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Hill K, Minahan-Rowley R, Biegacki ET, Heimer R, Sue KL. Providers' knowledge and perception of xylazine in the unregulated drug supply: a sequential explanatory mixed-methods study. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:148. [PMID: 39148036 PMCID: PMC11328386 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-01052-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Xylazine is increasingly prevalent in the unregulated opioid supply in the United States. Exposure to this adulterant can lead to significant harm, including prolonged sedation and necrotic wounds. In the absence of literature describing healthcare providers' experiences with treating patients who have been exposed to xylazine, we aimed to explore what gaps must be addressed to improve healthcare education and best practices. METHODS From October 2023 to February 2024, we conducted a sequential explanatory mixed-methods study, with (1) a quantitative survey phase utilizing convenience sampling of healthcare providers treating patients in Connecticut and (2) a qualitative semi-structured interview phase utilizing purposive sampling of providers with experience treating patients with xylazine exposure. Summary statistics from the survey were tabulated; interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS Seventy-eight eligible healthcare providers participated in our survey. Most participants had heard of xylazine (n = 69, 95.8%) and had some knowledge about this adulterant; however, fewer reported seeing one or more patients exposed to xylazine (n = 46, 59.8%). After sampling from this subgroup, we conducted fifteen in-depth interviews. This qualitative phase revealed five themes: (1) while xylazine is novel and of concern, this is not necessarily exceptional (i.e., there are other emerging issues for patients who use drugs); (2) participants perceived that xylazine was increasingly prevalent in the drug supply, even if they were not necessarily seeing more patients with xylazine-related outcomes (XROs); (3) patients primarily presented with non-XROs, making it difficult to know when conversations about xylazine were appropriate; (4) patients with XROs may experience issues accessing healthcare; (5) providers and their patients are learning together about how to minimize XROs and reduce the sense of helplessness in the face of a novel adulterant. CONCLUSIONS Xylazine-specific education for healthcare providers is currently insufficient. Improving this education, as well as resources (e.g., drug checking technologies) and data (e.g., research on prevention and treatment of XROs), is crucial to improve care for patients who use drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Hill
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Rebecca Minahan-Rowley
- Yale Program in Addiction Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Emma T Biegacki
- Yale Program in Addiction Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Robert Heimer
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kimberly L Sue
- Yale Program in Addiction Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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Jaffe K, Slat S, Chen L, Macleod C, Bohnert A, Lagisetty P. Perceptions around medications for opioid use disorder among a diverse sample of U.S. adults. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE AND ADDICTION TREATMENT 2024; 163:209361. [PMID: 38703949 DOI: 10.1016/j.josat.2024.209361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) including methadone (MMT), buprenorphine (BUP), and naltrexone (NTX) are safe and effective. However, there are significant negative perceptions surrounding MOUD, creating barriers to uptake. While research on MOUD stigma has largely focused on provider and patient experiences, fewer studies have explored MOUD perceptions among the general public. Given that MOUD stigma expressed by social ties surrounding individuals with OUD can influence treatment choices, we assessed MOUD perceptions among U.S. adults to determine how beliefs impacted treatment preference. We further explored how MOUD perceptions may be amplified among racialized groups with histories of experiencing drug-related discrimination. METHODS The study collected survey data from a diverse sample of U.S. adults (n = 1508) between October 2020 and January 2021. The survey measured knowledge of MOUD and non-medication treatments, relative agreement with common MOUD perceptions, and treatment preferences. Multinomial logistic regression analysis tested associations with treatment preference, stratified by race/ethnicity. RESULTS Descriptive results indicated that across groups, many respondents (66.8 %) had knowledge of MOUD, but believed MOUD was a "substitute" for opioids and had some degree of concern about misuse. Multivariable results showed knowledge of non-medication treatments was positively associated with MOUD preference among White (MMT OR = 3.16, 95 % CI = 1.35-7.39; BUP OR = 2.69, CI = 1.11-6.47), Black (MMT OR = 3.91, CI = 1.58-9.69), and Latino/a (MMT OR = 5.12, CI = 1.99-13.2; BUP OR = 3.85, CI = 1.5-9.87; NTX OR = 4.51, CI = 1.44-14.06) respondents. Among White respondents, we identified positive associations between MOUD experience and buprenorphine preference (OR = 4.33, CI = 1.17-16.06); non-medication treatment experience and preference for buprenorphine (OR = 2.86, CI = 1.03-7.94) and naltrexone (OR = 3.17, CI = 1.08-9.28). Concerns around misuse of methadone were negatively associated with methadone preference among White (OR = 0.65, CI = 0.43-0.98) and Latino/a (OR = 0.49, CI = 0.34-0.7), and concerns around misuse of buprenorphine was negatively associated with preference for MOUD among White (MMT OR = 0.62, CI = 0.39-0.99; BUP OR = 0.48, CI = 0.3-0.77; NTX OR = 0.6, CI = 0.36-0.99) and Latino/a (BUP OR = 0.59, CI = 0.39-0.89) respondents. CONCLUSIONS This analysis offers critical insights into treatment perceptions beyond the patient population, finding that negative beliefs around MOUD are common and negatively associated with preferences for medication-based treatment. These findings highlight implications for public support of evidence-based treatment and lay the groundwork for future interventions addressing public stigma toward MOUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn Jaffe
- Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Health Promotion and Policy, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Stephanie Slat
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Liying Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Colin Macleod
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Amy Bohnert
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; VA Center for Clinical Management Research (CCMR), VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Pooja Lagisetty
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; VA Center for Clinical Management Research (CCMR), VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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Danovitch I, Korouri S, Kaur H, Messineo G, Nuckols T, Ishak WW, Ober A. The addiction consultation service for hospitalized patients with substance use disorder: An integrative review of the evidence. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE AND ADDICTION TREATMENT 2024; 163:209377. [PMID: 38657952 DOI: 10.1016/j.josat.2024.209377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The Addiction Consultation Service has emerged as a model of care for hospitalized patients with substance use disorder. The aim of this integrative review is to characterize the Addiction Consultation Service in general hospital settings, assess its impact on clinical outcomes, identify knowledge gaps, and offer guidance for implementation. METHODS We conducted an integrative review of studies from January 2002 to August 2023, applying specific inclusion criteria to collect study design, service characteristics, staffing models, utilization, and health outcomes. Additionally, a comprehensive quality appraisal was conducted for all studies considered for inclusion. RESULTS Findings from 41 studies meeting inclusion criteria were synthesized and tabulated. Study designs included six reports from three randomized controlled trials, five descriptive studies, and 30 observational studies. The most common study setting was the urban academic medical center. Studies evaluated the structure, process, and outcomes of the Addiction Consultation Service. A majority of studies, particularly those utilizing more rigorous designs, reported positive outcomes involving medication initiation, linkage to post-discharge care, and utilization outcomes. CONCLUSIONS The Addiction Consultation Service care model improves quality of care for hospitalized patients with substance use disorder. Additional research is needed to assess its effectiveness across diverse medical settings, determine the effectiveness of varying staffing models, demonstrate impactful outcomes, and establish funding mechanisms to support sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itai Danovitch
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States of America.
| | - Samuel Korouri
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States of America.
| | - Harlene Kaur
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States of America.
| | - Gabrielle Messineo
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States of America.
| | - Teryl Nuckols
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States of America; RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401, United States of America.
| | - Waguih W Ishak
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States of America.
| | - Allison Ober
- RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401, United States of America.
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Meyerson BE, Agley J, Crosby RA, Bentele KG, Vadiei N, Linde-Krieger LB, Russell DR, Fine K, Eldridge LA. ASAP: A pharmacy-level intervention to increase nonprescription syringe sales to reduce bloodborne illnesses. Res Social Adm Pharm 2024; 20:778-785. [PMID: 38734511 PMCID: PMC11180557 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2024.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pharmacy syringe sales are effective structural interventions to reduce bloodborne illnesses in populations, and are legal in all but two states. Yet evidence indicates reduced syringe sales in recent years. This study was designed as a feasibility test of an intervention to promote syringe sales by pharmacies in Arizona. METHODS A four-month pilot among three Arizona pharmacies measured feasibility and acceptability through monthly surveys to 18 enrolled pharmacy staff members. RESULTS Pharmacy staff reported increased ease of dispensing syringes across the study. Rankings of syringe dispensing as 'easiest' among 6 measured pharmacy practices increased from 38.9 % at baseline to 50.1 % post intervention module training, and to 83.3 % at pilot conclusion. The majority (72.2 %) of pharmacy staff agreed that intervention materials were easy to use. Over 70 % indicated that the intervention was influential in their "being more open to selling syringes without a prescription to someone who might use them for illicit drug use," and 61.1 % reported that in the future, they were highly likely to dispense syringes to customers who would use them to inject drugs. A vast majority (92 %) reported being likely to dispense subsidized naloxone if available to their pharmacy at no cost. CONCLUSIONS An education-based intervention was found to be feasible and acceptable to pharmacy staff and had an observed impact on perceptions of ease and likelihood of dispensing syringes without a prescription to people who may use them to inject drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- B E Meyerson
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, University of Arizona, USA; Comprehensive Center for Pain and Addiction, University of Arizona Health Sciences, Tucson, AZ, USA.
| | - J Agley
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, University of Arizona, USA; Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - R A Crosby
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, University of Arizona, USA; College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - K G Bentele
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, University of Arizona, USA; Southwest Institute for Research on Women, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - N Vadiei
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, University of Arizona, USA; Pharmacotherapy Division, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - L B Linde-Krieger
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, University of Arizona, USA; Comprehensive Center for Pain and Addiction, University of Arizona Health Sciences, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - D R Russell
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, University of Arizona, USA; Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - K Fine
- Arizona Pharmacy Association, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - L A Eldridge
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, University of Arizona, USA; Department of Health Education and Promotion, College of Health and Human Performance, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
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O'Brien C, Klipp S, Jawa R, Wilson JD. Community pharmacists' attitudes toward and practice of pharmacy-based harm reduction services in Pittsburgh, PA: a descriptive survey. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:137. [PMID: 39030563 PMCID: PMC11264491 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-01018-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Pittsburgh, PA, legal changes in recent decades have set the stage for an expanded role for community pharmacists to provide harm reduction services, including distributing naloxone and non-prescription syringes (NPS). In the wake of the syndemics of the COVID-19 pandemic and worsening overdose deaths from synthetic opioids, we examine knowledge, attitudes, and practices of harm reduction services among community pharmacists in Pittsburgh and identify potential barriers of expanded pharmacy-based harm reduction services. METHODS We provided flyers to 83 community pharmacies within a 5-mile radius of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to recruit practicing community pharmacists to participate in an anonymous electronic survey. We used a 53-question Qualtrics survey consisting of multiple-choice, 5 or 6 point-Likert scale, and open-ended questions adapted from 5 existing survey instruments. Survey measures included demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices of harm reduction services (specifically naloxone and NPS provision), and explored self-reported barriers to future implementation. Data was collected July-August 2022. We conducted descriptive analysis using frequencies and proportions reported for categorical variables as well as means and standard deviations (SD) for continuous variables. We analyzed open-ended responses using inductive content analysis. RESULTS Eighty-eight community pharmacists responded to the survey. 90% of participants agreed pharmacists had a role in overdose prevention efforts, and 92% of participants had previously distributed naloxone. Although no pharmacists reported ever refusing to distribute naloxone, only 29% always provided overdose prevention counseling with each naloxone distributed. In contrast, while 87% of participants had positive attitudes toward the usefulness of NPS for reducing disease, only 73% of participants ever distributed NPS, and 54% had refused NPS to a customer. Participants endorsed a lack of time and concerns over clientele who used drugs as the most significant barriers to offering more comprehensive harm reduction services. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight that while most community pharmacists have embraced naloxone provision, pharmacy policies and individual pharmacists continue to limit accessibility of NPS. Future expansion efforts for pharmacy-based harm reduction services should not only address the time and labor constraints identified by community pharmacists, but also fear-based policy and stigma toward people who inject drugs and harm reduction more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin O'Brien
- School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | | | - Raagini Jawa
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Center for Research in Healthcare, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - J Deanna Wilson
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Sutherland R, King C, Karlsson A, Treloar C, Broady T, Chandrasena U, Salom C, Dietze P, Peacock A. Stigma, and factors associated with experiencing stigma, while visiting health-care services among samples of people who use illegal drugs in Australia. Drug Alcohol Rev 2024; 43:1264-1279. [PMID: 38644679 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION People who inject drugs experience stigma across multiple settings, including when accessing health-care services, however, comparatively little is known about experiences of stigma towards other groups of people who use illegal drugs. This paper examines experience of, and factors associated with, stigma among two samples of people who use illegal drugs when visiting both specialist alcohol and other drug (AOD) and general health-care services. METHODS Australians who regularly (i.e., ≥monthly) inject drugs (n = 879; illicit drug reporting system [IDRS]) or use ecstasy and/or other illegal stimulants (n = 700; ecstasy and related drugs reporting system [EDRS]) were surveyed between April and July 2022 about past 6-month experience of stigma in the above services. Multi-variable regression analyses were performed to determine the socio-demographic, drug use and health factors associated with stigma. RESULTS Experiences of stigma in general health-care services were more common among IDRS (40%) than EDRS (24%; p < 0.001) participants, however, experiences were comparable in specialist AOD health-care settings (22% and 20%, respectively; p = 0.687). Gender identity and experiencing high psychological distress were associated with experiencing stigma across both samples. Past-year overdose was associated with experiencing stigma among the IDRS sample, while unstable housing and incomplete high school education were associated with experiencing stigma in the EDRS sample. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Experiences of stigma when accessing health-care services are relatively common across different populations of people who use illegal drugs. Our findings highlight the multiple and intersecting dimensions of stigma and provide further support for recent calls for a universal precautions approach to stigma in health care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Sutherland
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Cate King
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Antonia Karlsson
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Timothy Broady
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Udesha Chandrasena
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Caroline Salom
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Paul Dietze
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Behaviours and Health Risks Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- National Drug Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Amy Peacock
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- School of Psychology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
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Casey SK, Howard S, Regan S, Romero A, Powell EA, Kehoe L, Kane MT, Wakeman SE. Linkage to Care Outcomes Following Treatment in A Low-Threshold Substance Use Disorder Bridge Clinic. SUBSTANCE USE & ADDICTION JOURNAL 2024:29767342241261609. [PMID: 38912689 DOI: 10.1177/29767342241261609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Treatment for substance use disorders (SUD) remains low in the United States. To better meet needs of people who use alcohol and other drugs, low threshold bridge clinics which offer treatment without barrier and harm reduction services have gained prevalence. Bridge clinics work to surmount barriers to care by providing same day medication and treatment for SUD and eventually transitioning patients to community-based treatment providers. In this study, we examine SUD treatment outcomes among patients who transitioned out of a bridge clinic. METHODS This is a retrospective cohort study of posttreatment outcomes of patients seen at an urban medical center's bridge clinic between 2017 and 2022. The primary outcome was being in care anywhere at time of follow-up. We also examined the proportion of patients who completed each step of the cascade of care following transfer: connection to transfer clinic, completion of a clinic visit, retention in care, and medication use among those remaining in care at the transfer clinic. We examined the association of different bridge clinic services with still being in care anywhere and the association between successful transfer with being in care and taking medication at follow-up. RESULTS Of 209 eligible participants, 63 were surveyed. Sixty-five percent of participants identified as male, 74% as white, 12% as Hispanic, 6% as Black, and 16% were unhoused. Most participants (78%) reported being connected to SUD treatment from the Bridge Clinic, and 37% remained in care at the same facility at the time of survey. Eighty-four percent reported being in treatment anywhere and 68% reported taking medication for SUD at follow-up, with most participants reporting taking buprenorphine (46%). CONCLUSION Of those participants who transitioned out of a bridge clinic into community-based SUD care, 78% were successfully connected to ongoing care and 84% were still in care at follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Casey
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sydney Howard
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Susan Regan
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alison Romero
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Powell
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laura Kehoe
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martha T Kane
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah E Wakeman
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Holeksa J. "In Sweden you are worthless. In Denmark you get an identity again" - on being perceived and received as a person who uses drugs in different drug policy settings. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:117. [PMID: 38886692 PMCID: PMC11181536 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-01035-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Policies to address substance use differ greatly between settings, where goals may range from zero-tolerance to harm reduction. Different approaches impact formats of care, policing, and even interpersonal interactions, and may play a role in the labelling and stigmatization of people who use drugs (PWUD). Where Sweden has a more restrictive policy, aiming to have a society free from drugs, Denmark has embraced harm reduction principles. The aim of this study was to explore PWUDs' experiences of interpersonal interactions, policing, and service formats in the two countries. METHODS The data consists of 17 qualitative semi-structured interviews with Swedish PWUD who have been in both Sweden and Denmark. Recruitment took place at harm reduction sites in both countries, and through snowball sampling. RESULTS Participants reflected on how they were perceived by those in public spaces, and received by care systems and personnel. In public settings in Sweden, participants felt they were ignored, rendered invisible, and lost their humanity. In Denmark, they were perceived and acknowledged, valued as people. This was simultaneously linked to being embodied by the availability of differing service offerings and policing practices, which solidified their "right to be out" in public. Reflecting on their reception in the treatment system, strict formatting in Sweden caused participants to feel that an identity was projected upon them, limiting their opportunities or growth of new facets of identity. Care relations in Denmark fostered more opportunity for autonomy and trust. CONCLUSION A zero-tolerance policy and associated public discourses could solidify and universalize stigmatizing categorizations as a central feature of PWUD identity and reception from those around them, exacerbating social exclusion. Conversely, harm reduction-centered policies fostered positive interactions between individuals with care providers, public, and police, which may promote inclusion, empowerment, and wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Holeksa
- Department of Social Work, Faculty of Health and Society, Malmö University, Nordenskiöldsgatan 1, Malmö, 211 19, Sweden.
