Otachi Janet K, Thrasher Shawndaya S, Surratt Hilary L
University of Kentucky College of Social Work, Lexington, KY.
Louisiana State University School of Social Work, Baton Rouge, LA.
J Soc Work Pract Addict. 2024;24(3):270-282. doi: 10.1080/1533256x.2023.2164969. Epub 2023 Jan 6.
Rates of exposure to traumatic events are up to two times higher among people with substance use disorders (SUDs) compared to the US general population. Overdoses (OD) and overdose fatalities have continued to increase nationally and in Kentucky and are associated with elevated trauma symptoms. This paper examines the impacts of witnessing and experiencing OD among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Kentucky. Data were derived from a NIDA-funded study of people who inject drugs (PWID) in three Appalachian counties. Study participants were recruited via Respondent-Driven Sampling techniques supplemented with direct community outreach. Utilizing a multinomial logistic regression analysis, we examined the interconnections between demographics, physical and mental health related factors, substance use behaviors, and violence experience with OD exposure. Our findings showed that participants reporting past year severe mental health distress and lifetime violence exposure had higher odds of both witnessing and experiencing OD. Additionally, participants who reported early abuse had higher odds of both witnessing and experiencing OD as did participants with early onset injection drug use. The findings highlight the high risk of repeated exposure to violence victimization and OD-related traumas among PWID. This suggests the need for incorporating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices in treating SUD among PWID, as well as employing strategies that prevent re-traumatization in treating SUDs among PWIDs.
与美国普通人群相比，物质使用障碍（SUDs）患者遭受创伤性事件的几率高出两倍。在全国范围内以及肯塔基州，药物过量（OD）和药物过量致死人数持续增加，且与创伤症状加剧有关。本文探讨了肯塔基州注射吸毒者（PWID）目睹和经历药物过量的影响。数据来自美国国家药物滥用研究所（NIDA）资助的一项对三个阿巴拉契亚县注射吸毒者的研究。研究参与者通过应答驱动抽样技术并辅以直接社区外展招募。利用多项逻辑回归分析，我们研究了人口统计学、身心健康相关因素、物质使用行为以及暴力经历与药物过量暴露之间的相互联系。我们的研究结果表明，报告过去一年有严重心理健康困扰和有终身暴力暴露经历的参与者目睹和经历药物过量的几率更高。此外，报告有早期虐待经历的参与者以及早期开始注射吸毒的参与者目睹和经历药物过量的几率也更高。研究结果凸显了注射吸毒者反复遭受暴力侵害和与药物过量相关创伤的高风险。这表明在治疗注射吸毒者的物质使用障碍时，需要将创伤知识纳入政策、程序和实践中，同时采用预防注射吸毒者在治疗物质使用障碍过程中再次受到创伤的策略。
