TABLE 1.
Participant characteristics. N = 220 veterans currently using opioids (past 30-days)
| Characteristic | Percentage %1 |
|---|---|
| Age | |
| 21–30 | 32.4 |
| 31–40 | 36.5 |
| 41–50 | 20.5 |
| 51–60 | 10.5 |
| Gender (% male) | 84.1 |
| Racial category | |
| White | 26.6 |
| Black/African American | 69.2 |
| Other2 | 4.2 |
| Hispanic/Latino ethnicity | 21.8 |
| Marital status | |
| Never married | 51.1 |
| Married | 14.6 |
| Divorced or separated | 34.2 |
| Educational achievement | |
| Less than high school graduation | 2.7 |
| High school graduate or GED | 37 |
| More than high school graduate | 60.3 |
| Currently attending school or training | 18.3 |
| Employment status | |
| Employed full-time or part-time | 25.7 |
| Unable to work due to disability or retired | 24.3 |
| Unemployed | 50 |
| Income category (per year) | |
| No income from employment | 62.8 |
| Less than $20,000 | 23.7 |
| $20,000 or more | 13.5 |
| Currently homeless or unstably housed | 46 |
| Discharge Type | |
| Honorable | 68 |
| General | 18.3 |
| Other4 | 13.7 |
| Years since discharge | |
| Less than 3 years | 23.5 |
| 3–10 years | 53 |
| More than 10 years | 23.5 |
| Receiving Veterans’ Disability | 36.8 |
| Current opioid analgesic prescription | 46.8 |
| Used analgesic prescription opioids past 30 days | 89.1 |
| Participating in methadone maintenance program | 8.2 |
| Used heroin past 30 days | 27.3 |
| Injected opioids past 30 days | 12.3 |
| Current anti-anxiety medication prescription | 22.7 |
| Used anti-anxiety drugs past 30 days | 35.5 |
| Current sleep medication prescription | 25 |
| Used sleep medication past 30 days | 32.7 |
| Current buprenorphine prescription | 1.8 |
| Used buprenorphine past 30 days | 6.8 |
| Current prescription for other psychiatric drugs5 | 24.1 |
| Lost consciousness due to opioid use one or more times past 30 days |
15.4 |
| Called for medical assistance due to opioid use one or more times in the past 30 days |
8.2 |
1
Sample sizes for category percentages vary due to non-response for some items, and percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding
2
Other = American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific islander, and multiple racial groups
3
Other = Coast Guard, Army National Guard
4
Other = Other than honorable, bad conduct, dishonorable
5
other psychiatric drugs were those for major depression, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, psychosis or schizophrenia.