Mental Health of Young People Who Inject Drugs
Description
PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS AND HIV RISK BEHAVIORS AMONG YOUNG INJECTION DRUG USERS, NIDA GRANT R01DA020368 The specific aims of this study are: (1) to estimate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and symptoms among young IDU; (2) to examine the sociodemographic and drug use correlates of psychiatric problems; (3) to identify gaps in access to psychiatric care, drug treatment, and HIV/STD prevention services among young IDUs with and without psychiatric problems; (4) to compare the rates of unsafe sex and injection behaviors among young IDUs with and without psychiatric problems; (5) to compare HIV-prevention knowledge, pro-prevention attitudes and norms, and self-efficacy for prevention behavior of young IDUs with and without psychiatric problems; and (6) to test an Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model of HIV risk behavior on a sample of young IDUs. We completed interviews with 570 IDUs ages 18 to 25 years recruited from Chicago neighborhoods through outreach and respondent-driven sampling. Trained clinicians administered the Psychiatric Research Interview for Substance and Mental Disorders (PRISM) to assess psychiatric disorders and symptoms. Respondents also completed an audio-computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI) survey to assess risk behavior, treatment and service history, socio-demographic background, and social-cognitive measures. Findings have been reported in the following journal articles: Mackesy-Amiti ME, Donenberg GR, Ouellet LJ. Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among young injection drug users. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2012 Jul 1;124(1-2):70-8. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2011.12.012. Epub 2012 Jan 9. PMID: 22226707; PMCID: PMC3350828. Mackesy-Amiti ME, Donenberg GR, Ouellet LJ. Psychiatric correlates of injection risk behavior among young people who inject drugs. Psychol Addict Behav. 2014 Dec;28(4):1089-95. doi: 10.1037/a0036390. Epub 2014 Aug 18. PMID: 25134053; PMCID: PMC4274210. Mackesy-Amiti ME, Donenberg GR, Ouellet LJ. Prescription opioid misuse and mental health among young injection drug users. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2015 Jan;41(1):100-6. doi: 10.3109/00952990.2014.940424. Epub 2014 Aug 8. PMID: 25105884; PMCID: PMC4262584.