Events as Precipitators to Treatment: Important for Both Well-Integrated and Marginalized Alcohol and Drug Users of a Swedish Treatment System

Abstract

“Women and Men in Swedish Alcohol and Drug Treatment” studies how people with alcohol and drug problems come to treatment. The focus is on different alcohol- and drug-related life events in the year prior to treatment and whether or not these events contributed to treatment entry. The importance of these events is also studied in relation to level of marginalization. The representative cross-sectional sample includes 1865 clients (71% men) interviewed inperson when entering inpatient and outpatient treatment facilities. Most respondents reported events in the year prior to treatment and these were also perceived as contributors to treatment. Events related to significant others and health workers seem to be of greatest importance for treatment entry. These events happen to a lot of the problematic alcohol and drug users and are viewed as strong contributing factors by the respondents. More marginalized people and misusers with more severe addiction problems experience more events. A curvilinear relationship (somewhat U-shaped) was found between level of marginalization and events as contributors to treatment: the least marginalized people are most likely to report events as contributors, people in between are the least likely and the most marginalized people are likely to report events as contributors to treatment, given that they have experienced the event.