Gittins, Rosalind, Guirguis, Amira, Schifano, Fabrizio and Maidment, Ian (2018). Exploration of the Use of New Psychoactive Substances by Individuals in Treatment for Substance Misuse in the UK. Brain Sciences, 8 (4),
Abstract
Substance misuse services need to meet the growing demand and needs of individuals using new psychoactive substances (NPS). A review of the literature identified a paucity of research regarding NPS use by these individuals and UK guidelines outline the need for locally tailored strategies. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and explore key themes in relation to the use of NPS by individuals receiving community treatment for their substance use. Electronic records identified demographics and semi-structured interviews were undertaken. A thematic analysis of transcripts identified a variety of substance use histories; 50% were prescribed opiate substitutes and 25% used NPS as a primary substance. All were males, age range 26–59 years (SD = 9), who predominantly smoked cannabinoids and snorted/injected stimulant NPS. The type of NPS used was determined by affordability, availability, side-effect profile and desired effects (physical and psychological: 25% reported weight loss as motivation for their use). Poly-pharmacy, supplementation and displacement of other drugs were prevalent. In conclusion, NPS use and associated experiences vary widely among people receiving substance use treatment. Development of effective recovery pathways should be tailored to individuals, and include harm reduction strategies, psychosocial interventions, and effective signposting. Services should be vigilant for NPS use, “on top” use and diversion of prescriptions.
Publication DOI: | https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci8040058 |
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Divisions: | College of Health & Life Sciences > Aston Pharmacy School College of Health & Life Sciences College of Health & Life Sciences > Chronic and Communicable Conditions |
Additional Information: | © 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
Publication ISSN: | 2076-3425 |
Last Modified: | 07 Aug 2024 07:04 |
Date Deposited: | 05 Apr 2018 07:50 |
Full Text Link: | |
Related URLs: |
http://www.mdpi ... 076-3425/8/4/58
(Publisher URL) |
PURE Output Type: | Article |
Published Date: | 2018-03-30 |
Accepted Date: | 2018-03-28 |
Authors: |
Gittins, Rosalind
Guirguis, Amira Schifano, Fabrizio Maidment, Ian ( ![]() |