This qualitative study examines the interpersonal and structural barriers to drug treatment program entry, retention, and outcomes experienced by injection drug-using couples, and the program policies regarding injection drug-using couples seeking treatment in New York, New York. Our findings reveal a mismatch between the substantial need for concurrent and coordinated treatment for partnered injection-drug users and programmatic policies that are antithetical to such treatment approaches. This discrepancy can be attributed to the lack of viable options for couple-focused treatment approaches that fit within the current drug treatment system. We provide a rationale and a roadmap for the development of innovative approaches for couple-based drug treatment.
Barriers to drug treatment for IDU couples: The need for couple-based approaches
Journal of Addictive Diseases, 31 (3), 242-257. doi: 10.1080/10550887.2012.702985. PMCID: PMC4204204.