TY - JOUR
T1 - Psychosocial and psychopathological predictors of HIV-risk injecting behavior among drug users in Portugal
AU - Costa, Eleonora C. V.
AU - Paiva, Carla A.
AU - Ferreira, Domingos
AU - Santos, Sofia
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Despite the introduction of needle and syringe exchange programs (NSPs), sharing of syringes and other materials remains common among injection drug users (IDUs) worldwide. For this reason, IDUs are at high-risk of HIV transmission. This paper studies the psychosocial and psychopathological determinants of sharing among IDUs. Understanding the relationship between psychological morbidity, HIV knowledge, HIV risk perception, and sharing behaviors is important to develop campaigns to curb sharing among IDUs. We recruited 120 male (76.7%) and female (23.3%) IDUs at a public outpatient treatment service in northern Portugal whose age average was 34 (sd=7.56). They were characterized for sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral variables, as well as for knowledge on HIV transmission and prevention, HIV risk perception, and psychopathological symptoms. Almost all patients (95.8%) were tested for HIV and 31.7% were HIV positive. Half of them had a chronic disease (50.8%) and declared to engage in sharing (51.7%). Most had accurate knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention. A great majority deemed HIV risk to be high in their communities (80.8%) but deemed their personal risk to be zero or low (72.5%). Statistical analysis showed that sociodemographic variables (female sex, lower education, living alone) and psychopathological symptoms obsessioncompulsion and somatization) predict sharing. We conclude that the development and implementation of campaigns to reduce sharing among IDUs should focus more on women, IDUs living alone, as well as early assessment and intervention on psychopathological disorders.
AB - Despite the introduction of needle and syringe exchange programs (NSPs), sharing of syringes and other materials remains common among injection drug users (IDUs) worldwide. For this reason, IDUs are at high-risk of HIV transmission. This paper studies the psychosocial and psychopathological determinants of sharing among IDUs. Understanding the relationship between psychological morbidity, HIV knowledge, HIV risk perception, and sharing behaviors is important to develop campaigns to curb sharing among IDUs. We recruited 120 male (76.7%) and female (23.3%) IDUs at a public outpatient treatment service in northern Portugal whose age average was 34 (sd=7.56). They were characterized for sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral variables, as well as for knowledge on HIV transmission and prevention, HIV risk perception, and psychopathological symptoms. Almost all patients (95.8%) were tested for HIV and 31.7% were HIV positive. Half of them had a chronic disease (50.8%) and declared to engage in sharing (51.7%). Most had accurate knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention. A great majority deemed HIV risk to be high in their communities (80.8%) but deemed their personal risk to be zero or low (72.5%). Statistical analysis showed that sociodemographic variables (female sex, lower education, living alone) and psychopathological symptoms obsessioncompulsion and somatization) predict sharing. We conclude that the development and implementation of campaigns to reduce sharing among IDUs should focus more on women, IDUs living alone, as well as early assessment and intervention on psychopathological disorders.
KW - HIV knowledge
KW - HIV risk injecting behavior
KW - HIV risk perception
KW - Injection drug users (IDUs)
KW - Portugal
KW - Psychopathology
KW - Comportamento de risco injectável face ao VIH
KW - Conhecimentos face ao VIH
KW - Percepção de risco face ao VIH
KW - Psicopatologia
KW - Utilizadores de drogas injetáveis (UDIs)
KW - Portugal
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84958181011&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.14417/ap.962
DO - 10.14417/ap.962
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84958181011
SN - 0870-8231
VL - 33
SP - 391
EP - 406
JO - Análise Psicológica
JF - Análise Psicológica
IS - 4
ER -