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9
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LeBeau LS, White MC, Henke RM, Hyde J, Sarpong A, Weisberg RB, Livingston NA, Mulvaney-Day N. Considerations for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment From Policy Makers' Experiences With COVID-19 Policy Flexibilities. Psychiatr Serv 2024:appips20230260. [PMID: 38835255 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ps.20230260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This qualitative study aimed to examine how states implemented COVID-19 public health emergency-related federal policy flexibilities for opioid use disorder treatment from the perspective of state-level behavioral health policy makers. Recommendations are given for applying lessons learned to improve the long-term impact of these flexibilities on opioid use disorder treatment. METHODS Eleven semistructured interviews were conducted with 13 stakeholders from six state governments, and transcripts were qualitatively coded. Data were analyzed by grouping findings according to state-, institution-, and provider-level barriers and facilitators and were then compared to identify overarching themes. RESULTS Policy makers expressed positive opinions about the opioid use disorder treatment flexibilities and described benefits regarding treatment access, continuity of care, and quality of care. No interviewees reported evidence of increased adverse events associated with the relaxed medication protocols. Challenges to state-level implementation included gaps in the federal flexibilities, competing state policies, facility and provider liability concerns, and persistent systemic stigma. CONCLUSIONS As the federal government considers permanent adoption of COVID-19-related flexibilities regarding opioid use disorder treatment policies, the lessons learned from this study are crucial to consider in order to avoid continuing challenges with policy implementation and to effectively remove opioid use disorder treatment barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lavonia Smith LeBeau
- Customer Value Partners, Washington, D.C. (Smith LeBeau); IBM Consulting, Bethesda (White); The Lewin Group, Optum Serve, Boston (Henke); Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston (Hyde, Weisberg, Livingston); Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts (Hyde); Boston VA Research Institute, Boston (Sarpong); Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston (Livingston); Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Mulvaney-Day)
| | - Mackenzie C White
- Customer Value Partners, Washington, D.C. (Smith LeBeau); IBM Consulting, Bethesda (White); The Lewin Group, Optum Serve, Boston (Henke); Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston (Hyde, Weisberg, Livingston); Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts (Hyde); Boston VA Research Institute, Boston (Sarpong); Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston (Livingston); Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Mulvaney-Day)
| | - Rachel Mosher Henke
- Customer Value Partners, Washington, D.C. (Smith LeBeau); IBM Consulting, Bethesda (White); The Lewin Group, Optum Serve, Boston (Henke); Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston (Hyde, Weisberg, Livingston); Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts (Hyde); Boston VA Research Institute, Boston (Sarpong); Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston (Livingston); Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Mulvaney-Day)
| | - Justeen Hyde
- Customer Value Partners, Washington, D.C. (Smith LeBeau); IBM Consulting, Bethesda (White); The Lewin Group, Optum Serve, Boston (Henke); Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston (Hyde, Weisberg, Livingston); Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts (Hyde); Boston VA Research Institute, Boston (Sarpong); Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston (Livingston); Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Mulvaney-Day)
| | - Alexis Sarpong
- Customer Value Partners, Washington, D.C. (Smith LeBeau); IBM Consulting, Bethesda (White); The Lewin Group, Optum Serve, Boston (Henke); Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston (Hyde, Weisberg, Livingston); Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts (Hyde); Boston VA Research Institute, Boston (Sarpong); Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston (Livingston); Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Mulvaney-Day)
| | - Risa B Weisberg
- Customer Value Partners, Washington, D.C. (Smith LeBeau); IBM Consulting, Bethesda (White); The Lewin Group, Optum Serve, Boston (Henke); Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston (Hyde, Weisberg, Livingston); Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts (Hyde); Boston VA Research Institute, Boston (Sarpong); Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston (Livingston); Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Mulvaney-Day)
| | - Nicholas A Livingston
- Customer Value Partners, Washington, D.C. (Smith LeBeau); IBM Consulting, Bethesda (White); The Lewin Group, Optum Serve, Boston (Henke); Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston (Hyde, Weisberg, Livingston); Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts (Hyde); Boston VA Research Institute, Boston (Sarpong); Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston (Livingston); Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Mulvaney-Day)
| | - Norah Mulvaney-Day
- Customer Value Partners, Washington, D.C. (Smith LeBeau); IBM Consulting, Bethesda (White); The Lewin Group, Optum Serve, Boston (Henke); Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston (Hyde, Weisberg, Livingston); Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts (Hyde); Boston VA Research Institute, Boston (Sarpong); Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston (Livingston); Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Mulvaney-Day)
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10
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Smith LR, Perez-Brumer A, Nicholls M, Harris J, Allen Q, Padilla A, Yates A, Samore E, Kennedy R, Kuo I, Lake JE, Denis C, Goodman-Meza D, Davidson P, Shoptaw S, El-Bassel N. A data-driven approach to implementing the HPTN 094 complex intervention INTEGRA in local communities. Implement Sci 2024; 19:39. [PMID: 38831415 PMCID: PMC11149235 DOI: 10.1186/s13012-024-01363-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV burden in the US among people who inject drugs (PWID) is driven by overlapping syndemic factors such as co-occurring health needs and environmental factors that synergize to produce worse health outcomes among PWID. This includes stigma, poverty, and limited healthcare access (e.g. medication to treat/prevent HIV and for opioid use disorder [MOUD]). Health services to address these complex needs, when they exist, are rarely located in proximity to each other or to the PWID who need them. Given the shifting drug use landscapes and geographic heterogeneity in the US, we evaluate a data-driven approach to guide the delivery of such services to PWID in local communities. METHODS We used a hybrid, type I, embedded, mixed method, data-driven approach to identify and characterize viable implementation neighborhoods for the HPTN 094 complex intervention, delivering integrated MOUD and HIV treatment/prevention through a mobile unit to PWID across five US cities. Applying the PRISM framework, we triangulated geographic and observational pre-implementation phase data (epidemiological overdose and HIV surveillance data) with two years of implementation phase data (weekly ecological assessments, study protocol meetings) to characterize environmental factors that affected the viability of implementation neighborhoods over time and across diverse settings. RESULTS Neighborhood-level drug use and geographic diversity alongside shifting socio-political factors (policing, surveillance, gentrification) differentially affected the utility of epidemiological data in identifying viable implementation neighborhoods across sites. In sites where PWID are more geographically dispersed, proximity to structural factors such as public transportation and spaces where PWID reside played a role in determining suitable implementation sites. The utility of leveraging additional data from local overdose and housing response systems to identify viable implementation neighborhoods was mixed. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that data-driven approaches provide a contextually relevant pragmatic strategy to guide the real-time implementation of integrated care models to better meet the needs of PWID and help inform the scale-up of such complex interventions. This work highlights the utility of implementation science methods that attend to the impact of local community environmental factors on the implementation of complex interventions to PWID across diverse drug use, sociopolitical, and geographic landscapes in the US. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClincalTrials.gov, Registration Number: NCT04804072 . Registered 18 February 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laramie R Smith
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive #0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA.
| | - Amaya Perez-Brumer
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Melanie Nicholls
- School of Social Work, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA
| | - Jayla Harris
- HIV Prevention Trials Network, Family Health International 360, Durham, USA
| | - Qiana Allen
- UTHealth Houston McGovern School of Medicine, Houston, USA
| | - Alan Padilla
- Columbia University, ICAP, Mailman School of Public Health, New York, USA
| | - Autumn Yates
- George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Eliza Samore
- Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Rebecca Kennedy
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive #0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA
| | - Irene Kuo
- George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jordan E Lake
- UTHealth Houston McGovern School of Medicine, Houston, USA
| | - Cecile Denis
- University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA
| | | | - Peter Davidson
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive #0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA
| | - Steve Shoptaw
- Department of Family Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, USA
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11
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Chukwuma OV, Ezeani EI, Fatoye EO, Benjamin J, Okobi OE, Nwume CG, Egberuare EN. A Systematic Review of the Effect of Stigmatization on Psychiatric Illness Outcomes. Cureus 2024; 16:e62642. [PMID: 39036187 PMCID: PMC11258934 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.62642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
A significant proportion of individuals with psychiatric disorders face dual challenges such as managing the symptoms and disabilities of their conditions and enduring stigma arising from misconceptions about mental illness. This stigma denies them quality-of-life opportunities, such as access to satisfactory healthcare services, better employment, safer housing, and social affiliations. This systematic review aims to evaluate the effect of stigmatization on psychiatric illness outcomes, particularly its influence on treatment adherence, treatment-seeking behavior, and care outcomes. We conducted a systematic review of 39 studies published between 2010 and 2024, focusing on the effects of stigmatization on psychiatric illness outcomes. The review utilized robust methodology following Cochrane guidance and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, including studies from 2010 to 2024 obtained from databases such as PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and SCOPUS. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Appraisal Tool for Cross-Sectional Studies, with most studies rated as moderate to high quality. The findings indicate that stigma in psychiatric illness is closely associated with several factors, including illness duration (mean effect size = 0.42, p < 0.05), frequency of clinic visits (mean reduction = 2.3 visits/year), and diagnosis of psychotic disorders (OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.20-2.65). Stigma manifests through misinformation, prejudice, and discrimination, leading to significant barriers to accessing and adhering to psychiatric treatment, thereby worsening health outcomes. It leads to delays in accessing healthcare, poor adherence to medication and follow-up, and negative psychiatric health outcomes, including disempowerment, reduced self-efficacy, increased psychiatric symptoms, and decreased quality of life. Also, stigma extends to caregivers and healthcare professionals, complicating care delivery. This review highlights the need for effective interventions and strategies to address stigma, emphasizing the importance of educational interventions to mitigate the adverse effects of public stigma. Understanding the multifaceted nature of stigma is crucial for developing targeted approaches to improve psychiatric care outcomes and ensure better mental health services for individuals with mental illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Esther I Ezeani
- Family Medicine, Indiana Regional Medical Center (IRMC), Indiana, USA
- Primary Care, Lifebridge Health, Baltimore, USA
| | | | - Janet Benjamin
- Internal Medicine, Ross University School of Medicine, Miramar, USA
| | - Okelue E Okobi
- Family Medicine, Larkin Community Hospital Palm Springs Campus, Miami, USA
- Family Medicine, Medficient Health Systems, Laurel, USA
- Family Medicine, Lakeside Medical Center, Belle Glade, USA
| | - Chuka G Nwume
- Family Medicine, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, NGA
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12
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López-Castro T, Sohler N, Riback L, Bravo G, Ohlendorf E, Ghiroli M, Fox AD. Posttraumatic stress disorder in people who use drugs: syringe services program utilization, treatment need, and preferences for onsite mental health care. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:108. [PMID: 38824597 PMCID: PMC11143655 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-01019-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Syringe services programs (SSPs) are critical healthcare access points for people with opioid use disorder (OUD) who face treatment utilization barriers. Co-locating care for common psychiatric comorbidities, like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), at SSPs may reduce harms and enhance the health of individuals with OUD. To guide the development of onsite psychiatric care at SSPs, we collected quantitative survey data on the prevalence of PTSD, drug use patterns, treatment experiences associated with a probable PTSD diagnosis, and attitudes regarding onsite PTSD care in a convenience sample of registered SSP clients in New York City. METHODS Study participants were administered the PTSD Checklist for the DSM-5 (PCL-5) and asked about sociodemographic characteristics, current drug use, OUD and PTSD treatment histories, and desire for future SSP services using a structured interview. Probable PTSD diagnosis was defined as a PCL-5 score ≥ 31. RESULTS Of the 139 participants surveyed, 138 experienced at least one potentially traumatic event and were included in the present analysis. The sample was primarily male (n = 108, 78.3%), of Hispanic or Latinx ethnicity (n = 76, 55.1%), and middle-aged (M = 45.0 years, SD = 10.6). The mean PCL-5 score was 35.2 (SD = 21.0) and 79 participants (57.2%) had a probable PTSD diagnosis. We documented frequent SSP utilization, significant unmet PTSD treatment need, and high interest in onsite PTSD treatment. CONCLUSIONS Study findings point to the ubiquity of PTSD in people with OUD who visit SSPs, large gaps in PTSD care, and the potential for harm reduction settings like SSPs to reach people underserved by the healthcare system who have co-occurring OUD and PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa López-Castro
- Department of Psychology, The City College of New York, City University of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY, 10031, USA.
