TY - JOUR
AU - A. K. Winiker
AU - K. E. Schneider
AU - Hamilton White
AU - A. O'Rourke
AU - S. M. Grieb
AU - S. T. Allen
A1 - 
AB - BACKGROUND: The opioid overdose crisis in the USA has called for expanding access to evidence-based substance use treatment programs, yet many barriers limit the ability of people who inject drugs (PWID) to engage in these programs. Predominantly rural states have been disproportionately affected by the opioid overdose crisis while simultaneously facing diminished access to drug treatment services. The purpose of this study is to explore barriers and facilitators to engagement in drug treatment among PWID residing in a rural county in West Virginia. METHODS: From June to July 2018, in-depth interviews (n = 21) that explored drug treatment experiences among PWID were conducted in Cabell County, West Virginia. Participants were recruited from locations frequented by PWID such as local service providers and public parks. An iterative, modified constant comparison approach was used to code and synthesize interview data. RESULTS: Participants reported experiencing a variety of barriers to engaging in drug treatment, including low thresholds for dismissal, a lack of comprehensive support services, financial barriers, and inadequate management of withdrawal symptoms. However, participants also described several facilitators of treatment engagement and sustained recovery. These included the use of medications for opioid use disorder and supportive health care workers/program staff. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that a range of barriers exist that may limit the abilities of rural PWID to successfully access and remain engaged in drug treatment in West Virginia. Improving the public health of rural PWID populations will require expanding access to evidence-based drug treatment programs that are tailored to participants' individual needs.
AD - Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway St., Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. awinike1@jhu.edu.; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway St., Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.; Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway St., Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.; DC Center for AIDS Research, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, George Washington University, 2125 G St. NW, Washington, DC, 20052, USA.; Center for Child and Community Health Research, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
AN - 37264367
BT - Harm Reduct J
C5 - Opioids & Substance Use; Healthcare Disparities;
CP - 1
DA - Jun 1
DO - 10.1186/s12954-023-00795-w
DP - NLM
ET - 20230601
IS - 1
JF - Harm Reduct J
LA - eng
N2 - BACKGROUND: The opioid overdose crisis in the USA has called for expanding access to evidence-based substance use treatment programs, yet many barriers limit the ability of people who inject drugs (PWID) to engage in these programs. Predominantly rural states have been disproportionately affected by the opioid overdose crisis while simultaneously facing diminished access to drug treatment services. The purpose of this study is to explore barriers and facilitators to engagement in drug treatment among PWID residing in a rural county in West Virginia. METHODS: From June to July 2018, in-depth interviews (n = 21) that explored drug treatment experiences among PWID were conducted in Cabell County, West Virginia. Participants were recruited from locations frequented by PWID such as local service providers and public parks. An iterative, modified constant comparison approach was used to code and synthesize interview data. RESULTS: Participants reported experiencing a variety of barriers to engaging in drug treatment, including low thresholds for dismissal, a lack of comprehensive support services, financial barriers, and inadequate management of withdrawal symptoms. However, participants also described several facilitators of treatment engagement and sustained recovery. These included the use of medications for opioid use disorder and supportive health care workers/program staff. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that a range of barriers exist that may limit the abilities of rural PWID to successfully access and remain engaged in drug treatment in West Virginia. Improving the public health of rural PWID populations will require expanding access to evidence-based drug treatment programs that are tailored to participants' individual needs.
PY - 2023
SN - 1477-7517
SP - 69
ST - A qualitative exploration of barriers and facilitators to drug treatment services among people who inject drugs in west Virginia
T1 - A qualitative exploration of barriers and facilitators to drug treatment services among people who inject drugs in west Virginia
T2 - Harm Reduct J
TI - A qualitative exploration of barriers and facilitators to drug treatment services among people who inject drugs in west Virginia
U1 - Opioids & Substance Use; Healthcare Disparities;
U3 - 10.1186/s12954-023-00795-w
VL - 20
VO - 1477-7517
Y1 - 2023
ER -