Mental and physical health and service access among people in Sydney who use illicit drugs, 2022
June 2023
Citation:
Jones F, Sutherland R. Mental and physical health and service access among people in Sydney who use illicit drugs, 2022. Drug Trends Bulletin Series. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney; 2023. Available from: https://doi.org/10.26190/3xed-wg67
Previous research shows certain populations such as people who inject drugs (PWID) experience poor physical health (e.g., chronic pain). However, less is known about other chronic health conditions among this population, and little is known about the physical health of other populations of people who use drugs.
Further, mental health disorders and psychological distress, defined as ‘non-specific psychological symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression’, have been found to be elevated among samples of people who use drugs.
The aim of this bulletin is to examine health (mental and physical) and health service access among two samples of people who use illicit drugs: people who inject drugs, and people who use ecstasy and/or other illicit stimulants.