| | - Nancy Sohler
- The City University of New York School of Medicine, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY, 10031, USA
| | - Lindsey Riback
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
- Montefiore Medical Center, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA
| | - Gina Bravo
- Department of Psychology, The City College of New York, City University of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY, 10031, USA
| | - Eric Ohlendorf
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Megan Ghiroli
- Montefiore Medical Center, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA
| | - Aaron D Fox
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
- Montefiore Medical Center, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA
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13
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Akiba CF, Smith J, Wenger LD, Morris T, Patel SV, Bluthenthal RN, Tookes HE, LaKosky P, Kral AH, Lambdin BH. Financial barriers, facilitators, and strategies among syringe services programs in the U.S., and their impact on implementation and health outcomes. SSM. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN HEALTH 2024; 5:100421. [PMID: 38957482 PMCID: PMC11218888 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmqr.2024.100421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Syringe Services Programs (SSPs) provide evidence-based services like drug use equipment to prevent infectious disease, overdose prevention education, and naloxone distribution to people who use drugs (PWUD). However, inadequate funding threatens provision of these interventions. This study aimed to document how the current funding landscape impacted determinants of SSP implementation, particularly describing financial and staffing barriers, facilitators, and proposed strategies, using qualitative methods informed by three implementation research frameworks. We interviewed 20 leaders of SSPs in the United States using a semi-structured interview guide. Participants described how structural stigma against PWUD led to insufficient and restrictive funding, and burdensome reporting for SSPs. This resulted in harming program implementation outcomes like reach, fidelity, and sustainability. Inadequate funding also led to insufficient staffing and subsequent staff stress, burnout, and turnover. Taken together, these barriers threatened the implementation of evidence-based interventions that SSPs provided, ultimately harming their ability to effectively address health outcomes like infectious disease transmission and opioid overdose mortality within their communities. Interviewees described how upstream policy strategies like political advocacy might address structural stigma at the federal level. Participants also highlighted state-level efforts like harm reduction-centered funding, technical assistance and capacity-building, and clearinghouse programs that may facilitate better implementation and health outcomes. A more robust understanding of the relationship between financial barriers, facilitators, and strategies on implementation and health outcomes represents a novel and vital area of research within harm reduction literature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessica Smith
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Lynn D. Wenger
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Terry Morris
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Sheila V. Patel
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Ricky N. Bluthenthal
- Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Hansel E. Tookes
- Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
| | - Paul LaKosky
- Dave Purchase Project, North American Syringe Exchange Network, Tacoma, WA, United States
| | - Alex H. Kral
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
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14
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Khazaee-Pool M, Naghibi SA, Pashaei T, Ponnet K. Developing practical strategies to reduce addiction-related stigma and discrimination in public addiction treatment centers: a mixed-methods study protocol. Addict Sci Clin Pract 2024; 19:40. [PMID: 38755676 PMCID: PMC11097512 DOI: 10.1186/s13722-024-00472-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with substance use disorders (SUDs) have restricted engagement with health-care facilities and describe repeated experiences of stigma, discrimination, and mistreatment when receiving care at health-care and public addiction treatment centers (PATCs). The purpose of the current study is to design practical cultural-based strategies to reduce addiction-related stigma and discrimination at PATCs. METHODS/DESIGN The present study will use a mixed-methods design with an explanatory sequential approach. Phase 1 of the study will combine a cluster sampling technique combined with a cross-sectional survey of Patients with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) in Mazandaran, Iran. A total of three hundred and sixty individuals with SUDs will be selected to assess their experiences of stigma and factors predicting stigma. Phase 2 will involve qualitative study aimed at exploring participants' perceptions regarding the aspects and determinants of their stigma experience. The participants will include two groups: people with SUDs and staff/health-care providers at PATCs. Participants for Phase 2 will be purposively sampled from those involved in Phase 1.Qualitative data will be collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions and analyzed using content analysis with a conventional approach. Phase 3 will focus on the development of new strategies to reduce the experiences of stigma among people with SUDs at PATCs. These strategies will be formulated based on the findings derived from the qualitative and quantitative data obtained in Phases 1 and 2, a comprehensive review of the literature, and expert opinions gathered using the nominal group technique. DISCUSSION This is one of the few studies conducted within the domain of stigma pertaining to individuals who use drugs within the context of Iranian culture employing a mixed-methods approach, this study aims to develop culturally sensitive strategies to reduce such problems from the perspective of Iranian people who use drugs. It is anticipated that the study will yield evidence-based insights and provide practical strategies to reduce the stigma and discrimination experienced by people who use drugs at PATCs. Such outcomes are important for informing policymaking and designing healthcare interventions tailored to the needs of individuals grappling with substance dependency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Khazaee-Pool
- Department of Health Education and Promotion, School of Health, Health Sciences Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
| | - Seyed Abolhassan Naghibi
- Department of Health Education and Promotion, School of Health, Health Sciences Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Tahereh Pashaei
- Department of Health Promotion and Education, School of Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
| | - Koen Ponnet
- Department of Communication Sciences, imec-mict-Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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15
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Patel EU, Grieb SM, Winiker AK, Ching J, Schluth CG, Mehta SH, Kirk GD, Genberg BL. Structural and social changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic and their impact on engagement in substance use disorder treatment services: a qualitative study among people with a recent history of injection drug use in Baltimore, Maryland. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:91. [PMID: 38720307 PMCID: PMC11077846 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-01008-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Substance use disorder treatment and recovery support services are critical for achieving and maintaining recovery. There are limited data on how structural and social changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic impacted individual-level experiences with substance use disorder treatment-related services among community-based samples of people who inject drugs. METHODS People with a recent history of injection drug use who were enrolled in the community-based AIDS Linked to the IntraVenous Experience study in Baltimore, Maryland participated in a one-time, semi-structured interview between July 2021 and February 2022 about their experiences living through the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 28). An iterative inductive coding process was used to identify themes describing how structural and social changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic affected participants' experiences with substance use disorder treatment-related services. RESULTS The median age of participants was 54 years (range = 24-73); 10 (36%) participants were female, 16 (57%) were non-Hispanic Black, and 8 (29%) were living with HIV. We identified several structural and social changes due the pandemic that acted as barriers and facilitators to individual-level engagement in treatment with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and recovery support services (e.g., support group meetings). New take-home methadone flexibility policies temporarily facilitated engagement in MOUD treatment, but other pre-existing rigid policies and practices (e.g., zero-tolerance) were counteracting barriers. Changes in the illicit drug market were both a facilitator and barrier to MOUD treatment. Decreased availability and pandemic-related adaptations to in-person services were a barrier to recovery support services. While telehealth expansion facilitated engagement in recovery support group meetings for some participants, other participants faced digital and technological barriers. These changes in service provision also led to diminished perceived quality of both virtual and in-person recovery support group meetings. However, a facilitator of recovery support was increased accessibility of individual service providers (e.g., counselors and Sponsors). CONCLUSIONS Structural and social changes across several socioecological levels created new barriers and facilitators of individual-level engagement in substance use disorder treatment-related services. Multilevel interventions are needed to improve access to and engagement in high-quality substance use disorder treatment and recovery support services among people who inject drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eshan U Patel
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
| | - Suzanne M Grieb
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Abigail K Winiker
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer Ching
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Catherine G Schluth
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Shruti H Mehta
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Gregory D Kirk
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Becky L Genberg
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
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16
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Price O, Swanton R, Grebely J, Hajarizadeh B, Webb P, Peacock A, Dore GJ, Cowie BC, Vickerman P, Degenhardt L. Vaccination coverage among people who inject drugs: A systematic review. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2024; 127:104382. [PMID: 38503233 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People who inject drugs may be at excess risk of acquiring vaccine-preventable diseases and negative associated health outcomes, but experience barriers to vaccination. We aimed to determine vaccination coverage among people who inject drugs globally. METHODOLOGY We conducted systematic searches of the peer-reviewed and grey literature, date limited from January 2008 to August 2023, focusing on diseases for which people who inject drugs are at elevated risk for and for which an adult vaccination dose is recommended (COVID-19, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, human papillomavirus, influenza, pneumococcal disease, tetanus). To summarise available data, we conducted a narrative synthesis. RESULTS We included 78 studies/reports comprising 117 estimates of vaccination coverage across 36 countries. Most estimates were obtained from high income countries (80%, n=94). We located estimates for hepatitis B vaccination in 33 countries, which included 18 countries with data on serological evidence of vaccine-derived hepatitis B immunity (range: 6-53%) and 22 countries with self-report data for vaccine uptake (<1-96%). Data for other vaccines were scarcer: reported hepatitis A vaccination coverage ranged 3-89% (five countries), COVID-19 ranged 4-84% (five countries), while we located estimates from fewer than five countries for influenza, tetanus, pneumococcal disease, and human papillomavirus. CONCLUSION Estimates were sparse but where available indicative of suboptimal vaccination coverage among people who inject drugs. Improving the consistency, timeliness, and geographic coverage of vaccine uptake data among this population is essential to inform efforts to increase uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Price
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Rosie Swanton
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | | | | | - Paige Webb
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Amy Peacock
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia; School of Psychological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | | | - Benjamin C Cowie
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis, Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Doherty Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Peter Vickerman
- Population Health Science, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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Gagnon KW, Bradford W, Bassler J, Nassel A, Kay ES, Jeziorski M, Prados M, McCleskey B, Kobie J, Eaton E. Community-Based Services for Hospitalized Patients With Serious Injection-Related Infections in Alabama: A Brief Report. Open Forum Infect Dis 2024; 11:ofae231. [PMID: 38813257 PMCID: PMC11134460 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofae231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Injection-related infections continue to rise, particularly in the South. People who inject drugs are increasingly utilizing hospital services for serious injection-related infections but may be discharged to areas without harm reduction services. We explored the availability and travel time to services for HIV and substance use in Alabama.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly W Gagnon
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - William Bradford
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - John Bassler
- Center for AIDS Research, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Ariann Nassel
- Lister Hill Center for Health Policy, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Emma Sophia Kay
- Department of Acute, Chronic and Continuing Care, School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Madison Jeziorski
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Myles Prados
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Brandi McCleskey
- Department of Pathology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - James Kobie
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Ellen Eaton
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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18
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Gleason-Comstock J, Calhoun CB, Locke BJ, Boorle NVLD, Cobty K, McKenney T, Uddin KO, Bauer SJ, Xu J. People who use drugs engagement in substance use disorder services and harm reduction: evaluation, challenges and future direction of a community-based intervention. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 2024; 19:24. [PMID: 38689339 PMCID: PMC11061983 DOI: 10.1186/s13011-024-00601-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since 1996, an urban community-based organization whose primary mission is to serve diverse94 and emerging community health needs has provided screening, testing, overdose prevention and training, referrals, and access to treatment for substance use disorders (SUD) and communicable diseases such as HIV through its Life Points harm reduction program. METHODS As a partner in a State survey in 2021, the community organization recruited a convenience sample of people who use drugs to participate in a survey focused on their substance use, healthcare, and barriers to SUD services. Community health workers conducted outreach and used an encrypted identifier to collect data from a convenience sample of harm reduction participants regarding demographics, legal justice, engagement in harm reduction and access to healthcare. Evaluators entered paper surveys into Qualtrics for reporting and summative analysis. RESULTS A convenience sample of fifty-five people who use drugs were recruited and surveyed. The majority (86%, n = 47) were active participants in the agency Life Points (LP) harm reduction service. Participants' average age was 42.9 years (SD = 11.5). About half (51%, n = 28) were male, 48% (n = 26) were female, and 2% (n = 1) was transgender. About two-thirds (67%, n = 37) of participants were White/Caucasian, 13% (n = 7) were Black/African-American, 11% (n = 6) were Hispanic and 7% (n = 4) were Multi-Racial. Regarding current substance use, 98% (n = 54) reported use of heroin, 51% (n = 28) reported crack, 47% (n = 26) cocaine, 25% (n = 14) alcohol, 24% (n = 13) opioids, and 15% (n = 8) marijuana. The majority, 87% (n = 48) said they had health care insurance and over two-thirds (69%, n = 37) said they had been arrested for a felony. Almost three quarters (71%, n = 39) reported receiving services from the Department of Health & Human Services. A higher percentage of females compared to males (65% and 29% respectively) reported engagement in community mental health services and 69% of females (n = 18) compared to 15% (n = 4) of males reported needing to participate in sex to meet basic social needs. Participants described social determinants of health as barriers to services, including access to food, legal justice and transportation. About 44% (n = 24) said they would consider enrolling in a drug treatment program in the next 30 days. CONCLUSION This sample was reflective of increased participation by White participants that began to appear about a decade ago. The majority of participants reported having healthcare insurance, which may be reflective of engagement with community health workers to access appropriate services. Community organizations and healthcare professionals should continue to explore social determinants of health that can impact the health of people who use drugs, including overcoming barriers to health care access such as investing in mobile unit outreach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Gleason-Comstock
