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Injecting‐related harm and treatment‐seeking behaviour among injecting drug users
Author(s) -
MORRISON ANITA,
ELLIOTT LAWRENCE,
GRUER LAURENCE
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0965-2140
DOI - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1997.tb02853.x
Subject(s) - medicine , harm , harm reduction , presentation (obstetrics) , drug user , qualitative research , psychiatry , medical emergency , family medicine , drug , nursing , public health , psychology , social psychology , surgery , social science , sociology
Aims. This study aims to identify the physical harm associated with injecting drug use and examine the treatment‐seeking behaviour of injecting drug users (IDUs). Specific attention is given to the factor associated with presentation and non‐presentation of injecting‐related problems. Design. Participants were interviewed by research staff using a semi‐structured questionnaire, then physically examined by a medical team. Setting. Needles exchanges in Glasgow. Participants. One hundred and twelve injecting drug users. Findings. Respondents' accounts of their current injecting‐related problems were found to be consistent with the clinician's findings, suggesting that IDUs are able to self‐diagnose injecting‐related harm. However, almost three‐quarters had not sought help for these problems. Qualitative data suggest the main reasons for non‐presentation, or delayed presentation, of injecting‐related problems are normalization of injecting‐related harm and a reluctance to attend available services. Almost half of those seeking treatment for injecting‐related/ problems did so during an emergency or crisis. Conclusions. Low threshold services, such as needle exchanges, may have to take a more proactive stance to encourage injectors to present with injecting‐related problems. This may help reduce injecting‐related harms, especially the resulting medical complications, which would in turn relieve the pressure on other services such as hospital Accident and Emergency Departments.