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Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy. 2022 May 28;17(1):43. doi: 10.1186/s13011-022-00456-4.
Substance use among youth (ages 12-24) is troublesome given the increasing risk of harms associated. Even more so, substance use services are largely underutilized among youth, most only accessing support when in crisis. Few studies have explored young people's help-seeking behaviours to address substance use concerns. To address this gap, this study explored how youth perceive and experience substance use services in British Columbia (BC), Canada.
Participatory action research methods were used by partnering with BC youth (under the age of 30) from across the province who have lived and/or living experience of substance use to co-design the research protocol and materials. An initial focus group and interviews were held with 30 youth (ages 12-24) with lived and/or living experience of substance use, including alcohol, cannabis, and illicit substances. The discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically using a data-driven approach.
Three main themes were identified and separated by phase of service interaction, starting with: Prevention/Early intervention, where youth described feeling unworthy of support; Service accessibility, where youth encountered many barriers finding relevant substance use services and information; and Service delivery, where youth highlighted the importance of meeting them where they are at, including supporting those who have milder treatment needs and/or do not meet the diagnosis criteria of a substance use disorder.
Our results suggest a clear need to prioritize substance use prevention and early interventions specifically targeting youth and young adults. Youth and peers with lived and/or living experience should be involved in co-designing and co-delivering such programs to ensure their relevance and credibility among youth. The current disease model of care leaves many of the needs of this population unmet, calling for a more integrated youth-centred approach to address the multifarious concerns linked to young people's substance use and service outcomes and experiences.
鉴于与物质使用相关的危害风险不断增加，青少年（12-24 岁）的物质使用问题令人困扰。更糟糕的是，青少年对物质使用服务的利用率极低，大多数人只有在危机时才会寻求支持。很少有研究探讨过年轻人寻求帮助以解决物质使用问题的行为。为了解决这一差距，本研究探讨了加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省（BC）的年轻人如何看待和体验物质使用服务。
通过与全省 30 名有过或正在经历物质使用（包括酒精、大麻和非法药物）的年轻人合作，采用参与式行动研究方法来共同设计研究方案和材料。对 30 名有过或正在经历物质使用的年轻人（12-24 岁）进行了初步的焦点小组和访谈。讨论内容被录音、逐字转录，并使用数据驱动的方法进行主题分析。
确定了三个主要主题，并按服务互动阶段进行了区分，首先是预防/早期干预，年轻人表示他们觉得自己不值得支持；服务可及性，年轻人在寻找相关物质使用服务和信息时遇到了许多障碍；服务提供，年轻人强调了在他们所在的地方满足他们的重要性，包括支持那些治疗需求较轻和/或不符合物质使用障碍诊断标准的人。
我们的研究结果表明，有明确的需要优先考虑针对青少年和年轻成年人的物质使用预防和早期干预措施。有过或正在经历物质使用的年轻人和同伴应该参与共同设计和共同提供这些项目，以确保它们在年轻人中具有相关性和可信度。当前的疾病护理模式未能满足这一人群的许多需求，呼吁采取更具整体性和以青年为中心的方法，以解决与年轻人物质使用以及服务结果和体验相关的多方面问题。
