Work

Quality of life whilst ageing in opioid agonist treatment: a narrative analysis

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Norway has an increasing number of ageing opioid agonist treatment (OAT) patients, with 44% of the 8200 Norwegian OAT patients over 50 in 2023. METHODS: This study examines the narratives of ageing OAT patients through semi-structured interviews with twelve patients who had been in OAT for 10-20+ years. We used narrative analysis to understand what they experience as important in enhancing or diminishing their quality of life as they age. RESULTS: Positive relationships, treatment, and stable housing were narrated as enhancing quality of life, while loneliness and isolation, memory problems, comorbidities, and victimization were narrated as diminishing it. CONCLUSION: Patients experience OAT as both lifesaving as well as potentially limiting their life-quality, illustrating the inbuilt dilemmas of OAT. The study suggests an age-informed treatment model and identifies three thematic implications for practice and further research (on memory issues, victimisation and network-building).

Source: BMC Public Health

DOI: 10.1186/s12889-025-22438-4

Authors: John Todd-Kvam, Gustavo Sugahara, Ashley Elizabeth Muller, Thomas Clausen

Institutions: University of Oslo, Hospital of Southern Norway, Sørlandet Hospital Arendal, Sørlandet Sykehus, Trondheim Kommune

Language: English

Topic: Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,290