BACKGROUND: A number of options for treatment are available to young drug users, but little is known about the youth who actually attempt to access such services. Here we identify characteristics of a cohort of street-involved youth and highlight commonly encountered barriers. METHODS: From September 2005 to July 2007, data were collected from the At-Risk Youth Study (ARYS), a prospective cohort of 529 drug users aged 14-26 living in Vancouver, Canada. Participants who attempted to access any addiction services in the 6 months prior to enrollment were compared in univariate analyses and multiple logistic regression modeling of socio-demographic and drug-related factors. RESULTS: Factors positively associated with attempting to access services included Aboriginal ethnicity (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.66 [1.05-2.62]), high school education (AOR=1.66 [1.09-2.55]), mental illness (AOR=2.25 [1.50-3.38]), non-injection crack use (AOR=2.93 [1.76-4.89]), and spending >$50 on drugs per day (AOR=2.13 [1.41-3.22]). Among those who experienced difficulty-accessing services, the most commonly identified barrier was excessively long waiting lists. In a subgroup analysis comparing those who tried to access services but were unsuccessful to those who were successful, risk factors positively associated with failure included drug bingeing (odds ratio [OR]=2.86 [1.22-6.76]) and homelessness (OR=3.86 [1.11-13.4]). CONCLUSIONS: In light of accumulating evidence that drug use among street youth is associated with risky health-related behaviors, improving access to treatment and other addiction services should remain an important public health priority.
BACKGROUND: A number of options for treatment are available to young drug users, but little is known about the youth who actually attempt to access such services. Here we identify characteristics of a cohort of street-involved youth and highlight commonly encountered barriers. METHODS: From September 2005 to July 2007, data were collected from the At-Risk Youth Study (ARYS), a prospective cohort of 529 drug users aged 14-26 living in Vancouver, Canada. Participants who attempted to access any addiction services in the 6 months prior to enrollment were compared in univariate analyses and multiple logistic regression modeling of socio-demographic and drug-related factors. RESULTS: Factors positively associated with attempting to access services included Aboriginal ethnicity (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.66 [1.05-2.62]), high school education (AOR=1.66 [1.09-2.55]), mental illness (AOR=2.25 [1.50-3.38]), non-injection crack use (AOR=2.93 [1.76-4.89]), and spending >$50 on drugs per day (AOR=2.13 [1.41-3.22]). Among those who experienced difficulty-accessing services, the most commonly identified barrier was excessively long waiting lists. In a subgroup analysis comparing those who tried to access services but were unsuccessful to those who were successful, risk factors positively associated with failure included drug bingeing (odds ratio [OR]=2.86 [1.22-6.76]) and homelessness (OR=3.86 [1.11-13.4]). CONCLUSIONS: In light of accumulating evidence that drug use among street youth is associated with risky health-related behaviors, improving access to treatment and other addiction services should remain an important public health priority.
Authors: M-J S Milloy; Thomas Kerr; Ruth Zhang; Mark Tyndall; Julio Montaner; Evan Wood Journal: J Public Health (Oxf) Date: 2009-09-23 Impact factor: 2.341
Authors: Scott E Hadland; Thomas Kerr; Brandon D L Marshall; William Small; Calvin Lai; Julio S Montaner; Evan Wood Journal: Eur Addict Res Date: 2010-02-03 Impact factor: 3.015
Authors: Scott E Hadland; Brandon D L Marshall; Thomas Kerr; Jiezhi Qi; Julio S Montaner; Evan Wood Journal: J Adolesc Health Date: 2010-12-18 Impact factor: 5.012