Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

Abstract #147494

• Handout (free access)

Carlota John-Hull, MD¹, Steven Kritz, MD¹, Melissa Chu, MS¹, Charles Madray, RPA-C, MBA¹, Guadalupe Dominguez, MPH², Cydney Bowers, RPA-C¹, Renee Sumpter, LCSW-R, CASAC³, Jim Mitchell², and Lawrence S. Brown, MD, MPH, FASAM¹. (1) Division of Medical Services, Research and Information Technology, Addiction Research and Treatment Corporation, 22 Chapel Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, 718 260-2955, skritz@artcny.org, (2) HIV Prevention and Intervention Services Unit, Addiction Research and Treatment Corporation, 22 Chapel Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, (3) Division of Human Services, Addiction Research and Treatment Corporation, 22 Chapel Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Issues: Studies of sexual minorities (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex - LGBTI) have overwhelmingly been cross-sectional and descriptive. Description: Findings in this population, when compared to heterosexuals are: (1) increased risk for mental health and substance abuse problems; (2) different substances of abuse; (3) engagement in riskier sexual practices; and, (4) experiencing unique healthcare access issues. The Addiction Research and Treatment Corporation (ARTC) is the largest non-hospital based Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) in New York State, serving more than 3,000 patients annually. ARTC provides a wide range of healthcare and social services, including substance abuse treatment, primary medical care, HIV/AIDS care, and vocational/educational assessments to patients throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan. ARTC's patient population is 42% African American and 48% Hispanic, including sexual minorities, formerly incarcerated individuals, and people with mental illness. Lessons Learned: On the basis of anonymous surveys completed by sexual minority patients and their ARTC treatment staff, there is clearly an interest in having programs geared towards this population. In response to a NIDA R-01 Program Announcement (PA-06-218), ARTC will do a longitudinal pre and post-intervention study that evaluates sexual minority patients participating in specialized groups in the following outcomes measures: (1) substance abuse via toxicology screens and Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) assessments; and, (2) quality of life using a validated instrument, specifically the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) – BREF. Recommendations: These particular outcomes were chosen because they will provide sufficient data for statistical analysis of significance, which is lacking in studies of this population.

Learning Objectives:

The poster will show (
• differences between sexual minority substance abusers and other sub-populations, (
• the challenges to doing longitudinal studies on sexual minority populations, and (
• a proposal for a longitudinal study with specific outcome measures for substance abuse and quality-of-life

Keywords: Substance Abuse Treatment, Minority Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

• Handout (free access)