Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

HSR&D Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

Interest in Getting Help to Reduce or Stop Substance Use Among Syringe Exchange Clients Who Use Opioids.

Frost MC, Williams EC, Kingston S, Banta-Green CJ. Interest in Getting Help to Reduce or Stop Substance Use Among Syringe Exchange Clients Who Use Opioids. Journal of addiction medicine. 2018 Nov 1; 12(6):428-434.

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.
   Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions



Abstract:

OBJECTIVES: Opioid use is a growing problem in the United States. Despite existence of effective treatments (eg, opioid agonist medication), most people with opioid use disorder do not receive treatment. Increasing treatment receipt is an essential component of the response to the opioid crisis. We examined factors associated with interest in getting help to reduce or stop substance use among syringe exchange program (SEP) clients who reported using opioids. METHODS: Surveys were administered at 17 SEPs across Washington State during 2015; 436 respondents who reported recent opioid use and not receiving current treatment were eligible for this analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to examine factors associated with being somewhat or very interested in getting help, including sociodemographic characteristics, substance use behaviors and outcomes, and use of health care services. RESULTS: Most participants reported interest in getting help (77.5%). Factors positively associated with interest included female gender (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]? = 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03, 3.11), having an abscess (AOR? = 1.87; 95% CI: 1.02, 3.40), and having received treatment (AOR? = 4.83; 95% CI: 1.77, 13.14) or other services (AOR? = 3.01; 95% CI: 1.06, 8.54) in the past year. Recent methamphetamine use was negatively associated with interest in getting help (AOR? = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.26, 0.91). CONCLUSIONS: In this survey of SEP clients, interest in getting help to reduce or stop substance use was prevalent and varied across subpopulations of persons using opioids. Findings point to SEPs as an important venue for treatment engagement, and suggest subgroups who may be targeted for engagement interventions.





Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.