Table 2.
Pathways to care related characteristics of the study sample
| Variable | Median (IQR)/n (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| First contact (n=981) | ||
| Interval between first symptom and first contact (weeks) | 151.5 (34.6-363.2) | |
| Who initiated the first contact? | ||
| Relatives/friends | 536 (54.6) | |
| Patient self | 286 (29.2) | |
| Neighbors/relatives | 60 (6.1) | |
| Workmate/employers | 43 (4.4) | |
| Medical practitioners/mental health specialists | 39 (4) | |
| Others | 17 (1.7) | |
| What symptoms led to the first contact? | ||
| Withdrawal | 553 (56.4) | |
| Use despite harm | 147 (15) | |
| Loss of control | 72 (7.3) | |
| Aggression/self-harm/intoxication | 72 (7.3) | |
| Tolerance/Craving | 57 (5.8) | |
| Monetary problem/family issues/neglect | 40 (4.1) | |
| Others | 35 (3.5) | |
| Nature of treatment | ||
| Medication | 773 (78.9) | |
| No treatment/referral | 125 (12.8) | |
| Medical and Psychosocial | 38 (3.9) | |
| Psychosocial | 31 (3.2) | |
| Others | 14 (1.4) | |
| Second contact (n=585) | ||
| The first contact- second contact interval (Weeks) | 26 (3.2-77.9) | |
| Who initiated the second contact? | ||
| Relatives | 264 (45.1) | |
| Patient self | 181 (30.9) | |
| Medical practitioners/mental health specialists | 110 (18.7) | |
| Others | 30 (6) | |
| What symptoms led to the second contact? | ||
| Withdrawal | 331 (56.2) | |
| Use despite harm | 64 (11.3) | |
| Loss of control | 44 (7.5) | |
| Treatment failure/side effect/relapse | 34 (5.8) | |
| Aggression/self-harm/intoxication | 34 (5.8) | |
| Tolerance/Craving | 27 (4.6) | |
| Monetary problem/family issues/neglect | 15 (2.6) | |
| Others | 24 (5.9) | |
| Nature of treatment | ||
| Medication | 474 (79.4) | |
| Medical and psychosocial | 37 (6.2) | |
| No treatment/Referral | 28 (5.1) | |
| Psychosocial | 18 (3) | |
| Others/Unknown | 28 (5.1) | |
| Third contact (n=205) | ||
| The second contact- third contact interval (Weeks) | 26 (4.3-95) | |
| Who initiated the third contact? | ||
| Relatives | 85 (41.5) | |
| Patient self | 46 (22.4) | |
| Medical/Mental health practitioners | 34 (16.6) | |
| Self + relatives and friends | 33 (16.1) | |
| Workmates/employers | 4 (2) | |
| Others | 3 (1.5) | |
| What symptoms led to the third contact? | ||
| Withdrawal | 103 (50.2) | |
| Loss of control | 24 (11.7) | |
| Use despite harm | 17 (8.3) | |
| Aggression/self-harm/intoxication | 16 (8.3) | |
| Treatment failure/relapse | 16 (7.8) | |
| Craving/preoccupation/Money or family issues | 10 (4.9) | |
| Nonspecific/Others | 19 (9.3) | |
| Nature of treatment | ||
| Medication | 155 (76.4) | |
| Medical and psychosocial | 20 (9.9) | |
| No treatment/referral | 14 (6.9) | |
| Psychosocial | 5 (2.5) | |
| Others | 9 (4.4) | |
| Fourth contact (n=71) | ||
| The third contact- fourth contact interval (Weeks) | 26 (0.5-103) | |
| Who initiated the fourth contact? | ||
| Relatives | 21 (29.6) | |
| Patient self | 19 (26.8) | |
| Self + relative/friends | 16 (22.5) | |
| Mental health/medical professional | 12 (16.9) | |
| Others | 3 (4.2) | |
| What symptoms led to the fourth contact? | ||
| Withdrawal | 31 (44.3) | |
| Loss of control | 12 (17.1) | |
| Treatment failure | 9 (12.9) | |
| Use despite harm | 6 (8.6) | |
| Aggression | 6 (8.6) | |
| Others | 6 (8.6) | |
| Nature of treatment | ||
| Medication | 56 (80) | |
| Psychosocial with medication | 10 (14.3) | |
| Others | 5 (5.7) | |
| Fifth contact (n=26) | ||
| The fourth contact- fifth contact interval (weeks) | 8.6 (4-45) | |
| Who initiated the fifth contact? | ||
| Patient self | 8 (30.8) | |
| Relatives | 8 (30.8) | |
| Medical/mental health professional | 8 (30.8) | |
| Others | 2 (7.7) | |
| What symptoms led to the fifth contact? | ||
| Withdrawal | 8 (30.8) | |
| Treatment failure | 5 (19.2) | |
| Loss of control | 5 (19.2) | |
| Craving/use despite harm/aggression | 3 (11.4) | |
| Others | 5 (19.2) | |
| Nature of treatment at | ||
| Medication | 17 (65.4) | |
| Medical and psychosocial | 9 (34.6) |