Authors

• Kainulainen, Sakari (Diaconia University of Applied Sciences)
• Saari, Juho (University of Eastern Finland. Department of Social Sciences)

Keywords

counselling, drug offences, drug use, illegal drugs, lifestyle and health, right to a minimum income, social assistance, social problems, social security benefits, substance use, well-being (health)

Abstract

The study surveyed the life situations and well-being of intravenous drug users as well as factors affecting their well-being. The data were collected as part of the research programme "Sumuisten sielujen hyvinvointi (SUMU)" led by professor Juho Saari examining disadvantaged groups in Finnish society. The project received a small funding from the city of Kuopio in the pilot phase.

First, the respondents' satisfaction with their lives overall was examined, and they were presented with attitudinal statements concerning their own well-being and life management. Next, it was charted which services or social security benefits they or their family members had received during the previous two months. Satisfaction with the services was also covered along with their own motivation for change. Respondents at the service points of the Helsinki Deaconess Institute (HDL 1-3) were asked additional questions concerning e.g. how they thought their life would turn out a year after the time of the survey.

Background variables included gender, age, education, economic activity and occupational status, housing tenure, whether the respondent had utilised the assistance of a food bank / breadline within the previous year, drug convictions within the previous two years, age when the respondent began using intravenous narcotics, religious affiliation, household composition, and income.