Table 6

Perceived substance use problems and treatment use that met DSM-IV criteria for a past-year alcohol or other drug use disorder

Respondents' Perceived Problems and Use of Treatment Services, Column %

Overall

N = 393

Female sex workers^a

N = 280

Non-Sex workers

N = 113

χ² test^b

p-values

Perceived alcohol problems

41.0

45.7

29.2

0.003

Perceived drug problems

29.3

36.1

12.4

<0.001

Perceived alcohol or drug problem

55.4

63.5

35.7

<0.001

Knew of any alcohol or drug treatment program

18.6

19.3

16.8

0.529

Perceived a need for treatment

63.4

72.9

39.8

<0.001

Wanted to go to treatment

68.2

77.1

46.0

<0.001

Tried but unable to get into treatment in past year^c

2.6

2.9

1.8

0.731^e

Received alcohol or drug treatment in the lifetime^d

1.8

2.5

0.0

0.200^e

^a Female sex workers are defined as females who had traded sex for drugs, money, food, or other goods in the past 90 days.

^b Pearson chi-square test

^c Included having ever called a drug treatment program for information or counseling, having ever received telephone counseling from a drug treatment program, or having ever consulted a traditional healer for drug treatment.

^d Included the receipt of treatment from a detox, outpatient alcohol, outpatient drug, outpatient methadone, residential addiction, or jail/prison treatment program.

^e Fisher's exact test was used due to expected cell counts < 5.

Wechsberg et al. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy 2009 4:11   doi:10.1186/1747-597X-4-11