasing knowledge of chronic pain and PTSD among patients in treatment for substance dependence.

Up to 1 500 patients in treatment for substance dependence will be invited to complete a survey on alcohol, substance and medication use, pain (duration, location, intensity, impact on social, mental and physical day-to-day function), potentially traumatizing life-events and symptoms of post-traumatic stress. In addition, the patients can consent to the project linking their responses to national demographic and health registries, where information on previous physical and mental health diagnoses, treatments, work situation and more is available. From these registries we will receive information both from the patients history and for a five-year follow-up period, allowing us to explore the treatment trajectories and outcomes of the treatment.

The NOR-APT project will 1) describe how many patients in substance use treatment who have chronic pain, and how the pain influences substance use, function and outcomes of the treatment, 2) explore the overlap between chronic pain and PTSD, and 3) explore how dependence, chronic pain and PTSD develop over time, in relation to each other.

We expect the results from the study to contribute to future research on interventions for patients with dependence, chronic pain and PTSD, and in the long term improve treatment for the patients.