Posttraumatic stress disorder in people who use drugs: syringe services program utilization, treatment need, and preferences for onsite mental health care.

BACKGROUND: Syringe services programs (SSPs) are critical healthcare access points for people with opioid use disorder (OUD) who face treatment utilization barriers. Co-locating care for common psychiatric comorbidities, like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), at SSPs may reduce harms and enhance the health of individuals with OUD. To guide the development of onsite psychiatric care at SSPs, we collected quantitative survey data on the prevalence of PTSD, drug use patterns, treatment experiences associated with a probable PTSD diagnosis, and attitudes regarding onsite PTSD care in a convenience sample of registered SSP clients in New York City. METHODS: Study participants were administered the PTSD Checklist for the DSM-5 (PCL-5) and asked about sociodemographic characteristics, current drug use, OUD and PTSD treatment histories, and desire for future SSP services using a structured interview. Probable PTSD diagnosis was defined as a PCL-5 score ≥ 31. RESULTS: Of the 139 participants surveyed, 138 experienced at least one potentially traumatic event and were included in the present analysis. The sample was primarily male (n = 108, 78.3%), of Hispanic or Latinx ethnicity (n = 76, 55.1%), and middle-aged (M = 45.0 years, SD = 10.6). The mean PCL-5 score was 35.2 (SD = 21.0) and 79 participants (57.2%) had a probable PTSD diagnosis. We documented frequent SSP utilization, significant unmet PTSD treatment need, and high interest in onsite PTSD treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings point to the ubiquity of PTSD in people with OUD who visit SSPs, large gaps in PTSD care, and the potential for harm reduction settings like SSPs to reach people underserved by the healthcare system who have co-occurring OUD and PTSD.

High Interest in Injectable Opioid Agonist Treatment With Hydromorphone Among Urban Syringe Service Program Participants.

BACKGROUND: Injectable opioid agonist treatment with hydromorphone (iOAT-H) is effective for persons who inject drugs (PWID) with opioid use disorder (OUD) but remains unavailable in the United States. Our objective was to determine interest in iOAT-H among syringe services program (SSP) participants. METHODS: We recruited PWID with OUD from SSPs in New York City. Interest in iOAT-H was assessed on a 4-point scale. We compared participants who were and were not interested in iOAT-H regarding sociodemographic characteristics and self-reported variables (past 30 days): heroin use, public injection practices, and participation in illegal activity other than drug possession. Participants reported their preferred OUD treatment and reasons for these preferences. RESULTS: Of 108 participants, most were male (69%), Hispanic (68%), and median age was 42 years. The median number of prior OUD treatment episodes was 6 (interquartile range: 2-12). Most (65%) were interested in iOAT-H. Interested participants (vs not interested) reported, over the prior 30 days, greater heroin use days (mean, 26.4 vs 22.3), injecting in public more times (median, 15 vs 6), and a higher percentage having participated in illegal activity (40% vs 16%). Preferences for OUD treatment were: iOAT-H (43%), methadone (39%), and buprenorphine (9%). Participants who preferred iOAT-H to conventional OUD treatments reported preferring injection as a route of administration and that available OUD treatments helped them insufficiently. CONCLUSIONS: SSP participants with OUD reported high interest in iOAT-H. Participants had attempted conventional treatments but still used heroin almost daily. We identified PWID at risk for opioid-related harms who potentially could benefit from iOAT-H.

Treatment History and Interest in Injectable Opioid Agonist Treatment With Hydromorphone Among People Who Inject Drugs.

OBJECTIVES: Injectable opioid agonist treatment (iOAT) is a novel approach to treating opioid use disorder (OUD) that is typically reserved for treatment-experienced persons who inject drugs (PWID) with long-standing OUD. This study examined PWID's past OUD treatment histories and their attitudes toward iOAT with hydromorphone. METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited syringe services program participants with OUD in New York City. Participants self-reported past OUD care episodes (detoxification; outpatient, inpatient, or medication treatment; or mutual aid groups) and current interest in iOAT with hydromorphone (assessed on a 4-point scale with 3 or 4 considered "interested"). Participants with 2 or more treatment episodes in the past 5 years were considered treatment-experienced. We examined whether the number of past care episodes was associated with interest in iOAT. RESULTS: Of 108 PWID, most participants were male (68.5%) and Hispanic (68.5%) with a mean age of 43 years (±10.8). Nearly all (98.1%) had severe OUD and had received past OUD care (96.3%), with the mean number of care episodes being 17.4 (SD, ±15.9). Most participants (59.8%) were treatment-experienced. Interest in iOAT with hydromorphone was high (64.8%), but there was no significant association between total past care episodes and expressing interest in iOAT (odds ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 0.99-1.05). CONCLUSION: Participants were highly treatment-experienced, and iOAT interest was high regardless of prior OUD treatment. New OUD treatment options, such as iOAT with hydromorphone, would be welcomed by PWID whose OUD has not remitted with conventional treatment as well as other PWID.