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Fredericksen RJ, Baker R, Sibley A, Estadt AT, Colston D, Mixson LS, Walters S, Bresett J, Levander XA, Leichtling G, Davy-Mendez T, Powell M, Stopka TJ, Pho M, Feinberg J, Ezell J, Zule W, Seal D, Cooper HLF, Whitney BM, Delaney JAC, Crane HM, Tsui JI. Motivation and context of concurrent stimulant and opioid use among persons who use drugs in the rural United States: a multi-site qualitative inquiry. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:74. [PMID: 38561753 PMCID: PMC10985853 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-00986-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In recent years, stimulant use has increased among persons who use opioids in the rural U.S., leading to high rates of overdose and death. We sought to understand motivations and contexts for stimulant use among persons who use opioids in a large, geographically diverse sample of persons who use drugs (PWUD) in the rural settings. METHODS We conducted semi-structured individual interviews with PWUD at 8 U.S. sites spanning 10 states and 65 counties. Content areas included general substance use, injection drug use, changes in drug use, and harm reduction practices. We used an iterative open-coding process to comprehensively itemize and categorize content shared by participants related to concurrent use. RESULTS We interviewed 349 PWUD (64% male, mean age 36). Of those discussing current use of stimulants in the context of opioid use (n = 137, 39%), the stimulant most used was methamphetamine (78%) followed by cocaine/crack (26%). Motivations for co-use included: 1) change in drug markets and cost considerations; 2) recreational goals, e.g., seeking stronger effects after heightened opioid tolerance; 3) practical goals, such as a desire to balance or alleviate the effects of the other drug, including the use of stimulants to avoid/reverse opioid overdose, and/or control symptoms of opioid withdrawal; and 4) functional goals, such as being simultaneously energized and pain-free in order to remain productive for employment. CONCLUSION In a rural U.S. cohort of PWUD, use of both stimulants and opioids was highly prevalent. Reasons for dual use found in the rural context compared to urban studies included changes in drug availability, functional/productivity goals, and the use of methamphetamine to offset opioid overdose. Education efforts and harm reduction services and treatment, such as access to naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and accessible drug treatment for combined opioid and stimulant use, are urgently needed in the rural U.S. to reduce overdose and other adverse outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - R Baker
- Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, USA
| | - A Sibley
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - A T Estadt
- The Ohio State University, Colombus, USA
| | - D Colston
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | | | | | - J Bresett
- Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, USA
| | - X A Levander
- Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, USA
| | | | - T Davy-Mendez
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - M Powell
- University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - T J Stopka
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Medford, USA
| | - M Pho
- University of Chicago, Chicago, USA
| | - J Feinberg
- West Virginia University, Morgantown, USA
| | - J Ezell
- Cornell University, Ithaca, USA
| | - W Zule
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - D Seal
- Tulane University, New Orleans, USA
| | | | | | | | - H M Crane
- University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - J I Tsui
- University of Washington, Seattle, USA
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Stopka TJ, Estadt AT, Leichtling G, Schleicher JC, Mixson LS, Bresett J, Romo E, Dowd P, Walters SM, Young AM, Zule W, Friedmann PD, Go VF, Baker R, Fredericksen RJ. Barriers to opioid use disorder treatment among people who use drugs in the rural United States: A qualitative, multi-site study. Soc Sci Med 2024; 346:116660. [PMID: 38484417 PMCID: PMC10997882 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2020, 2.8 million people required substance use disorder (SUD) treatment in nonmetropolitan or 'rural' areas in the U.S. Among this population, only 10% received SUD treatment from a specialty facility, and 1 in 500 received medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD). We explored the context surrounding barriers to SUD treatment in the rural United States. METHODS We conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews from 2018 to 2019 to assess barriers to SUD treatment among people who use drugs (PWUD) across seven rural U.S. study sites. Using the social-ecological model (SEM), we examined individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy factors contributing to perceived barriers to SUD treatment. We employed deductive and inductive coding and analytical approaches to identify themes. We also calculated descriptive statistics for participant characteristics and salient themes. RESULTS Among 304 participants (55% male, mean age 36 years), we identified barriers to SUD treatment in rural areas across SEM levels. At the individual/interpersonal level, relevant themes included: fear of withdrawal, the need to "get things in order" before entering treatment, close-knit communities and limited confidentiality, networks and settings that perpetuated drug use, and stigma. Organizational-level barriers included: strict facility rules, treatment programs managed like corrections facilities, lack of gender-specific treatment programs, and concerns about jeopardizing employment. Community-level barriers included: limited availability of treatment in local rural communities, long distances and limited transportation, waitlists, and a lack of information about treatment options. Policy-level themes included insurance challenges and system-imposed barriers such as arrest and incarceration. CONCLUSION Our findings highlight multi-level barriers to SUD treatment in rural U.S. communities. Salient barriers included the need to travel long distances to treatment, challenges to confidentiality due to small, close-knit communities where people are highly familiar with one another, and high-threshold treatment program practices. Our findings point to the need to facilitate the elimination of treatment barriers at each level of the SEM in rural America.
