Authors

• National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES)

Keywords

drug abuse, health services, social problems, social services, substance use

Abstract

The survey charted substance use related cases in social and health services on the second Tuesday of October in 2007. Professionals in social and health services recorded information on every client or patient who used the services on that day while intoxicated or because of some harm, such as an injury, relating to substance use, or were assessed by an employee to be a substance abuser.

First, the substances the client had used (e.g. alcohol, cannabis, cocaine) as well as whether they had injected any drugs were charted. The occurrence of threatening or violent behaviour by the client in the social welfare or health care facility was examined. Mental health problems unrelated to substance use, gambling problems and disabilities such as visual or hearing impairment were also surveyed. Next, the questionnaire contained some questions directed only at either outpatient care clients (questions 15-19) or inpatient care clients (questions 20-21). The questions aimed at outpatient care clients focused on, for example, whether they had made an appointment beforehand, why they had sought assistance (e.g. injury, depression, financial problems) and the time used on the provided services. The questions aimed at inpatient care (overnight care) clients examined the length of the client's continuous treatment at the time of data collection (e.g. 1-3 days, over a month, 6-12 months) and the reason why the services required by the client were not provided as outpatient care (e.g. seriousness of injury, mental illness, preventing domestic violence).

Background variables included the region where the social welfare or health care facility was located (NUTS3) and type of the facility as well as the client's gender, region of residence (NUTS3), marital status, age group, economic activity and occupational status, socio-economic status and housing tenure.