Substance Use Disorders Among Human Trafficking Victims

Evidence from the 2019 to 2021 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21645720
AutoresNathaniel A Dell (0000-0003-3055-6301, Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, autor de correspondencia), Theresa Anasti (0000-0002-1554-1948, Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis), Kathleen M Preble (The University of Texas at Arlington), Kathleen Preble (0000-0003-3312-3843, The University of Texas at Arlington), Hetal Patel (0000-0003-2940-3586, Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis)
Año2025
Volumen60
Número5
Páginas619-627
Fecha de publicación2025-04-16
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaSubstance Use & Misuse (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1082-6084 • E-ISSN: 1532-2491
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10826084.2024.2446724
PMID39731741
OpenAlexW4405862651
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas2
Referencias citadas49

Background Human trafficking (HT) survivors are at risk for substance use disorder (SUD), although assessing the SUD epidemiology of HT survivors is difficult. This study used data from the 2019 to 2021 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample to estimate the prevalence of SUD for HT survivors utilizing emergency departments (ED) in the United States of America (US).Methods We included visits for patients aged 12–64 years with any International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes documenting HT as a cause of morbidity (N = 1,688, SE = 141) or history of HT (N = 2,524, SE = 218). We estimated the prevalence of HT-related visits with SUD, associations between SUD and trafficking type, and demographic variation by SUD.Results Any non-nicotine SUD was frequently documented among patients with HT as a cause of morbidity (37.64%, n = 635) and for patients with any history of HT (42.42%, n = 1,071). SUD was more frequently documented in cases of sex trafficking (43.47%, n = 579) relative to labor trafficking (15.79%, n = 56) (p < 0.001). Having any non-nicotine SUD was associated with higher rates of hospitalization for ED visits with HT as a cause of morbidity (53.31% [n = 339] vs. 12.39% [n = 130]; p < 0.001) and for those with a history of HT (76.78% [n = 822] vs 50.43% [n = 733]; p < 0.001).Conclusions HT patients presenting to the ED have high rates of SUD and HT patients with SUD having a greater likelihood of hospitalization. ED clinicians can play an important role in supporting SUD recovery among HT survivors

Emergency department · Environmental health · Family medicine · Injury prevention · Medical emergency · Occupational safety and health · Poison control · Psychiatry · Substance abuse · Substance use · Suicide prevention · Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Medicine · Sex work and related issues · Epidemiology · Internal Medicine