- Department of Family Medicine & Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
| | | | | | - Naga Vijaya Lakshmi Divya Boorle
- Department of Family Medicine & Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Family Medicine & Public Health Sciences, Public Health Research Lab (PHRL), Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Kevin Cobty
- Department of Family Medicine & Public Health Sciences, Public Health Research Lab (PHRL), Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
- Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Tiffany McKenney
- Department of Family Medicine & Public Health Sciences, Public Health Research Lab (PHRL), Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
- Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Kaji O Uddin
- Department of Family Medicine & Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Family Medicine & Public Health Sciences, Public Health Research Lab (PHRL), Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Samantha J Bauer
- Department of Family Medicine & Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Jinping Xu
- Department of Family Medicine & Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
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19
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Havlik JL, Rhee TG, Rosenheck RA. Association of mental health related quality of life and other factors with treatment seeking for substance use disorders: A comparison of SUDs rooted in legal, partially legal, and illegal substances. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0302544. [PMID: 38683850 PMCID: PMC11057773 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The association of subjective mental health-related quality of life (MHRQOL) and treatment use among people experiencing common substance use disorders (SUDs) is not known. Furthermore, the association of a given substance's legal status with treatment use has not been studied. This work aims determine the association of MHRQOL with SUD treatment use, and how substance legal status modulates this relationship. Our analysis used nationally-representative data from the NESARC-III database of those experiencing past-year SUDs (n = 5,808) to compare rates of treatment use and its correlates among three groups: those with illicit substance use disorders (ISUDs); those with partially legal substance use disorders, i.e., cannabis use disorder (CUD); and those with fully legal substance use disorders, i.e., alcohol use disorder (AUD). Survey-weighted multiple regression analysis was used to assess the association of MHRQOL with likelihood of treatment use among these three groups, both unadjusted and adjusted for sociodemographic, behavioral, and diagnostic factors. Adults with past-year ISUDs were significantly more likely to use treatment than those with CUD and AUD. Among those with ISUDs, MHRQOL had no significant association with likelihood of treatment use. Those with past-year CUD saw significant negative association of MHRQOL with treatment use in unadjusted analysis, but not after controlling for diagnostic and other behavioral health factors. Those with past-year AUD had significant negative association of MHRQOL with treatment use in both unadjusted and adjusted analysis. If legalization and decriminalization continue, there may be a greater need for effective public education and harm reduction services to address this changing SUD landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- John L. Havlik
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Taeho G. Rhee
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Robert A. Rosenheck
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
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20
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Sibley AL, Klein E, Cooper HLF, Livingston MD, Baker R, Walters SM, Gicquelais RE, Ruderman SA, Friedmann PD, Jenkins WD, Go VF, Miller WC, Westergaard RP, Crane HM. The relationship between felt stigma and non-fatal overdose among rural people who use drugs. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:77. [PMID: 38582851 PMCID: PMC10998326 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-00988-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drug overdose deaths in the United States exceeded 100,000 in 2021 and 2022. Substance use stigma is a major barrier to treatment and harm reduction utilization and is a priority target in ending the overdose epidemic. However, little is known about the relationship between stigma and overdose, especially in rural areas. We aimed to characterize the association between felt stigma and non-fatal overdose in a multi-state sample of rural-dwelling people who use drugs. METHODS Between January 2018 and March 2020, 2,608 people reporting past 30-day opioid use were recruited via modified chain-referral sampling in rural areas across 10 states. Participants completed a computer-assisted survey of substance use and substance-related attitudes, behaviors, and experiences. We used multivariable logistic regression with generalized estimating equations to test the association between felt stigma and recent non-fatal overdose. RESULTS 6.6% of participants (n = 173) reported an overdose in the past 30 days. Recent non-fatal overdose was significantly associated with felt stigma after adjusting for demographic and substance use-related covariates (aOR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.20-1.81). The association remained significant in sensitivity analyses on component fear of enacted stigma items (aOR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.20-1.83) and an internalized stigma item (aOR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.07-2.14). CONCLUSIONS Felt stigma related to substance use is associated with higher risk of non-fatal overdose in rural-dwelling people who use drugs. Stigma reduction interventions and tailored services for those experiencing high stigma are underutilized approaches that may mitigate overdose risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adams L Sibley
- Department of Health Behavior, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, 170 Rosenau Hall CB #7400, 135 Dauer Dr, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
| | - Emma Klein
- Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Hannah L F Cooper
- Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Melvin D Livingston
- Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Robin Baker
- OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, 1810 SW 5th Ave, Suite 510, Portland, OR, 97201, USA
| | - Suzan M Walters
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, 180 Madison, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Rachel E Gicquelais
- School of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 4257 Signe Skott Cooper Hall, 701 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Stephanie A Ruderman
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Harborview Medical Center, 325 9th Ave, Box 359931, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Peter D Friedmann
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School-Baystate and Baystate Health, 3601 Main St, Springfield, MA, 01199, USA
| | - Wiley D Jenkins
- Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, 201 E Madison Street, Springfield, IL, 62702, USA
| | - Vivian F Go
- Department of Health Behavior, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, 170 Rosenau Hall CB #7400, 135 Dauer Dr, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - William C Miller
- Department of Epidemiology, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, CB#8050, 3rd Floor Carolina Square, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, USA
| | - Ryan P Westergaard
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1685 Highland Avenue, 5th Floor, Madison, WI, 53705-2281, USA
| | - Heidi M Crane
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Mail Stop 359931, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
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21
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Cunningham NE, Lamb J, Staller A, Krajden M, Hogg RS, Towle A, Lima VD, Salters K. Expanding access to healthcare for people who use drugs and sex workers: hepatitis C elimination implications from a qualitative study of healthcare experiences in British Columbia, Canada. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:75. [PMID: 38575970 PMCID: PMC10996275 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-00991-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major health threat in Canada. In British Columbia (BC) province, 1.6% of the population had been exposed to HCV by 2012. Prevalence and incidence of HCV are very high in populations of people who use drugs (PWUD) and sex workers (SW), who may experience unique barriers to healthcare. Consequently, they are less likely to be treated for HCV. Overcoming these barriers is critical for HCV elimination. This research sought to explore the healthcare experiences of PWUD and SW and how these experiences impact their willingness to engage in healthcare in the future, including HCV care. METHODS Interpretive Description guided this qualitative study of healthcare experiences in BC, underpinned by the Health Stigma and Discrimination framework. The study team included people with living/lived experience of drug use, sex work, and HCV. Twenty-five participants completed in-depth semi-structured interviews on their previous healthcare and HCV-related experiences. Thematic analysis was used to identify common themes. RESULTS Three major themes were identified in our analysis. First, participants reported common experiences of delay and refusal of care by healthcare providers, with many negative healthcare encounters perceived as rooted in institutional culture reflecting societal stigma. Second, participants discussed their choice to engage in or avoid healthcare. Many avoided all but emergency care following negative experiences in any kind of healthcare. Third, participants described the roles of respect, stigma, dignity, fear, and trust in communication in healthcare relationships. CONCLUSIONS Healthcare experiences shared by participants pointed to ways that better understanding and communication by healthcare providers could support positive change in healthcare encounters of PWUD and SW, who are at high risk of HCV infection. More positive healthcare encounters could lead to increased healthcare engagement which is essential for HCV elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nance E Cunningham
- HIV/AIDS Drug Treatment Program, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 170-6371 Crescent Road, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2, Canada
| | - Jessica Lamb
- AIDS Network Kootenay Outreach and Support Society, 209a 16 Ave N, Cranbrook, BC, V1C 5S8, Canada
- East Kootenays Network of People Who Use Drugs, 418-304 Street, Kimberley, BC, V1A 3H4, Canada
| | | | - Mel Krajden
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 170-6371 Crescent Road, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2, Canada
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, 655 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4R4, Canada
| | - Robert S Hogg
- HIV/AIDS Drug Treatment Program, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
- Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Dr W, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Angela Towle
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 170-6371 Crescent Road, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2, Canada
| | - Viviane Dias Lima
- HIV/AIDS Drug Treatment Program, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada.
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 170-6371 Crescent Road, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2, Canada.
| | - Kate Salters
- HIV/AIDS Drug Treatment Program, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
- Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Dr W, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
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22
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Wenger LD, Morris T, Knight KR, Megerian CE, Davidson PJ, Suen LW, Majano V, Lambdin BH, Kral AH. Radical hospitality: Innovative programming to build community and meet the needs of people who use drugs at a government-sanctioned overdose prevention site in San Francisco, California. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2024; 126:104366. [PMID: 38492432 PMCID: PMC11160962 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Tenderloin Center (TLC), a multi-service center where people could receive or be connected to basic needs, behavioral health care, housing, and medical services, was open in San Francisco for 46 weeks in 2022. Within a week of operation, services expanded to include an overdose prevention site (OPS), also known as safe consumption site. OPSs have operated internationally for over three decades, but government-sanctioned OPSs have only recently been implemented in the United States. We used ethnographic methods to understand the ways in which a sanctioned OPS, situated in a multi-service center, impacts the lives of people who use drugs (PWUD). METHODS We conducted participant observation and in-depth interviews June-December 2022. Extensive field notes and 39 in-depth interviews with 24 TLC guests and 15 TLC staff were analyzed using an inductive analysis approach. Interviewees were asked detailed questions about their experiences using and working at the TLC. RESULTS TLC guests and staff described an atmosphere where radical hospitality-welcoming guests with extraordinary warmth, generosity, and unconditional acceptance-was central to the culture. We found that the co-location of an OPS within a multi-service agency (1) allowed for the culture of radical hospitality to flourish, (2) yielded a convenient one-stop shop model, (3) created a space for community building, and (4) offered safety and respite to guests. CONCLUSIONS The co-location of an OPS within a multi-service drop-in center is an important example of how such an organization can build positive sociality among PWUD while protecting autonomy and reducing overdose mortality. Overdose response and reversal is an act of relational accountability in which friends, peers, and even strangers intervene to protect and revive one another. This powerful intervention was operationalized as an anti-oppressive, horizontal activity through radical hospitality with a built environment that allowed PWUD to be both social and safe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn D Wenger
- RTI International, 2150 Shattuck Ave., Suite 800, Berkeley, CA 94704, United States.
| | - Terry Morris
- RTI International, 2150 Shattuck Ave., Suite 800, Berkeley, CA 94704, United States
| | - Kelly R Knight
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Cariné E Megerian
- RTI International, 2150 Shattuck Ave., Suite 800, Berkeley, CA 94704, United States
| | - Peter J Davidson
- Univerity of California, San Diego, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Leslie W Suen
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Veronica Majano
- RTI International, 2150 Shattuck Ave., Suite 800, Berkeley, CA 94704, United States
| | - Barrot H Lambdin
- RTI International, 2150 Shattuck Ave., Suite 800, Berkeley, CA 94704, United States
| | - Alex H Kral
- RTI International, 2150 Shattuck Ave., Suite 800, Berkeley, CA 94704, United States
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23
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Chatterjee A, Baker T, Rudorf M, Walt G, Stotz C, Martin A, Kinnard EN, McAlearney AS, Bosak J, Medley B, Pinkhover A, Taylor JL, Samet JH, Lunze K. Mobile treatment for opioid use disorder: Implementation of community-based, same-day medication access interventions. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE AND ADDICTION TREATMENT 2024; 159:209272. [PMID: 38128649 PMCID: PMC10947870 DOI: 10.1016/j.josat.2023.209272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) are lifesaving, but <20 % of individuals in the US who could benefit receive them. As part of the NIH-supported HEALing Communities Study (HCS), coalitions in several communities in Massachusetts and Ohio implemented mobile MOUD programs to overcome barriers to MOUD receipt. We defined mobile MOUD programs as units that provide same-day access to MOUD at remote sites. We aimed to (1) document the design and organizational structure of mobile programs providing same-day or next-day MOUD, and (2) explore the barriers and facilitators to implementation as well as the successes and challenges of ongoing operation. METHODS Program staff from five programs in two states (n = 11) participated in semi-structured interviews. Two authors conducted thematic analysis of the transcripts based on the domains of the social-ecological model and the semi-structured interview guide. RESULTS Mobile MOUD units sought to improve immediate access to MOUD ("Our answer is pretty much always, 'Yes, we'll get you started right here, right now,'"), advance equity ("making sure that we have staff who speak other languages, who are on the unit and have some resources that are in different languages,"), and decrease opioid overdose deaths. Salient program characteristics included diverse staff, including staff with lived experience of substance use ("She just had that personal knowledge of where we should be going"). Mobile units offered harm reduction services, broad medical services (in particular, wound care), and connection to transportation programs and incorporated consistency in service provision and telemedicine access. Implementation facilitators included trusting relationships with partner organizations (particularly pharmacies and correctional facilities), nuanced understanding of local politics, advertising, protocol flexibility, and on-unit prescriber hours. Barriers included unclear licensing requirements, staffing shortages and competing priorities for staff, funding challenges due to inconsistency in grant funding and low reimbursement ("It's not really possible that billing in and of itself is going to be able to sustain it"), and community stigma toward addiction services generally. CONCLUSIONS Despite organizational, community, and policy barriers, participants described mobile MOUD units as an innovative way to expand access to life-saving medications, promote equity in MOUD treatment, and overcome stigma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avik Chatterjee
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States of America; Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States of America.
