 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Carmen L. Masson, PhD1, David C. Perlman, MD2, Kevin Delucchi, PhD3, James L. Sorensen, PhD4, Ann Nugent, MS2, Leslie Horn, MPH2, and Patricia Friedmann, MS5. (1) Department of Psychiatry, San Francisco General Hospital, 1001 Potrero Ave., San Francisco, CA 94110, 415-206-8404, masson@itsa.ucsf.edu, (2) Department of Medicine; Baron Edmond de Rothschild Chemical Dependency Institute, Beth Israel Medical Center, First Avenue at 16th Street, New York, NY 10003, (3) Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, 401 Parnassus Ave., Box 0984-TRC, San Francisco, CA 94143-0984, (4) Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco-San Francisco General Hospital, 1001 Potrero Ave, Building 20, Room 2117, San Francisco, CA 94110, (5) Baron Edmond de Rothschild Chemical Dependency Insitiute, Beth Israel Medical Center, 215 Park Avenue, 15th Floor, New York City, NY 10003
OBJECTIVES: To examine the frequency of depressive symptoms and use of medical care services among active drug users at a New York City syringe exchange program (SEP). METHODS: Drug users attending a syringe exchange program on the Lower East Side of New York City were offered participation in a TB screening program (with a $15 incentive). Participants were interviewed about health care utilization, health problems, depression, and drug use practices. RESULTS: Eight hundred fourteen drug users were evaluated from 1999-2001. Participants were 32% female, 33% African-American, 33% Caucasian, 25% Latino/a, 9% Other/Mixed, mean age 40 yrs., 63% unstably housed, and 17% HIV positive. Almost a third (29%) were treated in the emergency department in the previous 6 months, 12% had been hospitalized, 31% were seen in ambulatory care settings, and the sample averaged 4.86 ambulatory care visits. Fifty-percent reported one or more depressive symptoms in the past 30 days. Those who reported one or more depressive symptoms were more likely to have used emergency department (p< .0001), inpatient (p< .001) and ambulatory care services (p<.001) in the past 6 months. CONCLUSION: Drug users at an SEP have a have prevalence of depressive symptoms. Reporting depressive symptoms was associated with increased use of medical services. Strategies to engage active drug users at a syringe exchange in mental services are needed and may help to reduce reliance on emergency department services.
This work was supported by NIH Grants KO1DA008408, P50DA09253, and R01-DA9005.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Injection Drug Users, Depression
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.