Awareness, Utilization, and Preferences of Harm Reduction Interventions among Street-Involved Young Adults in Boston

Bibliographic Data

ID21646147
AuthorsElizabeth Noyes (0000-0003-4656-4269, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA, corresponding author), Spencer Dunleavy (0000-0002-0196-2143, Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, NY, USA), Victoria Mail (Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA), Isabel Plakas (Boston Health Care of the Homeless Program, Boston, MA, USA), Susan Keyes (Boston Health Care of the Homeless Program, Boston, MA, USA), Jessie M Gaeta (Boston Health Care of the Homeless Program, Boston, MA, USA), Aura Obando (Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA), Elizabeth Paci (Boston Health Care of the Homeless Program, Boston, MA, USA), Claudia Lent (Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Boston, MA, USA), Craig Regis (Massachusetts General Hospital), Elsie M Taveras (0000-0001-6158-2807, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA), Amy M Yule (0000-0002-2409-9426, Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA), Avik Chatterjee (0000-0001-8437-6774, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA)
Year2022
Volume57
Issue5
Pages827-832
Publication date2022-04-16
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSubstance Use & Misuse (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1082-6084 • E-ISSN: 1532-2491
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10826084.2022.2040031
PMID35195488
OpenAlexW4212875654
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited14

OBJECTIVES: This study explores knowledge and utilization of, barriers to, and preferences for harm reduction services among street-involved young adults (YA) in Boston, Massachusetts. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey of YA encountered between November and December 2019 by a longstanding outreach program for street-involved YA. We report descriptive statistics on participant-reported substance use, knowledge and utilization of harm reduction strategies, barriers to harm reduction services and treatment, and preferences for harm reduction service delivery. RESULTS: The 52 YA surveyed were on average 21.4 years old; 63.5% were male, and 44.2% were Black. Participants reported high past-week marijuana (80.8%) and alcohol (51.9%) use, and 15.4% endorsed opioid use and using needles to inject drugs in the past six months. Fifteen (28.8%) YA had heard of "harm reduction", and 17.3% reported participating in harm reduction services. The most common barriers to substance use disorder treatment were waitlists and cost. Participants suggested that harm reduction programs offer peer support (59.6%) and provide a variety of services including pre-exposure prophylaxis (42.3%) and sexually transmitted infection testing (61.5%) at flexible times and in different languages, including Spanish (61.5%) and Portuguese (17.3%). CONCLUSIONS: There is need for comprehensive, YA-oriented harm reduction outreach geared toward marginalized YA and developed with YA input to reduce barriers, address gaps in awareness and knowledge of harm reduction, and make programs more relevant and inviting to YA

Environmental health · Family medicine · Harm · Harm reduction · Outreach · Political science · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Public health · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk · Medicine · Nursing · Opioid Use Disorder Treatment · Psychology · Social Psychology · Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

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