The Multidimensional Structure of Internal Barriers to Substance Abuse Treatment and Its Invariance across Gender, Ethnicity, and Age

Abstract

The goal of the present study was to identify the dimensions present in items representing internal barriers to substance abuse treatment and to test their invariance across gender, ethnic, and age groups. Twenty items from the Barriers to Treatment Inventory (BTI) were used to assess the structure and nature of the internal treatment barriers of 518 clients presenting to a central intake unit for a substance abuse assessment. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed that a five factor model provided the best fit to the data. Internal treatment barriers were best described by five dimensions: absence of problem, negative social support, fear of treatment, privacy concerns, and committed lifestyle. Extending the confirmatory factor analysis to test multigroup invariance, there were some differences in measurement and structural relations among the internal barrier dimensions across gender, ethnic, and age groups. However, the lack of invariance was small and practically insubstantial. The findings led to the conclusion that the theoretical constructs measured by the five internal barrier dimensions are equivalent across important characteristics in this population.

Intervention Attendance Among Emergency Department Patients With Alcohol- and Drug-Use Disorders

“…Given health disparities in access to specialized treatment services based on race and socioeconomic status (Xu et al, 2007), the inner-city ED provides an important venue for identifying SUDs and facilitating linkage to substanceuse services. Notably, the reason for the ED visit (injury vs. other medical complaint) was not a signifi cant predictor of attendance, supporting broad SBIRT efforts in the ED.…”

Looking Out from the Inside: Incarcerated Women's Perceived Barriers to Treatment of Substance Use

“…Many studies investigating barriers to treatment for substance use have utilized the constructs of internal and external barriers to describe the challenges faced by those seeking treatment Xu, Wang, Rapp, & Carlson, 2007), and some studies have also noted the importance of community characteristics as a barrier (Allen, 1995).…”

“…E. Green, 2011;Kenny, Harney, Lee, & Pennay, 2011;Taylor, 2010;Xu et al, 2007;Zenmore, Mulla, Ye, Borges, & Greenfield, 2009). Fears about social stigma (Copeland, 1997;Semple, Grant, & Patterson, 2005), guilt and shame about drinking , and concerns about losing custody of minor children (Konrad & Morton, 2012) have all been cited as internal barriers for mothers in particular.…”

“…Several subsequent studies Xu et al, 2007Rinker, Lindsay, Schmitz, & Green, 2009) have reviewed the proposed factor structure of various versions of the ABTI with differing results. Rapp and colleagues administered an expanded BTI to 312 persons seeking outpatient substance abuse treatment .…”

Sintomas psicóticos e cognitivos associados à busca de tratamento por dependentes de substâncias: um estudo qualitativo

“…Os modelos atualmente propostos baseiam-se na análise epidemiológica de certas características individuais quanto ao poder que têm de influenciar esse comportamento de disposição para tentar alterar o padrão de uso via tratamento [1][2][3] . Nesse processo, um conjunto de fatores predisponentes parece influenciar o estado de disposição para tratamento, favorecendo-o ou não; são fatores relacionados a gênero, história anterior de tratamento, etnia, idade, procedência etc.…”