| | - Trevor Baker
- Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Maria Rudorf
- Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Galya Walt
- Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Caroline Stotz
- Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Anna Martin
- Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | | | - Ann Scheck McAlearney
- The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Julie Bosak
- Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Bethany Medley
- Columbia University School of Social Work, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Allyson Pinkhover
- Brockton Neighborhood Health Center, Brockton, MA, United States of America; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Jessica L Taylor
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States of America; Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey H Samet
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States of America; Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Karsten Lunze
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States of America; Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States of America
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24
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Monari EN, Booth R, Forchuk C, Csiernik R. Black family members' cultural beliefs and experiences regarding substance use and misuse by relatives: A focused ethnography. J Ethn Subst Abuse 2024:1-31. [PMID: 38557270 DOI: 10.1080/15332640.2024.2331634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Research explored substance use in Black communities in Canada, but a gap exists about the experiences of Black family members, caring for relatives with substance misuse within the Canadian context. Black family members are defined as African Canadians, Caribbean Canadian or Caribbean Blacks. This paper explores Black family members' beliefs and experiences regarding their relatives' psychoactive substance use and misuse. A focused ethnography was conducted with 26 Black family members with 17 participants originated from various parts of Africa, and nine participants originated from parts of the Caribbean. Participants comprised of mothers (n = 5), fathers (n = 2), step-fathers (n = 1), husbands (n = 1), wives (n = 2), uncles (n = 5), aunties (n = 2), siblings (n = 5), in-laws (n = 2), and guardians (n = 1). Three themes were generated: cultural beliefs and perceptions regarding substance use and misuse of family relatives; "When he starts drinking, hell breaks loose": Perceived impact of substance misuse on family safety and stability; and, the experiences of stigma and the keeping of secrets. Prioritizing public health approaches, such as public policies and campaigns that dismantle stigma and systemic barriers, and increase awareness about substance use and harm reduction interventions among Black communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther N Monari
- Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
- Western University, London, Canada
| | | | - Cheryl Forchuk
- Western University, London, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Canada
- Parkwood Institute Research, London, Canada
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25
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Carroll JJ. Xylazine-Associated Wounds and Related Health Concerns Among People Who Use Drugs: Reports From Front-Line Health Workers in 7 US States. SUBSTANCE USE & ADDICTION JOURNAL 2024; 45:222-231. [PMID: 38258791 DOI: 10.1177/29767342231214472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Xylazine, an adrenergic alpha-2 agonist increasingly present in the US drug supply, is associated with severe skin ulcers and other harms. Expert knowledge from front-line harm reduction and healthcare professionals is an essential component of evidence-based practice. The purpose of this study is to describe the progression and treatment of xylazine-associated wounds, other xylazine-related health concerns, and the most urgent research priorities as reported by front-line harm reduction and healthcare professionals serving people who use drugs. METHODS A convenience sample of 17 healthcare and harm reduction professionals who serve people who use drugs in the US states of Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas participated in semi-structured interviews. Participants were asked about the appearance and progression of xylazine-associated wounds; preferred treatment strategies; other xylazine-related harms experienced by people who use drugs; and the most urgent priorities for xylazine-related research. FINDINGS Xylazine-associated wounds were broadly described as small lesions appearing mostly on extremities both at and away from injection sites, often within hours or days of exposure, that quickly developed into large, complex, chronic wounds. Reported risk of secondary infection was generally low but appeared more common among unhoused populations. Most participants preferred conservative treatment strategies that included regular wound care, enzymatic debridement, and hygiene. Xylazine-associated wounds and xylazine withdrawal reportedly act as significant barriers to care, including addiction treatment. Participants reported urgent need for scientific research and evidence-based guidance on the management of xylazine-associated wounds and withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS High-quality scientific evidence on risk factors for xylazine-associated wounds and on their biologic mechanisms is needed. Such studies could inform new strategies for the prevention and treatment of these wounds. Efforts to improve the management of xylazine withdrawal and to reduce stigma by incorporating harm reduction professionals into healthcare settings may improve access to and retention in care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer J Carroll
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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26
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Marshall AD, Willing AR, Kairouz A, Cunningham EB, Wheeler A, O'Brien N, Perera V, Ward JW, Hiebert L, Degenhardt L, Hajarizadeh B, Colledge S, Hickman M, Jawad D, Lazarus JV, Matthews GV, Scheibe A, Vickerman P, Dore GJ, Grebely J. Direct-acting antiviral therapies for hepatitis C infection: global registration, reimbursement, and restrictions. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024; 9:366-382. [PMID: 38367631 DOI: 10.1016/s2468-1253(23)00335-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have delivered high response rates (>95%) and simplified the management of HCV treatment, permitting non-specialists to manage patients without advanced liver disease. We collected and reviewed global data on the registration and reimbursement (government subsidised) of HCV therapies, including restrictions on reimbursement. Primary data collection occurred between Nov 15, 2021, and July 24, 2023, through the assistance of a global network of 166 HCV experts. We retrieved data for 160 (77%) of 209 countries and juristrictions. By mid-2023, 145 (91%) countries had registered at least one of the following DAA therapies: sofosbuvir-velpatasvir, sofosbuvir-velpatasvir-voxilaprevir, glecaprevir-pibrentasvir, sofosbuvir-daclatasvir, or sofosbuvir. 109 (68%) countries reimbursed at least one DAA therapy. Among 102 low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), 89 (87%) had registered at least one HCV DAA therapy and 53 (52%) reimbursed at least one DAA therapy. Among all countries with DAA therapy reimbursement (n=109), 66 (61%) required specialist prescribing, eight (7%) had retreatment restrictions, seven (6%) had an illicit drug use restriction, five (5%) had an alcohol use restriction, and three (3%) had liver disease restrictions. Global access to DAA reimbursement remains uneven, with LMICs having comparatively low reimbursement compared with high-income countries. To meet WHO goals for HCV elimination, efforts should be made to assist countries, particularly LMICs, to increase access to DAA reimbursement and remove reimbursement restrictions-especially prescriber-type restrictions-to ensure universal access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison D Marshall
- Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Alex R Willing
- Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Abe Kairouz
- Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Evan B Cunningham
- Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Alice Wheeler
- Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | | | - John W Ward
- Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination, Task Force for Global Health, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Lindsey Hiebert
- Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination, Task Force for Global Health, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Louisa Degenhardt
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Behzad Hajarizadeh
- Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Samantha Colledge
- National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Matthew Hickman
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Danielle Jawad
- Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jeffrey V Lazarus
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (IS Global), Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gail V Matthews
- Therapeutic and Vaccine Research Program, The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Andrew Scheibe
- TB HIV Care, Cape Town, South Africa; Community Orientated, Primary Care Research Unit, Department of Family Medicine, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Peter Vickerman
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Gregory J Dore
- Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jason Grebely
- Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Eschliman EL, Patel EU, Murray SM, German D, Kirk GD, Mehta SH, Kaufman MR, Genberg BL. Drug Use-Related Discrimination in Healthcare Settings and Subsequent Emergency Department Utilization in a Prospective Cohort Study of People With a History of Injection Drug Use. Subst Use Misuse 2024; 59:1210-1220. [PMID: 38519443 PMCID: PMC11194036 DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2024.2330906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with a history of injection drug use face discrimination in healthcare settings that may impede their use of routine care, leading to greater reliance on the emergency department (ED) for addressing health concerns. The relationship between discrimination in healthcare settings and subsequent ED utilization has not been established in this population. METHODS This analysis used longitudinal data collected between January 2014 and March 2020 from participants of the ALIVE (AIDS Linked to the IntraVenous Experience) study, a community-based observational cohort study of people with a history of injection drug use in Baltimore, Maryland. Logistic regressions with generalized estimating equations were used to estimate associations between drug use-related discrimination in healthcare settings and subsequent ED utilization for the sample overall and six subgroups based on race, sex, and HIV status. RESULTS 1,342 participants contributed data from 7,289 semiannual study visits. Participants were predominately Black (82%), mostly male (66%), and 33% were living with HIV. Drug use-related discrimination in healthcare settings (reported at 6% of study visits) was positively associated with any subsequent ED use (OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.15-1.72). Positive associations persisted after adjusting for covariates, including past sixth-month ED use and drug use, among the overall sample (aOR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.04-1.59) and among some subgroups. CONCLUSIONS Drug use-related discrimination in healthcare settings was associated with greater subsequent ED utilization in this sample. Further exploration of mechanisms driving this relationship may help improve care and optimize healthcare engagement for people with a history of injection drug use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan L. Eschliman
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
| | - Eshan U. Patel
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
| | - Sarah M. Murray
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
| | - Danielle German
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
| | - Gregory D. Kirk
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
| | - Shruti H. Mehta
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
| | - Michelle R. Kaufman
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
| | - Becky L. Genberg
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
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Mlunde LB, Saalim K, Mbwambo JK, Kiwia P, Fitch E, Manyama W, Rugemalila I, Clay S, Lambdin BH, Stelmach RD, Bann C, Nyblade L. Adapting a health facility HIV stigma-reduction participatory training intervention to address drug use stigma in HIV care and treatment clinics in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:65. [PMID: 38491349 PMCID: PMC10941424 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-00965-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV prevalence among people who use drugs (PWUD) in Tanzania is 4-7 times higher than in the general population, underscoring an urgent need to increase HIV testing and treatment among PWUD. Drug use stigma within HIV clinics is a barrier to HIV treatment for PWUD, yet few interventions to address HIV-clinic drug use stigma exist. Guided by the ADAPT-ITT model, we adapted the participatory training curriculum of the evidence-based Health Policy Plus Total Facility Approach to HIV stigma reduction, to address drug use stigma in HIV care and treatment clinics (CTCs). METHODS The first step in the training curriculum adaptation process was formative research. We conducted 32 in-depth interviews in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: 18 (11 men and 7 women) with PWUD living with HIV, and 14 with a mix of clinical [7] and non-clinical [7] CTC staff (5 men and 9 women). Data were analyzed through rapid qualitative analysis to inform initial curriculum adaptation. This initial draft curriculum was then further adapted and refined through multiple iterative steps of review, feedback and revision including a 2-day stakeholder workshop and external expert review. RESULTS Four CTC drug use stigma drivers emerged as key to address in the curriculum adaptation: (1) Lack of awareness of the manifestations and consequences of drug use stigma in CTCs (e.g., name calling, ignoring PWUD and denial of care); (2) Negative stereotypes (e.g., all PWUD are thieves, dangerous); (3) Fear of providing services to PWUD, and; (4) Lack of knowledge about drug use as a medical condition and absence of skills to care for PWUD. Five, 2.5-hour participatory training sessions were developed with topics focused on creating awareness of stigma and its consequences, understanding and addressing stereotypes and fears of interacting with PWUD; understanding drug use, addiction, and co-occurring conditions; deepening understanding of drug use stigma and creating empathy, including a panel session with people who had used drugs; and working to create actionable change. CONCLUSION Understanding context specific drivers and manifestations of drug use stigma from the perspective of PWUD and health workers allowed for ready adaptation of an existing evidence-based HIV-stigma reduction intervention to address drug use stigma in HIV care and treatment clinics. Future steps include a pilot test of the adapted intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda B Mlunde
- Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
| | | | - Jessie K Mbwambo
- Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Pfiriael Kiwia
- Kimara Peer Educators and Health Promoters, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | | | | | | | - Sue Clay
- 3C Regional Consultants, Lusaka, Zambia
| | | | | | - Carla Bann
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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Anwar I, Faye A, Pereira Gonçalves J, Briand Madrid L, Maradan G, Lalanne L, Jauffret-Roustide M, Auriacombe M, Roux P. Gender and Drug Use Discrimination Among People Who Inject Drugs: An Intersectional Approach Using the COSINUS Cohort. Int J Womens Health 2024; 16:451-462. [PMID: 38495429 PMCID: PMC10944247 DOI: 10.2147/ijwh.s448147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose Injection drug use is strongly associated with stigmatization by loved ones, healthcare providers, and society in general. This stigmatization can have negative consequences on the health of people who inject drugs (PWID) and limit their access to care. Women who inject drugs face greater stigma than men because of gendered social norms and the intersectional effect between gender and drug use identities. For this analysis, we aimed to study discrimination - which is closely linked to stigmatization - experienced by PWID, considering the intersectionality between drug use discrimination and gender discrimination in the French context. Methods We used data from the COSINUS cohort study, conducted between June 2016 and May 2019 in four French cities. We selected 427 of the 665 PWID who regularly injected drugs enrolled in COSINUS, at three months of follow-up, and performed multivariable logistic regression to identify factors associated with self-reported drug use discrimination. Results Women comprised 20.6% of the study sample. Sixty-nine percent of the participants declared drug use discrimination and 15% gender discrimination. In the multivariable regression analysis, PWID who had hurried injection out of fear of being seen were almost twice as likely to have experienced drug use discrimination (OR [95% CI]: 1.77 [1.15, 2.74], p = 0.010). Likewise, women experiencing gender discrimination were almost three times as likely to have experienced drug use discrimination (OR [95% CI]: 2.84 [1.07,7.56], p=0.037). Conclusion Women who inject drugs experienced gender and drug use intersectional discrimination. This could be a reason for the low attendance rates of women in healthcare settings. In addition, discrimination negatively impacted injection drug use practices (eg, hurried injection), particularly for people with unstable housing who injected in public spaces. We recommend introducing adapted services in healthcare facilities for women who inject drugs, and creating a favorable social and physical environment for all PWID in order to improve their health and access to care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilhame Anwar
