# Change in self-reported somatic symptoms among patients in opioid maintenance treatment from baseline to 1-year follow-up

## TL;DR

This study examines how somatic symptoms change in patients undergoing opioid maintenance treatment over one year.

## Contribution

It identifies factors associated with changes in somatic symptoms and highlights the importance of addressing somatic health in opioid treatment.

## Key findings

- Patients entering opioid maintenance treatment reported high prevalence of somatic conditions like hepatitis C and asthma.
- There was no significant overall change in somatic symptoms from baseline to 1 year, but those with higher initial symptom burden showed improvement.
- Higher baseline mental distress and somatic conditions were linked to improved somatic symptoms at follow-up.

## Abstract

High somatic comorbidity is common among patients in treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). The present study aims to investigate changes in self-reported somatic health conditions and somatic symptoms among patients entering opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) programs.

We used data from the Norwegian Cohort of Patients in OMT and Other Drug Treatment (NorComt) study. Of 283 patients who entered OMT, 176 were included for analysis at a 1-year follow-up. Participants provided self-reported data during structured interviews on somatic conditions, somatic symptoms, substance use severity measures, and mental distress. A multivariable linear regression analysis identified factors associated with changes in the burden of somatic symptoms.

Patients entering OMT reported a high prevalence of somatic conditions at the beginning of treatment, with 3 of 5 patients reporting at least one. The most prevalent condition was hepatitis C, followed by asthma and high blood pressure. Patients reported experiencing a high number of somatic symptoms. The intensity of these symptoms varied across a wide spectrum, with oral health complaints and reduced memory perceived as the most problematic. Overall, for the entire sample, there was no significant change in somatic symptoms from baseline to 1 year. Further analysis indicated that those who reported a higher burden of somatic symptoms at baseline had the greatest improvement at the 1-year follow-up. A higher number of somatic conditions and higher mental distress at baseline was associated with improvements in somatic symptoms burden at follow-up.

Patients in OMT report a range of somatic conditions and somatic symptoms. Given the wide range of symptoms reported by patients in OMT, including some at high intensity levels, healthcare providers should take into consideration the somatic healthcare needs of individuals in OMT populations.

Clinicaltrials.gov no. NCT05182918. Registered 10/01/2022 (the study was retrospectively registered).

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12888-024-05590-w.