Table 2.
Barriers to treatment (n = 206)
| Barriers | α | Mean | STD | Items | Frequencies | mean | STD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Range 0–3 | Disagree | Agree | ||||||
| Fragmented services (single item) | – | 2.51 | Services are fragmented | 60 (29.1%) | 146 (70.9%) | 2.51 | 1.180 | |
| Stigma and discrimination in the community | .756 | 2.26 | 0.681 | The community looks down upon people using substances | 37 (17.9%) | 169 (82%) | 2.30 | 0.887 |
| People blame us for our condition. They say it is our own fault | 38 (18.4%) | 168 (81.5%) | 2.25 | 0.879 | ||||
| People using substances are regarded as worthless | 39 (18.9%) | 167 (81.1%) | 2.25 | 0.918 | ||||
| The police abuse their power by ill-treating people using substances | 42 (20.3%) | 164 (79.6%) | 2.24 | 0.889 | ||||
| Information gap | .697 | 1.92 | 0.845 | The police lack information about treatment services so you can be unfairly arrested. | 54 (26.2%) | 152 (73.8%) | 2.06 | 1.089 |
| I didn’t know where to go for help | 58 (28.2%) | 148 (71.8%) | 1.94 | 1.025 | ||||
| I didn’t know there is help available | 74 (36%) | 132 (64%) | 1.77 | 1.096 | ||||
| Labelling and rejection in the community | .796 | 1.66 | 0.801 | We feel not accepted across many different places and settings. | 49 (23.8%) | 157 (76.2%) | 2.04 | 0.920 |
| I feared the shame and embarrassment of being called names. | 74 (35.9%) | 132 (64.1%) | 1.82 | 1.092 | ||||
| I feared losing my identity by being viewed as an outcast. | 77 (37.4%) | 129 (62.6%) | 1.76 | 1.076 | ||||
| I was afraid the community would isolate me | 95 (46.1%) | 111(53.9%) | 1.50 | 1.112 | ||||
| Healthcare workers mistreat people using substances | 128(62.1%) | 78 (37.9%) | 1.17 | 1.181 | ||||
| Lack of perceived treatment efficacy | .661 | 1.50 | 0.759 | Substance use treatment does not help | 86 (41.7%) | 120 (58.3%) | 1.73 | 1.114 |
| Our families encourage us to seek help from pastors and religious leaders | 88 (42.7%) | 118 (57.3%) | 1.65 | 1.137 | ||||
| Churches provide better services | 95 (46.1%) | 111 (53.9%) | 1.58 | 1.165 | ||||
| I didn’t think treatment would do any good | 101 (49%) | 105 (51%) | 1.52 | 1.200 | ||||
| Treatment does not work | 132(64.1%) | 74 (35.9%) | 1.04 | 1.207 | ||||
| Privacy concerns | .628 | 1.46 | 0.824 | I thought I could handle it on my own and did not want people to know what I was going through. | 81 (39.3%) | 125 (60.7%) | 1.69 | 1.137 |
| I didn’t want to talk about my personal life with other people. | 94 (45.6%) | 112 (54.4%) | 1.24 | 1.101 | ||||
| Lack of resources and support | .681 | 1.43 | 0.860 | I don’t get moral support from my family for treatment | 76 (36.9) | 130 (63.1%) | 1.69 | 1.086 |
| Substance use healthcare sites are too few and far from where I stay | 112(54.4%) | 94 (45.6%) | 1.37 | 1.152 | ||||
| Substance use health care sites lack enough health care workers | 117(56.8%) | 89 (43.2%) | 1.24 | 1.135 | ||||
| Denial, not ready to give up | .712 | 1.31 | 0.908 | My substance use seemed fairly normal to me | 107(51.9%) | 99 (48.1%) | 1.39 | 1.129 |
| I didn’t think I needed any help | 116(56.3%) | 90 (43.7%) | 1.26 | 1.126 | ||||
| I liked using substances and was not ready to give up | 119(57.8%) | 87 (42.2%) | 1.26 | 1.164 | ||||