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Affiliation(s)
- T J Stopka
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - A T Estadt
- Division of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - J C Schleicher
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Medicine, Madison, WI, USA
| | - L S Mixson
- University of Washington, Department of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - J Bresett
- Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Dept of Public Health, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - E Romo
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - P Dowd
- Chan Medical School-Baystate, University of Massachusetts, Springfield, MA, USA
| | - S M Walters
- New York University's Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - A M Young
- College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - W Zule
- RTI International, Research Triangle, NC, USA
| | - P D Friedmann
- Chan Medical School-Baystate, University of Massachusetts, Springfield, MA, USA
| | - V F Go
- University, of North Carolina, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - R Baker
- Oregon Health & Science University-Portland State University School of Public Health, Portland, OR, USA
| | - R J Fredericksen
- University of Washington, Department of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
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Vindenes T, Jordan MR, Tibbs A, Stopka TJ, Johnson D, Cochran J. A genotypic and spatial epidemiologic analysis of Massachusetts' Mycobacterium tuberculosis cases from 2012 to 2015. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2018; 112:20-26. [PMID: 30205965 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2018.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Revised: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Massachusetts had a rate of 2.8 cases of tuberculosis (TB) per 100,000 individuals in 2015. Although TB in Massachusetts is on the decline, the case rate remains far above the 2020 National TB Target of 1.4 per 100,000. To reduce the TB case rate in Massachusetts, it is necessary to understand the local epidemiology and transmission risks. METHODS We used an existing TB case database of Massachusetts TB cases in the time frame from 2012 to 2015, which links de-identified patient demographic information with TB genotypes obtained from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) TB Genotyping Information Management System database. Two or more cases with identical genotypes, which were close in space (within 50 km), as determined in a geographic information system (GIS), and time (3 years), were considered TB clusters. RESULTS We analyzed 543 genotyped cases. We identified a total of 85 cases that met the TB cluster criteria, and a total of 33 clusters. US-born individuals (p = 0.003), homeless individuals (p = 0.001) and those reporting illicit substance use (p = 0.001) and alcohol use (p = 0.001) were more likely to appear in a TB cluster. CONCLUSION Through a combined genotypic and spatial epidemiological approach, we identified populations and individuals more likely to be in a TB cluster. Testing populations identified as at risk for being in a TB cluster, and providing appropriate treatment, may decrease the overall TB case rate and support efforts to achieve national 2020 TB targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Vindenes
- Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, 800 Washington Street, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - M R Jordan
- Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, 800 Washington Street, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Public Health and Community Health, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA, USA
| | - A Tibbs
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 305 South Street, Boston, MA, USA
| | - T J Stopka
- Department of Public Health and Community Health, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA, USA
| | - D Johnson
- Department of Public Health and Community Health, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA, USA
| | - J Cochran
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 305 South Street, Boston, MA, USA
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