- Aix Marseille Univ, Inserm, IRD, SESSTIM, Sciences Economiques & Sociales de la Santé & Traitement de l’Information Médicale, ISSPAM, Marseille, France
| | - Aissatou Faye
- Aix Marseille Univ, Inserm, IRD, SESSTIM, Sciences Economiques & Sociales de la Santé & Traitement de l’Information Médicale, ISSPAM, Marseille, France
| | - Jessica Pereira Gonçalves
- Aix Marseille Univ, Inserm, IRD, SESSTIM, Sciences Economiques & Sociales de la Santé & Traitement de l’Information Médicale, ISSPAM, Marseille, France
| | - Laélia Briand Madrid
- Aix Marseille Univ, Inserm, IRD, SESSTIM, Sciences Economiques & Sociales de la Santé & Traitement de l’Information Médicale, ISSPAM, Marseille, France
| | - Gwenaëlle Maradan
- ORS PACA, Observatoire régional de la santé Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Marseille, France
| | - Laurence Lalanne
- INSERM 1114, Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg (FMTS), Strasbourg, 67000, France
- Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg (FMTS), Strasbourg, 67000, France
| | - Marie Jauffret-Roustide
- CERMES3 (Inserm U988/UMR CNRS 8211/EHESS/Paris Descartes University), Paris, France
- British Columbia Center on Substance Use, Vancouver, Canada
- Baldy Center on Law and Social Policy, Buffalo University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marc Auriacombe
- Univ. Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Addiction Team (Laboratoire de psychiatrie)/SANPSY, CNRS USR 3413, Bordeaux, France
- Pôle Addictologie, CH Charles Perrens and CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Perrine Roux
- Aix Marseille Univ, Inserm, IRD, SESSTIM, Sciences Economiques & Sociales de la Santé & Traitement de l’Information Médicale, ISSPAM, Marseille, France
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Nelson EUE. Addiction stigma and opioid use in chronic non-cancer pain management in Nigeria. SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH & ILLNESS 2024; 46:457-472. [PMID: 37796514 DOI: 10.1111/1467-9566.13718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
This study uses 26 in-depth interviews conducted with people who use drugs (PWUD) who had sought care for chronic non-cancer pain in public health facilities in Nigeria, to explore how drug consumption stigma constitutes patient legitimacy based on neoliberal ideals. It found drug consumption stigma to be salient and pervasive in PWUD health-care encounters, operating through interpersonal interactions and institutionalised policies and practices to shape access to care. Crucially, stigma emerged through disciplinary opioid prescribing and dispensing practices that defined, categorised and marginalised PWUD based on how their drug consumption disrupted normative values of rationality and responsibility. Accounts additionally revealed disengagement from biomedical care and reliance on alternative pain management approaches (e.g. herbal remedies and illegal drugs), which show how structural positions shape the exercise of choice and agency in socially marginalised populations. In conclusion, the study considers the need to improve the health-care experiences of PWUD as a strategy for enhancing health-care engagement and improving health outcomes. It called for interventions to address the structural factors and interactional dynamics that influence stigma in health-care settings as well as for a review of current guidelines and practices to improve access to opioids for chronic non-cancer pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ediomo-Ubong E Nelson
- Global Drug Policy Observatory, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
- Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse, Uyo, Nigeria
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31
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Bowles JM, Copulsky EC, Reed MK. Media framing xylazine as a "zombie drug" is amplifying stigma onto people who use drugs. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2024; 125:104338. [PMID: 38364357 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Amid increasing efforts to understand xylazine-associated harms, examining the potentially catastrophic role of stigma resulting from media outlets framing xylazine as the "zombie drug" is imperative. Zombies are cinematically depicted as soulless, dangerous, and required to be killed off entirely for public safety, making the "zombie" analogy especially grave amid the fatal overdose crisis. Xylazine is called the "zombie drug" due to its heavy sedative effect and associated-severely infected skin ulcers. We surmise that wide-scale media framing of xylazine as the "zombie drug" has increased stigmas onto people who use drugs as their likening to zombies reifies subhuman status. The present commentary highlights many media headlines and quotes that use "zombie" terminology when writing about xylazine, and examine how this expansive media framing amplifies stigmas. Xylazine's proliferation in the illicit drug market will likely increase infected ulcers needing medical attention. People who use drugs are often reluctant to seek medical care due to experiences of medically-institutionalized stigma. Based on the media's extensive depiction of xylazine as the "zombie drug," it is plausible that medical practitioners have been exposed to this stigmatizing framing, which could unknowingly detrimentally impact provision of medical care. Strategies to offset harms of xylazine-associated stigmas are proposed, including that medical practitioners undergo evidence-based training to reduce stigmatizing responses to severe xylazine-associated ulcers as any indication of enacted stigma can be internalized by the person seeking treatment, which in turn can perpetuate harms like sepsis or overdose. Author ethnographic observations of xylazine presence are included, which encompass three distinct urban settings that span North America. Finally, we suggest approaches media outlets could adopt to reflect on how referring to xylazine as the "zombie" drug amplifies stigmas onto people already surviving under structural conditions heightening physical and mental trauma, and use language instead that could aid in lessening these harms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanette M Bowles
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use: Vancouver, BC, Canada; University of British Columbia Department of Medicine: Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | | | - Megan K Reed
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Center for Connected Care, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; College of Population Health, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Trickey A, McGinnis K, Gill MJ, Abgrall S, Berenguer J, Wyen C, Hessamfar M, Reiss P, Kusejko K, Silverberg MJ, Imaz A, Teira R, d'Arminio Monforte A, Zangerle R, Guest JL, Papastamopoulos V, Crane H, Sterling TR, Grabar S, Ingle SM, Sterne JAC. Longitudinal trends in causes of death among adults with HIV on antiretroviral therapy in Europe and North America from 1996 to 2020: a collaboration of cohort studies. Lancet HIV 2024; 11:e176-e185. [PMID: 38280393 DOI: 10.1016/s2352-3018(23)00272-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mortality rates among people with HIV have fallen since 1996 following the widespread availability of effective antiretroviral therapy (ART). Patterns of cause-specific mortality are evolving as the population with HIV ages. We aimed to investigate longitudinal trends in cause-specific mortality among people with HIV starting ART in Europe and North America. METHODS In this collaborative observational cohort study, we used data from 17 European and North American HIV cohorts contributing data to the Antiretroviral Therapy Cohort Collaboration. We included data for people with HIV who started ART between 1996 and 2020 at the age of 16 years or older. Causes of death were classified into a single cause by both a clinician and an algorithm if International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision or Tenth Revision data were available, or independently by two clinicians. Disagreements were resolved through panel discussion. We used Poisson models to compare cause-specific mortality rates during the calendar periods 1996-99, 2000-03, 2004-07, 2008-11, 2012-15, and 2016-20, adjusted for time-updated age, CD4 count, and whether the individual was ART-naive at the start of each period. FINDINGS Among 189 301 people with HIV included in this study, 16 832 (8·9%) deaths were recorded during 1 519 200 person-years of follow-up. 13 180 (78·3%) deaths were classified by cause: the most common causes were AIDS (4203 deaths; 25·0%), non-AIDS non-hepatitis malignancy (2311; 13·7%), and cardiovascular or heart-related (1403; 8·3%) mortality. The proportion of deaths due to AIDS declined from 49% during 1996-99 to 16% during 2016-20. Rates of all-cause mortality per 1000 person-years decreased from 16·8 deaths (95% CI 15·4-18·4) during 1996-99 to 7·9 deaths (7·6-8·2) during 2016-20. Rates of all-cause mortality declined with time: the average adjusted mortality rate ratio per calendar period was 0·85 (95% CI 0·84-0·86). Rates of cause-specific mortality also declined: the most pronounced reduction was for AIDS-related mortality (0·81; 0·79-0·83). There were also reductions in rates of cardiovascular-related (0·83, 0·79-0·87), liver-related (0·88, 0·84-0·93), non-AIDS infection-related (0·91, 0·86-0·96), non-AIDS-non-hepatocellular carcinoma malignancy-related (0·94, 0·90-0·97), and suicide or accident-related mortality (0·89, 0·82-0·95). Mortality rates among people who acquired HIV through injecting drug use increased in women (1·07, 1·00-1·14) and decreased slightly in men (0·96, 0·93-0·99). INTERPRETATION Reductions of most major causes of death, particularly AIDS-related deaths among people with HIV on ART, were not seen for all subgroups. Interventions targeted at high-risk groups, substance use, and comorbidities might further increase life expectancy in people with HIV towards that in the general population. FUNDING US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Trickey
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| | | | - M John Gill
- Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, South Alberta HIV Clinic, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Sophie Abgrall
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Hôpital Béclère, Service de Médecine Interne, Clamart, France; APHP, Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, UVSQ, CESP INSERM U1018, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Juan Berenguer
- Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, IiSGM, CIBERINFEC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Christoph Wyen
- Department I for Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Mojgan Hessamfar
- University of Bordeaux, ISPED, INSERM U1219, Bordeaux, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Peter Reiss
- Stichting HIV Monitoring, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Global Health, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Katharina Kusejko
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Arkaitz Imaz
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), University of Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Ramon Teira
- Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario de Sierrallana, Torrelavega, Spain
| | | | - Robert Zangerle
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergy, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Jodie L Guest
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA; Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Vasileios Papastamopoulos
- 5th Department of Internal Medicine & Infectious Diseases Unit, Evangelismos General Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Heidi Crane
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Timothy R Sterling
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sophie Grabar
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique (IPLESP), Paris, France; Department of Public Health, AP-HP, St Antoine hospital, Paris, France
| | - Suzanne M Ingle
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Jonathan A C Sterne
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, Bristol, UK; Health Data Research UK South-West, Bristol, UK
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Gannon M, Hand D, Short V, McLaughlin K, Flood T, Shaffer K, Lenegan N, Abatemarco D, DiDonato S. Maternal Perspective of Inpatient Methadone Initiation: Opportunities to Increase Retention in Treatment. J Addict Med 2024; 18:122-128. [PMID: 38039080 DOI: 10.1097/adm.0000000000001252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Recent trends demonstrate increases in the rates of opioid use among pregnant and parenting women. Treatment for pregnant people with opioid use disorder (OUD) includes medications for OUD, like methadone, as well as comprehensive support services. Still, inpatient treatment engagement is suboptimal and treatment drop out is common. There is little research examining the maternal perspective of the inpatient methadone initiation experience. The primary aim of this qualitative methods study was to explore patient experience and perspective of the inpatient methadone initiation period. METHODS All participants were recruited from a single urban university affiliated hospital and OUD treatment program. Data were collected from 30 maternal participants in OUD treatment about their inpatient methadone initiation experience while pregnant using semistructured interviews. Thematic analyses were conducted using an inductive approach after an iterative process of code development and application among a multidisciplinary team of 3 coders. Validity was accounted for through 2 participant feedback interviews and study team review and discussion of findings. RESULTS Four themes emerged from the maternal interview data: (1) Barriers to Inpatient Methadone Initiation, (2) Facilitators to Inpatient Methadone Initiation, (3) Transition From Hospital Inpatient to Outpatient or Residential OUD Treatment Services, and (4) Opportunities for Enhanced Clinical Support. CONCLUSION Maternal participants reported multiple barriers and facilitators to inpatient care during methadone initiation, highlighting opportunities for improvement to effectively engage pregnant individuals in treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Gannon
- From the College of Nursing, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA
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Russell DM, Meyerson BE, Mahoney AN, Garnett I, Ferrell C, Newgass K, Agley JD, Crosby RA, Bentele KG, Vadiei N, Frank D, Linde-Krieger LB. Come back when you're infected: pharmacy access to sterile syringes in an Arizona Secret Shopper Study, 2023. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:49. [PMID: 38388463 PMCID: PMC10885601 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-00943-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pharmacies are critical healthcare partners in community efforts to eliminate bloodborne illnesses. Pharmacy sale of sterile syringes is central to this effort. METHODS A mixed methods "secret shopper" syringe purchase study was conducted in the fall of 2022 with 38 community pharmacies in Maricopa and Pima Counties, Arizona. Pharmacies were geomapped to within 2 miles of areas identified as having a potentially high volume of illicit drug commerce. Daytime venue sampling was used whereby separate investigators with lived/living drug use experience attempted to purchase syringes without a prescription. Investigator response when prompted for purchase rationale was "to protect myself from HIV and hepatitis C." A 24-item instrument measured sales outcome, pharmacy staff interaction (hostile/neutral/friendly), and the buyer's subjective experience. RESULTS Only 24.6% (n = 28) of 114 purchase attempts across the 38 pharmacies resulted in syringe sale. Less than one quarter (21.1%) of pharmacies always sold, while 44.7% never sold. Independent and food store pharmacies tended not to sell syringes. There emerged distinct pharmacy staff interactions characterized by body language, customer query, normalization or othering response, response to purchase request and closure. Pharmacy discretion and pharmacy policy not to sell syringes without a prescription limited sterile syringe access. Investigators reported frequent and adverse emotional impact due to pharmacy staff negative and stigmatizing interactions. CONCLUSIONS Pharmacies miss opportunities to advance efforts to eliminate bloodborne infections by stringent no-sale policy and discretion about syringe sale. State regulatory policy facilitating pharmacy syringe sales, limiting pharmacist discretion for syringe sales, and targeting pharmacy-staff level education may help advance the achievement of public health goals to eliminate bloodborne infections in Arizona.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M Russell
- Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Drug Policy Research and Advocacy Board (DPRAB), University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Beth E Meyerson
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA.
- Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
- Center for Comprehensive Pain and Addiction, University of Arizona Health Sciences, Tucson, AZ, USA.
| | - Arlene N Mahoney
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Southwest Recovery Alliance, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Drug Policy Research and Advocacy Board (DPRAB), University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Irene Garnett
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Drug Policy Research and Advocacy Board (DPRAB), University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Center for Comprehensive Pain and Addiction, University of Arizona Health Sciences, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Chris Ferrell
- Drug Policy Research and Advocacy Board (DPRAB), University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- CAN Community Health, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Kylee Newgass
- Southwest Recovery Alliance, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Drug Policy Research and Advocacy Board (DPRAB), University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Jon D Agley
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Richard A Crosby
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
- University of Kentucky College of Public Health, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Keith G Bentele
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Southwest Institute for Research On Women, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Nina Vadiei
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
- College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - David Frank
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
- School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, USA
| | - Linnea B Linde-Krieger
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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Forchuk C, Serrato J, Scott L. Perceptions of stigma among people with lived experience of methamphetamine use within the hospital setting: qualitative point-in-time interviews and thematic analyses of experiences. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1279477. [PMID: 38414902 PMCID: PMC10896942 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1279477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Objectives As part of a larger mixed-methods study into harm reduction in the hospital setting and people with lived experience of methamphetamine use, stigma was found to be a prominent issue. The aim of this secondary analysis was to investigate the issue of stigma. Design Participants completed a one-time qualitative interview component to assess their experiences in the hospital setting. Setting The study setting included secondary and tertiary care in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Participants who had received care from these settings were also recruited from an overdose prevention site, a primary healthcare center, a national mental health organization, an affordable housing agency, and six homeless-serving agencies between October 2020 and April 2021. Participants A total of 104 individuals completed the qualitative component of a mixed-methods interview. Sixty-seven participants identified as male, thirty-six identified as female, and one identified as non-binary. Inclusion criteria included past or current use of methamphetamine, having received services from a hospital, and being able to communicate in English. Methods Open-ended questions regarding experiences in the hospital setting were asked in relation to the lived experience of methamphetamine. A secondary analysis was conducted post-hoc using a thematic ethnographic approach due to prominent perceptions of stigma. Results Three themes were identified. The first theme identified that substance use was perceived as a moral and personal choice; the second theme pertained to social stigmas such as income, housing and substance use, and consequences such as being shunned or feeling less worthy than the general patient population; and the third theme highlighted health consequences such as inadequate treatment or pain management. Conclusion This study revealed that stigma can have consequences that extend beyond the therapeutic relationship and into the healthcare of the individual. Additional training and education for healthcare providers represents a key intervention to ensure care is non-stigmatizing and patient-centered, as well as changing hospital culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl Forchuk
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada
- Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | | | - Leanne Scott
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada
- Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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Cooper-Ohm S, Habecker P, Humeniuk R, Bevins RA. Factors associated with gaps in naloxone knowledge: evidence from a 2022 great plains survey. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:37. [PMID: 38336722 PMCID: PMC10858634 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-00954-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The rising prevalence of fast-acting opioids in the USA suggests the increased need for non-professional first responder administration of naloxone. Effective administration of naloxone during an overdose requires that bystanders are familiar with, have access to, and know how to use naloxone. METHODS Drawing on a statewide, address-based sample of Nebraskan adults, we used logistic regression to predict the likelihood of respondents' familiarity with, access to, and competency to administer naloxone. Our independent variables included measures indicating proximity to drug use, perceived community stigma toward people who use drugs, and demographic data. RESULTS There were significant gaps in naloxone knowledge in Nebraska. Although 74.8% of respondents were familiar with naloxone, only 18.2% knew how to access it and 18.0% knew how to use it. Being close to an overdose experience, lifetime illicit opioid use, being close to a person who uses opioids, and having access to illicit opioids were not significantly associated with naloxone familiarity, access, or competency among respondents in Nebraska's two largest cities, Omaha and Lincoln. Outside of these cities, being close to a past overdose experience and access to illicit opioids was associated with higher odds of naloxone access and competency, but lifetime opioid use and being close to a person who uses opioids were not. Finally, among those familiar with naloxone, a higher perception of community stigma toward people who use opioids generally was associated with lower odds of naloxone access and competency. Higher perception of community stigma toward people who use heroin, methamphetamines, and cocaine, however, was associated with higher odds of naloxone access. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight the continued need for education on naloxone with a specific focus on access and competency to further reduce opioid-related overdose deaths. Specific focus should be placed on promoting naloxone knowledge among people with a higher likelihood of needing to administer naloxone to reduce otherwise avoidable deaths. Further work is needed to understand differences in the relationship between substance-specific perceived stigma and its association with naloxone access.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrick Habecker
- Rural Drug Addiction Research Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Oldfather Hall - 4th Floor, 660 N 12th Street, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA.
| | - Ryan Humeniuk
- Honors Tutorial College, Ohio University, Athens, USA
| | - Rick A Bevins
- Rural Drug Addiction Research Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Oldfather Hall - 4th Floor, 660 N 12th Street, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
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Levine S, Andrews M, Saracco B, Salzman M. Strategies for treating acute pain in patients with opioid dependence: a scoping review protocol. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e080740. [PMID: 38326252 PMCID: PMC10860028 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-080740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION People who are dependent on opioids experience acute pain similar to other individuals. However, treating acute pain in these patients renders unique challenges such as opioid-induced hyperalgesia, opioid tolerance, withdrawal and stigma from healthcare providers. Thus, it is crucial to identify effective strategies for treating acute pain in this population and to highlight gaps in knowledge to create a high standard of care. The main objective of the proposed scoping review is to identify current strategies for treating the acute pain in individuals with opioid dependence or use disorder. METHODS AND ANALYSIS MEDLINE via the PubMed interface, Embase and Cochrane Central, Web of Science: Conference Proceedings Citation Index and Google Scholar will be searched. Forward and backward citation searching of the final included studies will also be conducted. Two independent reviewers will screen the titles and abstracts of sources, review and assess relevant full-text studies and extract data. Data will be presented in a diagram and will contribute to a qualitative thematic analysis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Data will be gathered from publicly accessible sources, so ethics approval is not necessary. The results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed journal and reported at conferences related to addiction medicine. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER 10.17605/OSF.IO/BG6SJ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Levine
- Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, New Jersey, USA
| | - Megha Andrews
- Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, New Jersey, USA
| | - Benjamin Saracco
- Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, New Jersey, USA
| | - Matthew Salzman
- Emergency Medicine, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, New Jersey, USA
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Ostrach B, Hixon V, Bryce A. "When people who use drugs can't differentiate between medical care and cops, it's a problem." Compounding risks of law Enforcement Harassment & Punitive Healthcare Policies. HEALTH & JUSTICE 2024; 12:3. [PMID: 38319474 PMCID: PMC10848405 DOI: 10.1186/s40352-023-00256-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Community-based harm reduction programming is widely recognized as an effective strategy for reducing the increased risks for and spread of HIV, HCV, and for reducing the growing rate of overdose deaths among people who use drugs (PWUD). PWUD in the United States (US) are a highly justice-involved population, also at increased risk for law enforcement interaction, arrest, and incarceration. These risks compound and interact in the context of criminalization and law enforcement surveillance. Justice involvement increases risks for overdose and for riskier injecting behavior among PWUD, in turn increasing HCV and HIV risks. In Central and Southern Appalachia specifically, PWUD have identified fear of law enforcement harassment and arrest as a barrier to engaging in harm reduction behavior, and a deterrent to seeking help at the scene of an overdose. Moreover, stigmatizing and punitive treatment in healthcare settings can deter PWUD from seeking care, with life or death consequences. This evaluation research study assessing the successes and impacts of a grant-funded project to increase access to safer drug consumption supplies and overdose prevention education for PWUD, including justice-involved participants of a syringe access program (SAP), in public housing and beyond in a South-Central Appalachian setting used key informant and opportunistic sampling. Mixed-methods data were compiled and collected including secondary program data; primary interview and participant-observation data. RESULTS The evaluation research identified that grant deliverables were largely achieved, despite challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, SAP participants and staff reported larger themes surrounding grant-funded activities, in which they perceived that widespread local law enforcement harassment of PWUD increased participants' risks for overdose death and infectious disease risks and that punitive local healthcare settings and policies acted as deterrents to care-seeking for many PWUD. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the evaluation research found that participants' experiences with and perceptions of local law enforcement harassment combined with their understandings and experiences of local punitive healthcare settings and policies; together compounding and increasing overdose risks and negative health consequences for local justice-involved PWUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bayla Ostrach
- Boston University School of Medicine; Fruit of Labor Action Research & Technical Assistance, LLC, Fairview, NC, USA.
| | - Vanessa Hixon
- Appalachian Medical Solidarity, Asheville, North Carolina, USA
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McAdam E, Hayashi K, Barker B, Reddon H, Choi J, Kerr T, DeBeck K. COVID-19 vaccination among young people who use drugs in Vancouver, Canada. Vaccine 2024; 42:864-870. [PMID: 38225183 PMCID: PMC10922946 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES SARS-CoV-2 vaccines provide significant protection against severe illness and death from COVID-19, in addition to reducing community transmission. Emerging research has identified factors associated with vaccine uptake among adults who use drugs; however, less is known about youth and young adults who use drugs (YWUD). To address this gap, we sought to characterize factors associated with vaccine uptake and explore vaccine hesitancy among YWUD. METHODS Data were derived from the At-Risk Youth Study, a prospective cohort of street-involved YWUD in Vancouver, Canada. Using multivariable logistic regression, we characterized factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccine uptake between June and November 2021. Data on vaccine hesitancy were also collected. RESULTS Among 301 participants enrolled in this study (median age: 29 [min and max: 20-40]), 151 (50.2%) self-reported receipt of at least one dose of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. In multivariable analysis, vaccine uptake was significantly associated with recent addiction treatment engagement (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.47-4.14) and receiving prescribed safer supply (e.g., opioids, stimulants) (AOR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.03-5.62). Those who reported at least weekly crack use were significantly less likely to be vaccinated (AOR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.12-0.92). The most reported reason for vaccine hesitancy was safety concerns, specifically regarding long-term side effects (27.4%). CONCLUSION Vaccine uptake was significantly lower among YWUD than adults who use drugs in Vancouver and the general population in British Columbia, among whom 75% and 93% received at least one dose during the same period. Study findings suggest connecting YWUD to healthcare and novel harm reduction interventions may increase vaccine uptake. Responses to vaccine hesitancy questions revealed complex perspectives of vaccines that were aligned with sources of vaccine hesitancy among the general population. Broader strategies combatting misinformation and promoting evidence-based vaccine information could be tailored to address the unique needs and barriers experienced by YWUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica McAdam
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada
| | - Kanna Hayashi
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Brittany Barker
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada; School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada; Health Surveillance, First Nations Health Authority, #540-757 West Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V7T 1A2, Canada
| | - Hudson Reddon
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - JinCheol Choi
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada
| | - Thomas Kerr
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kora DeBeck
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; School of Public Policy, Simon Fraser University, 515 West Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6B 5K3, Canada.
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Tai CM, Yu ML. Hepatitis C virus micro-elimination in people who inject drugs: Challenges and chance in Taiwan and worldwide. Kaohsiung J Med Sci 2024; 40:112-118. [PMID: 38010851 DOI: 10.1002/kjm2.12788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
With the introduction of direct-acting antivirals, elimination of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is becoming possible. People who inject drugs (PWID) represent a population with a high risk for HCV infection, which has been reported as high as 90% in Taiwanese PWID. To reach the goal of HCV elimination, PWID is a key population deserving special attention. Barriers in HCV care cascade still exist in PWID, and interventions to promote access to HCV diagnosis, link-to-care, treatment, and prevention for PWID are warranted. Although HCV micro-elimination can be achieved in some prisons and opioid substitution therapy (OST) centers by a multidisciplinary team and integrated care in Taiwan, there are still several unmet needs for HCV elimination in PWID. Continuous efforts, such as the participation of OST specialists and the continuum of care for HCV among PWID, are needed to achieve HCV elimination in Taiwan. In addition, the combination of harm reduction services, treatment as prevention and regular posttreatment HCV surveillance is critical to substantially reduce HCV transmission and prevalence in PWID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Ming Tai
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine for International Students, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Lung Yu
- School of Medicine and Doctoral Program of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, College of Medicine and Center of Excellence for Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatitis Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine and Hepatitis Research Center, College of Medicine, and Center for Liquid Biopsy and Cohort Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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Cheng Q, Valerio H, Cunningham EB, Shih STF, Silk D, Conway A, Treloar C, Murray C, Henderson C, Amin J, Read P, Dore GJ, Grebely J. Health-Related Quality of Life of People Who Inject Drugs: The Enhancing Treatment of Hepatitis C in Opioid Substitution Settings Engage Study. VALUE IN HEALTH : THE JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PHARMACOECONOMICS AND OUTCOMES RESEARCH 2024; 27:216-225. [PMID: 37951538 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2023.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES There is limited research on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among people who inject drugs (PWID). We evaluated the HRQoL and associated factors among a cohort of PWID in Australia. METHODS Participants were enrolled in an observational cohort study (the Enhancing Treatment of Hepatitis C in Opioid Substitution Settings Engage Study) from May 2018 to September 2019 (wave 1) and November 2019 to June 2021 (wave 2). Participants completed the EQ-5D-5L survey at enrolment. Two-part models were used to assess the association of clinical and socioeconomic characteristics with EQ-5D-5L scores. RESULTS Among 2395 participants (median age, 43 years; 66% male), 65% reported injecting drug use in the past month, 20% had current hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and 68% had no/mild liver fibrosis (F0/F1). Overall, the mean EQ-5D-5L and EQ-visual analog scale scores were 0.78 and 57, respectively. In adjusted analysis, factors associated with significantly lower EQ-5D-5L scores include older ages, female (marginal effect = -0.03, P = .014), being homeless (marginal effect = -0.04, P = .040), and polysubstance use (marginal effect = -0.05, P < .001). Factors associated with significantly higher EQ-5D-5L scores were being Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander (marginal effect = 0.03, P = .021) and recent injecting drug use in the past 12 months. Current HCV infection and liver fibrosis stage were not associated with reduced HRQoL among the study participants. CONCLUSIONS PWID experienced a lower HRQoL compared with the general population. Further research is needed to understand HRQoL in this population to facilitate the development of multifaceted care models for PWID beyond HCV cure and inform health economic analyses for identifying optimal health strategies for PWID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinglu Cheng
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Heather Valerio
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Evan B Cunningham
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sophy T F Shih
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - David Silk
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Anna Conway
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Carolyn Murray
- Population Health Strategy and Performance, NSW Health, St Leonards, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Janaki Amin
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Gregory J Dore
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jason Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Bowles J, Mansoor M, Werb D, Kerr T, Bardwell G. A qualitative assessment of tablet injectable opioid agonist therapy (TiOAT) in rural and smaller urban British Columbia, Canada: Motivations and initial impacts. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE AND ADDICTION TREATMENT 2024; 157:209185. [PMID: 37865289 DOI: 10.1016/j.josat.2023.209185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The evolving and unpredictable unregulated drug market has driven an unprecedented overdose crisis that requires effective intervention. Growing evidence suggests that novel opioid agonist treatments, such as tablet injectable opioid agonist therapy (TiOAT), have potential to prevent overdoses and other drug-related harms. More evidence is needed to characterize their utility in achieving these outcomes. The current article is an analysis of two TiOAT programs implemented in British Columbia, Canada, to assess impact on health and well-being, including overdose risk. Moreover, we explored participants' enrollment goals and if they were achieved. METHODS The study employed qualitative methods to evaluate the TiOAT program in two sites between October 2021 and April 2022. We developed a semi-structured interview tool to guide in depth interviews. All interviews (n = 32) took place on teleconference software or in person. Thematic analysis allowed for the emergence of themes associated with TiOAT participation. RESULTS Participants discussed various motivations for enrolling in TiOAT, which included gaining financial stability, reducing or eliminating drug use, addressing withdrawal symptoms, wanting to work, and improving social circumstances. An assessment of initial programmatic impacts revealed that many participant-identified motivators were achieved. Participants also reported fewer or no overdoses since starting TiOAT, and many reported switching from injecting to smoking drugs. Some challenges included adequate dosing as evidenced by ongoing withdrawal and pain. Some participants requested additional opioids, such as diacetylmorphine, to aid in reducing illicit drug use. CONCLUSION Participants described how TiOAT helped them to achieve many of their goals. Suggested programmatic improvements include enhanced patient-provider co-design with respect to dosing to address ongoing withdrawal and pain. As the unpredictability the unregulated drug market worsens, novel options, such as TiOAT, ought to be implemented broadly to reduce overdose events and improve quality of life for people who use drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanette Bowles
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada.
| | - Manal Mansoor
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Dan Werb
- University of California San Diego, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, La Jolla, CA, United States; Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital: Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Thomas Kerr
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Geoff Bardwell
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; School of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
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Mitchell MM, Angelo S, Akinwolere OG, Perkins MM, Bender AA. Latent class analysis of perceived stigma among older adults receiving medications for opioid use disorder. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE AND ADDICTION TREATMENT 2024; 156:209187. [PMID: 37858796 PMCID: PMC10843650 DOI: 10.1016/j.josat.2023.209187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Public stigma surrounds individuals who use medication for their recovery from a substance use disorder. However, we know little about subgroups of individuals with varying levels of perceived stigma and how these levels may be associated with physical and mental health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and social support. METHODS We used latent class analysis to define subgroups of people aged 50-72 years of age (N = 104) who were enrolled in eight medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) programs to explore subgroupings and correlates of group membership. RESULTS We found evidence for three distinct classes of individuals and named the classes 1) the high stigma class, 2) the embarrassed class, and 3) the low stigma class. We found that people in the high-stigma class reported more rejection, more abstinence-based support group involvement, and reduced mental HRQOL. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest reducing stigma among people on MOUD may help to boost mental HRQOL and improve social support receipt. The results are consistent with iatrogenic effects of AA/NA support groups such that these treatment modalities may increase stigma due to their focus on abstinence-only treatment for substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sahil Angelo
- Georgetown University Hospital, United States of America
| | | | - Molly M Perkins
- Emory University School of Medicine, United States of America; Birmingham/Atlanta VA Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, United States of America
| | - Alexis A Bender
- Emory University School of Medicine, United States of America.
