The characteristics of heroin users entering treatment: findings from the Australian Treatment Outcome Study (ATOS)

Ross, Joanne; Teesson, Maree; Darke, Shane; Lynskey, Michael; Ali, Robert; Ritter, Alison; Cooke, Richard

doi:10.1080/09595230500286039

Cited by 226 publications

(226 citation statements)

References 37 publications

(33 reference statements)

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“…In 2013, 17.50% of PWID had committed a property offence in the month preceding interview (compared to 19.36% in 2000) and 3.40% had committed a violent offence (compared to 7.73% in 2000) (Topp et al, 2001). When compared to other drug using populations, property crime amongst PWID appears to be relatively low, with previous studies reporting past month prevalence rates of 38-39% Patterson et al, 2000;Ross et al, 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Motivations, substance use and other correlates amongst property and violent offenders who regularly inject drugs

Sutherland

Sindicich

Barrett

et al. 2015

Addictive Behaviors

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Objective: To examine the prevalence, correlates and motivations for the commission of property and violent crime amongst a sample of people who inject drugs (PWID).Method: Data were obtained from the 2013 Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS), which includes a cross-sectional sample of 887 PWID.Results: Eighteen percent of PWID had committed a property offence and 3% had committed a violent offence in the month preceding interview. Opioid dependence (AOR 2.57, 95%CI 1.29-5.10) and age (AOR 0.96, 95%CI 0.93-0.99) were found to be the strongest correlates of property crime.The majority of property offenders (75%) attributed their offending to financial reasons, however those under the influence of benzodiazepines were proportionately more likely to nominate opportunistic reasons as the main motivation for their last offence. Stimulant dependence (AOR 5.34, 95% CI 1.91-14.93) was the only significant correlate of past month violent crime, and the largest proportion of violent offenders (47%) attributed their offending to opportunistic reasons. The majority of both property (71%) and violent offenders (73%) reported being under the influence of drugs the last time they committed an offence; the largest proportion of property offenders reported being under the influence of benzodiazepines (29%) and methamphetamine (24%), whilst violent offenders mostly reported being under the influence of heroin and alcohol (32% respectively). Conclusion:Criminal motivations, substance use and other correlates vary considerably across crime types. This suggests that crime prevention and intervention strategies need to be tailored according to individual crime types, and should take into account self-reported criminal motivations, as well as specific risk factors that have been shown to increase the likelihood of offending.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Motivations, substance use and other correlates amongst property and violent offenders who regularly inject drugs

Sutherland

Sindicich

Barrett

et al. 2015

Addictive Behaviors

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Eligibility criteria for index participants included: (1) female gender, (2) age between 18 and 55 years, (3) did not report injecting drugs in the past 6 months, (4) reported sex with at least one male partner in the past 6 months, and (5) reported at least one of the following risk behaviors in the past 6 months: (a) more than two sex partners, (b) recent sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnosis, and (c) having a high-risk sex partner (i.e., injected heroin or cocaine, smoked crack, HIV seropositive, or male who has sex with men). Index participants also referred their peer and risk network members to the study.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1,2 Studies of opiate and cocaine users in treatment have revealed high levels of depressive symptomology and dual diagnosis of drug use and depression are common. [3][4][5] Moreover, cessation of drug use is linked to a reduction in depressive symptoms. In a longitudinal study of recovery from heroin dependence, Hser 6 found that lower levels of psychological distress predicted long-term recovery, and individuals who reported recovery of five or more years had significantly lower levels of depressive symptomology as assessed by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relationship between Drug User Stigma and Depression among Inner-City Drug Users in Baltimore, MD

et al. 2012

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There is growing awareness of the role of stigma and discrimination in HIV prevention, testing, and medical care. Yet, few studies have examined the stigma associated with using illicit drugs. In the present study, we examined the relationship between social network characteristics, drug user stigma, and depression. Study participants were comprised of 340 individuals who reported cocaine, crack, and/or heroin use in the prior 6 months and were involved in an HIV prevention study. They were recruited through street outreach, referrals, and word of mouth in inner-city Baltimore, MD, USA. The stigma scale was comprised of eight items, such as "how much do you feel ashamed of using drugs?" Depression was assessed with the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, using cutoffs of 16 and 20 or greater. In the bivariate analyses, gender, homelessness in the past 6 months, drug user stigma, larger size of drug network, and current use of heroin, cocaine, and crack were all significantly associated with high levels of depression, whereas in the multivariate analyses, only drug user stigma remained significantly associated with depression. The results of this study suggest that drug treatment providers and other professionals who provide services to drug users should consider developing trainings to address drug user stigma. These programs should focus on the attitudes and behaviors of health and service providers toward drug users, among drug users themselves, and among family members and others who provide social support to drug users.

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“…Mean SF-12 baseline health scores were higher than those obtained in ATOS [34] at intake (47.5 vs 43.7 for physical health and 35.4 vs 31.3 for mental health). Psychological problems in the sample are indicated by over one in three having a previous referral for mental health treatment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 56%

The Drug Treatment Outcomes Research Study (DTORS): Research Design and Baseline Data

Donmall¹,

Jones²,

Weston³

et al. 2012

TOADDJ

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Abstract:The Drug Treatment Outcomes Research Study (DTORS) is the more recent of two such major English studies. Over the past decade, a substantial policy shift has emphasised the role of treatment in diverting drug misusing offenders from the criminal justice system. At the same time, changes in the drug-using population, particularly increasing levels of crack cocaine use, have led to an acute need to evaluate the extent to which drug treatment works. DTORS consists of three components: the main, quantitative element tracking the treatment progress of N=1,796 drug treatment seekers; qualitative work using data from a sample of treatment seekers and treatment providers; and a cost effectiveness analysis. This paper provides an overview of the methods used for the main quantitative element; a longitudinal, nationwide, multisite, observational, cohort study using survey interviews to assess the impact of treatment on drug use, offending, and health. An overview of the DTORS baseline sample is provided and compared with the target population of drug treatment seekers in England. Participants were drug users seeking treatment from community based or residential treatment services, assessed at baseline and followed up over a 12-month period. The baseline DTORS sample was predominantly male (73%) and aged 25 to 34 (47%). Primary problem drugs included heroin (57%) and crack (12%) with drugs used in the month prior to baseline having a mean value of £1,213. 72% committed offences in the 12 months before recruitment, most commonly shoplifting or buying and selling stolen goods.

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The characteristics of heroin users entering treatment: findings from the Australian Treatment Outcome Study (ATOS)

Cited by 226 publications

References 37 publications

Motivations, substance use and other correlates amongst property and violent offenders who regularly inject drugs

Motivations, substance use and other correlates amongst property and violent offenders who regularly inject drugs

The Relationship between Drug User Stigma and Depression among Inner-City Drug Users in Baltimore, MD

The Drug Treatment Outcomes Research Study (DTORS): Research Design and Baseline Data

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