Youth substance use service provider’s perspectives on use and service access in ontario: time to reframe the discourse

Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy

Adrienne Spafford¹  Farihah Ali²  Sameer Imtiaz²  Cayley Russell²  Frishta Nafeh²  Tara Elton-Marshall³  Jürgen Rehm⁴  Claudia Chaufan⁵ 

[1] Addictions and Mental Health Ontario, 180 Dundas Street West, M5G 1Z8, Toronto, ON, Canada;Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, #2035-33 Russell St, M5S 2S1, Toronto, Canada;Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, #2035-33 Russell St, M5S 2S1, Toronto, Canada;Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St, M5T 3M7, Toronto, ON, Canada;Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, 250 College St, M5T 1R8, Toronto, ON, Canada;Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, P7B 5E1, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada;Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Kresge Building, N6A 5C1, London, ON, Canada;Faculty of Medicine, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, K1G 5Z3, Ottawa, ON, Canada;Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, #2035-33 Russell St, M5S 2S1, Toronto, Canada;Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St, M5T 3M7, Toronto, ON, Canada;Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, 250 College St, M5T 1R8, Toronto, ON, Canada;Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, M5S 1A8, Toronto, ON, Canada;Institute of Medical Science (IMS), University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, M5S 1A8, Toronto, ON, Canada;Institut Für Klinische Psychologie Und Psychotherapie, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46, 01187, Dresden, Germany;Department of International Health Projects, Institute for Leadership and Health Management, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Bol’shaya Pirogovskaya Ulitsa, 19c1, 119146, Moscow, Russia;Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research (ZIS), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany;School of Health Policy and Management, York University, M38 1P3, Toronto, Canada;

关键词: Addiction;    Adolescents;    Alcohol;    Cannabis;    Harm Reduction;    Public Health;    Prevention;    Substance Use;    Stigma;    Treatment;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13011-022-00435-9

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundAge is a critical factor in substance use and related outcomes, with adolescence being a particularly sensitive period. Early initiation of substance use has been linked with higher risk for developing substance use disorders. In Ontario, Canada, substance use is common among youth, yet treatment is underutilized, suggesting the potential for an unmet need in terms of substance use care. Despite these challenges, there is limited research examining factors that contribute to youth substance use and youth-specific barriers to substance use care. To fill this knowledge gap, this study sought to include the unique perspectives of service providers who work directly with youth to examine these issues.MethodsWe used a cross-sectional mixed-methods design to examine factors that contribute to substance use among youth and identify youth-specific barriers to substance use among a sample of 54 Ontario-based youth service providers. Data collection included an online survey completed by all study participants followed by qualitative interviews of a subsample of 16 participants. Data analysis included basic frequency tabulations for survey results and thematic qualitative analyses to identify common themes.ResultsLicit substances were identified as the most commonly used among youth, where 94% of respondents identified cannabis use and 81% identified alcohol use. Thematic analyses identified the role of dominant substance use discourses in normalizing certain substances (i.e., cannabis and alcohol) while also endorsing stigmatizing beliefs and sentiments. According to youth service providers, the intersection of these two discourses simultaneously lead to an increase in substance use while deterring youth from seeking substance use care.ConclusionsNormalization and stigmatization are two dominant discourses around youth substance use, with important implications for public health interventions. Key public health strategies, as identified by participants, to reduce the overall negative effect of these factors include the need to reframe substance use discourse, from a moral failing to a public health issue and to educate youth about the impacts of use. To accomplish this goal educational campaigns to raise awareness around the health effects of use and address stigmatization are needed. Educational reforms are also needed to ensure that these programs are integrated into the school system.

【 授权许可】

CC BY