Health outcomes and use of harm reduction services in people whouse drugs in catalonia

• Autores: Oleguer Parés Badell
• Directores de la Tesis: Albert Espelt Hernández (dir. tes.)
• Lectura: En la Universitat Pompeu Fabra ( España ) en 2021
• Idioma: inglés
• Tribunal Calificador de la Tesis: Cinta Folch Toda (presid.), Marta Torrens Melich (secret.), María Isabel Pasarín (voc.)
• Programa de doctorado: Programa de Doctorado en Biomedicina por la Universidad Pompeu Fabra
• Materias:
  • Ciencias médicas
    • Epidemiología
    • Salud publica
  • Psicología
    • Psicofarmacología
      • Abuso de drogas
• Enlaces
  • Tesis en acceso abierto en: TDX
• Resumen

  • Harm reduction is a set of programs and interventions that aim to reduce health and social harms of drug use. The Barcelona model aims to maximize access to harm reduction services and to integrate them with treatment programs.

    This thesis objectives were to describe the prevalence and associated factors of health outcomes -non-fatal overdose, HIV and Hepatitis C–in people who use harm reduction programs, and to evaluate the impact of extending the opening hours of a harm reduction program.

    The thesis consists of three articles based on data from the REDAN study, a cross-sectional bio-behavioral study, and the Barcelona drug information system.

    According to this thesis results, access to medical care and methadone treatment were the most significant factors preventing both non-fatal overdose and undiagnosed infections. Using a drug consumption room was associated with lower risk of undiagnosed HIV and Hepatitis C and was linked with increased awareness of overdose. Additionally, the night-time opening of a drug consumption room was associated with a higher service use among the most vulnerable clients and with an increase of the treated opioid overdoses.

    In line with the aims of the Barcelona model, our results highlight the need to maximize access to harm reduction services.