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Long C, Guimond T, Bayoumi AM, Firestone M, Strike C. The multiple makings of a supervised consumption service in a hospital setting. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2024; 123:104260. [PMID: 38035448 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Whereas supervised consumption services (SCSs) are common in many community settings, they are seldomly found in acute care hospitals. As hospitals present unique circumstances that can shape the impacts of an SCS, careful consideration of local implementation contexts and practices is required. We explored the pre-implementation stage of an SCS, to examine how an SCS is made and made differently in relation to the material-discursive context of the hospital. METHODS We conducted 11 focus groups with 83 staff and clinicians at an inner-city hospital in Toronto, Canada. Data analysis followed principles of grounded theory and was informed by an 'evidence making interventions' framework. RESULTS While most participants indicated they would support the establishment of an SCS at the hospital, multiple enactments of an SCS emerged. An SCS was enacted: as a means to reduce drug-related risks for all people who use drugs, as an opportunity to intervene on patients' drug use, as a means to centralize drug use, and as a transformative intervention for the hospital. In our findings, harm reduction, abstinence, security, and risk mitigation goals existed closely together, yielding overlaying realities. CONCLUSION Our findings revealed various enactments of an SCS, some of which are likely to negatively affect people who use drugs and service access. As more hospitals consider the implementation of an SCS, understanding how an SCS is made in practice will be key to building a service that focuses on the needs of people who use drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathy Long
- MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON, M5B 1T8, Canada.
| | - Tim Guimond
- Addictions Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 1001 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON, M6J 1H4, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, 6 Queen's Park Crescent West, ON, M5S 3H2, Canada
| | - Ahmed M Bayoumi
- MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON, M5B 1T8, Canada; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, 6 Queen's Park Crescent West, ON, M5S 3H2, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 3M7 Canada; Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, 36 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON, M5B 1W8
| | - Michelle Firestone
- MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON, M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Carol Strike
- Social and Behavioural Health Sciences, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 3M7 Canada
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Solheim K, Hegg Reime M, Eide LSP. How Do Persons Who Inject Drugs Experience Care From Nurses in Hospital Settings? A Qualitative Study. Glob Qual Nurs Res 2024; 11:23333936241240795. [PMID: 38577493 PMCID: PMC10993672 DOI: 10.1177/23333936241240795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
People who inject drugs (PWID) are at increased risk of acute and chronic health outcomes and in need of in-hospital healthcare services. This study aims to give insight into how PWID experience care from nurses in hospital settings. We used a qualitative descriptive design and applied reflexive thematic analysis to 11 individual semi-structured interviews with PWID. Our analysis generated the following main themes: (1) diminishment and distance-always just a drug addict, (2) gratitude-equal care not taken for granted, and (3) vulnerability-already carrying a heavy burden. Our findings reveal a complex, nuanced narrative regarding participants' experiences of nursing care and highlight the importance of enhancing knowledge, understanding, empathy, and communication skills when nurses encounter PWID. Our research suggests that patients' vulnerability resulting from previous experiences defined their perception of quality of care. Insight from this study provides valuable knowledge about how to enhance nursing care for PWID.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marit Hegg Reime
- Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
- Lovisenberg Diaconal University College, Oslo, Norway
| | - Leslie S. P. Eide
- Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
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Attwood LO, O'Keefe D, Higgs P, Vujovic O, Doyle JS, Stewardson AJ. Epidemiology of acute infections in people who inject drugs in Australia. Drug Alcohol Rev 2024; 43:304-314. [PMID: 37995135 PMCID: PMC10952783 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
ISSUES People who inject drugs are at risk of acute infections, such as skin and soft tissue infections, infective endocarditis, bone and joint infections and bloodstream infections. There has been an increase in these infections in people who inject drugs internationally over the past 10 years. However, the local data regarding acute infections in Australia has not been well described. APPROACH We review the epidemiology of acute infections and associated morbidity and mortality amongst people who inject drugs in Australia. We summarise risk factors for these infections, including the concurrent social and psychological determinants of health. KEY FINDINGS The proportion of people who report having injected drugs in the prior 12 months in Australia has decreased over the past 18 years. However, there has been an increase in the burden of acute infections in this population. This increase is driven largely by skin and soft tissue infections. People who inject drugs often have multiple conflicting priorities that can delay engagement in care. IMPLICATIONS Acute infections in people who inject drugs are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Acute infections contribute to significant bed days, surgical requirements and health-care costs in Australia. The increase in these infections is likely due to a complex interplay of microbiological, individual, social and environmental factors. CONCLUSION Acute infections in people who inject drugs in Australia represent a significant burden to both patients and health-care systems. Flexible health-care models, such as low-threshold wound clinics, would help directly target, and address early interventions, for these infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy O. Attwood
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneAustralia
| | | | - Peter Higgs
- Burnet InstituteMelbourneAustralia
- Department of Public HealthLa Trobe UniversityMelbourneAustralia
| | - Olga Vujovic
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneAustralia
| | - Joseph S. Doyle
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneAustralia
- Burnet InstituteMelbourneAustralia
| | - Andrew J. Stewardson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneAustralia
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Buchman DZ, Imahori D, Lo C, Hui K, Walker C, Shaw J, Davis KD. The Influence of Using Novel Predictive Technologies on Judgments of Stigma, Empathy, and Compassion among Healthcare Professionals. AJOB Neurosci 2024; 15:32-45. [PMID: 37450417 DOI: 10.1080/21507740.2023.2225470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Our objective was to evaluate whether the description of a machine learning (ML) app or brain imaging technology to predict the onset of schizophrenia or alcohol use disorder (AUD) influences healthcare professionals' judgments of stigma, empathy, and compassion. METHODS We randomized healthcare professionals (N = 310) to one vignette about a person whose clinician seeks to predict schizophrenia or an AUD, using a ML app, brain imaging, or a psychosocial assessment. Participants used scales to measure their judgments of stigma, empathy, and compassion. RESULTS Participants randomized to the ML vignette endorsed less anger and more fear relative to the psychosocial vignette, and the brain imaging vignette elicited higher pity ratings. The brain imaging and ML vignettes evoked lower personal responsibility judgments compared to the psychosocial vignette. Physicians and nurses reported less empathy than clinical psychologists. CONCLUSIONS The use of predictive technologies may reinforce essentialist views about mental health and substance use that may increase specific aspects of stigma and reduce others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Z Buchman
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
- University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics
| | | | - Christopher Lo
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
- College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University, Singapore
| | - Katrina Hui
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
| | | | - James Shaw
- University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
| | - Karen D Davis
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network
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Kozak Z, Urquhart GJ, Rouhani S, Allen ST, Park JN, Sherman SG. Factors associated with daily use of benzodiazepines/tranquilizers and opioids among people who use drugs. Am J Addict 2024; 33:83-91. [PMID: 37717256 DOI: 10.1111/ajad.13483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Co-use of benzodiazepines and opioids significantly increases fatal overdose risk, yet few studies have examined co-use of these drugs when obtained both with and without a prescription. We examined associations of daily co-use of prescribed benzodiazepines/tranquilizers (BZD/TRQ) and prescribed and nonprescribed opioids among people who use street opioids (PWUO). METHODS PWUO (N = 417) were recruited from Baltimore City and neighboring Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and surveyed on sociodemographic characteristics, structural vulnerabilities, healthcare access and utilization, substance use, and overdose experiences. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with self-reported co-use. RESULTS Participants were 46 years old on average, and predominantly Black (74%) males (62%). Daily co-use was reported by 22%. In multivariable analyses, odds of co-use were significantly higher among participants who did not have a high school degree/GED (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.71, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-2.88), endorsed receiving mental health treatment in the past 6 months (aOR: 2.13, 95% CI: 1.28-3.56), reported daily use of powdered cocaine (aOR: 3.57, 95% CI: 1.98-6.45), and synthetic cannabinoids (aOR: 3.11, 95% CI: 1.40-6.93). Odds of co-use were significantly lower among Black participants compared to white participants (aOR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.19-0.82). CONCLUSIONS AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE Clinicians working with PWUO or who prescribe BZDs or opioids should screen patients who use cocaine or synthetic cannabinoids, have low level of educational attainment, or recently accessed mental health services, as these patients may be at higher risk for daily co-use of BZD/TRQ and opioids, and therefore lethal overdose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zofia Kozak
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Glenna J Urquhart
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Saba Rouhani
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, New York University School of Global Public Health, New York, USA
| | - Sean T Allen
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ju N Park
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- The Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, USA
| | - Susan G Sherman
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Henderson NL, Dressler WW, Pegoraro NPJ, Falcão A, Pillon SC. Distance from a cultural model of substance use risk, internalization, and self-stigma in urban Brazil. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1264436. [PMID: 38164254 PMCID: PMC10758174 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1264436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction A cognitive theory of culture as socially distributed cultural models has proven useful in research. Cultural models exist in two forms: the model shared by individuals in a social group, and individual versions of that model modified by personal experience. In previous research we documented a shared cultural model of substance use risk among a general population sample in urban Brazil. Here we examine how this model is distributed among persons under treatment for substance use/misuse and the implications for perceived and self-stigma. Methods A convenience sample of 133 persons under treatment rated the influence of risk factors for substance use/misuse. The configuration of those ratings and the cultural distance of persons under treatment from the general population model were calculated. Degree of stigma perceived in the wider society and degree of self-stigma were also assessed. Results Persons under treatment aggregate risk factors to a greater extent than the general population. Using a cultural distance metric, the more distant persons under treatment are from the general population model, the lower their self-stigma regarding substance use. Discussion Some individuals under treatment separate their understanding of substance use/misuse from shared perspectives in the wider society, which in turn reduces self-stigma. These findings add an additional perspective on the relationship of culture and the individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L. Henderson
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama-Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - William W. Dressler
- Department of Anthropology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | | | - Ana Falcão
- Department of Anthropology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
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Milshteyn Y, Bensimon M. Exploring the subjective experience of rave party participants in Israel who consume psychedelic drugs: a qualitative inquiry. Harm Reduct J 2023; 20:176. [PMID: 38057811 PMCID: PMC10701949 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-023-00908-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rave music parties (RMP) are a world-wide socio-cultural phenomenon, where people listen to rave music while frequently consuming psychedelic drugs. Epidemiological studies have emphasized the hazardous consequences following the consumption of psychedelic drugs at RMP, and qualitative studies have shown social and psycho-spiritual experiences. Yet, phenomenological inquiry into subjective experiences of attendees is scant. This study aimed to examine physical, emotional, perceptual and social experiences of RMP participants in Israel, and their view on Israel's policy toward rave events. In addition, the study aimed to contribute useful information for policymakers and society on rave music and psychedelic drugs experiences at RMP. METHOD Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyze transcriptions of semi-structured interviews with 27 individuals attending RMP regularly and consume psychedelic drugs. RESULTS Analysis revealed four significant themes: the first theme, the impact of Israel's drug policy on participants' sense of safety, relates to participants' sense of insecurity and anxiety at Israeli RMP due to government drug ban policy. The second theme, the stigma on rave culture, relates to participants' perception regarding the stigma on rave culture in law enforcement agencies and in society in general. The third theme, negative experiences, describes short-term experiences after consuming psychedelics at RMP, including hallucinations and disorientation. The fourth theme, positive experiences, describes positive sensory, emotional and self/world attitudinal aspects after consuming psychedelics at RMP. Sensory experiences included intensified auditory, visual and tactile experiences; emotional experiences included positive feelings toward others, reduced stress and ability to vent difficult emotions; self/world attitudinal aspects included self-acceptance, higher appreciation of life and connectedness to nature. CONCLUSIONS The study highlights RMP participants' sense of insecurity due to Israel's strict drug policy and absence of harm reduction strategies at rave scenes. The study also notes participants' experience of stigmatization as drug addicts by society and law enforcement agencies. Reducing police presence and adopting harm reduction policies at rave scenes in Israel may increase participants' sense of security, reduce stigmatization and decrease overdose risk. Hence, the findings may contribute to new knowledge useful for policymakers and society concerning RMP and the use of psychedelics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yula Milshteyn
- Department of Criminology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Moshe Bensimon
- Department of Criminology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
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