ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Clinical practice shows that addict patients tend to seek attention from health services after a long period of time, and that their relatives do not seek early medical care, despite knowledge of the addiction. OBJECTIVES: To determine the time elapsed between the beginning of patients' substance use and when they first seek specialized medical care (TC) and the time elapsed between relatives perceiving the substance use and when they first seek specialized medical care (TSAM); also, to identify the factors associated with seeking medical care earlier. DESIGN: Observational, descriptive study. A structured survey, validated by experts in the field of addiction, was applied to 113 family members responsible for patients addicted to psychoactive substances in 5 hospitals in the city of Lima. RESULTS: Patients seek specialist medical care for the first time 11.22 years after commencement of substance use, and family members take to 4.69 years to seek medical care from when they perceive of the substance use. Female gender, the concept of addiction as a disease and not waiting for the patient's decision before seeking medical care reduce TC and TSAM in the case of most substances. CONCLUSIONS: Patients addicted to psychoactive substances turn to health services only after long TC and TSAM; moreover, the delay in seeking medical care on the part of relatives means that patients continue to use substances.
Subject(s)
Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Psychotropic Drugs , Substance-Related Disorders/therapy , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Psychotropic Drugs/adverse effects , Substance-Related Disorders/etiology , Time Factors , Young AdultABSTRACT
Introducción: En la práctica clínica se observa que los pacientes adictos a sustancias psicoactivas acuden a los servicios de salud después de un largo periodo de tiempo y que los familiares conociendo del consumo no realizan una búsqueda temprana de la atención médica. Objetivos: Determinar el tiempo transcurrido desde que los pacientes empiezan el consumo hasta que buscan por primera vez atención médica especializada (TC) y el tiempo transcurrido desde que los familiares perciben el consumo hasta que buscan por primera vez atención médica especializada (TSAM). Determinar los factores que se asocian a una búsqueda temprana de la atención médica. Diseño: Estudio observacional, descriptivo de corte transversal. Se aplicó una encuesta estructurada validada por juicio de expertos en el área de adicciones a113 familiares responsables de pacientes adictos a sustancias psicoactivas de 5 hospitales de la ciudad de Lima. Resultados: Los pacientes acuden a la atención médica especializada por primera vez después de 11.22 años de iniciado el consumo y los familiares tardan en buscar atención médica 4.69 años desde que perciben el consumo. El género femenino, la concepción de la adicción como enfermedad y no esperar la decisión del paciente para acudir a la atención médica, reducen el TC y TSAM en la mayoría de sustancias. Conclusiones: Los pacientes adictos a sustancias psicoactivas acuden a los servicios de salud después de un TC y TSAM prolongados y la demora en buscar atención médica por los familiares ocasiona que los pacientes continúen consumiendo sustancias (AU)
Introduction: Clinical practice shows that addict patients tend to seek attention from health services after a long period of time, and that their relatives do not seek early medical care, despite knowledge of the addiction. Objectives: To determine the time elapsed between the beginning of patients substance use and when they first seek specialized medical care (TC) and the time elapsed between relatives perceiving the substance use and when they first seek specialized medical care (TSAM); also, to identify the factors associated with seeking medical care earlier. Design: Observational, descriptive study. A structured survey, validated by experts in the field of addiction, was applied to 113 family members responsible for patients addicted to psychoactive substances in 5hospitals in the city of Lima. Results: Patients seek specialist medical care for the first time 11.22 years after commencement of substance use, and family members take to 4.69 years to seek medical care from when they perceive of the substance use. Female gender, the concept of addiction as a disease and not waiting for the patients decision before seeking medical care reduce TC and TSAM in the case of most substances. Conclusions: Patients addicted to psychoactive substances turn to health services only after long TC and TSAM; moreover, the delay in seeking medical care on the part of relatives means that patients continue to use substances (AU)
