Assessing the knowledge, attitudes, and psychological health of people who use drugs towards Hepatitis C: a cross-sectional study

TL;DR

This study examines knowledge, attitudes, and mental health among drug users with and without Hepatitis C in a rehabilitation center.

Contribution

The study identifies knowledge gaps and psychological distress in HCV-positive drug users, advocating for integrated care.

Findings

HCV-positive participants showed higher psychological distress across all SCL-90 dimensions compared to national norms.

Fewer than 40% recognized transmission risks from unregulated cosmetic procedures.

Sharing syringes was significantly more common among HCV-positive individuals.

Abstract

Understanding the knowledge, risk behaviors, and psychological health of people who use drugs (PWUDs) is critical for Hepatitis C (HCV) elimination. This study aimed to assess these factors among PWUDs in a Drug Rehabilitation Center by comparing HCV-positive and HCV-negative individuals.

A total of 127 participants over 18 years (58 HCV-positive and 69 HCV-negative) were selected from the Lantian Drug Rehabilitation Center from April to June 2023. Data were collected through a descriptive, cross-sectional questionnaire (HCV awareness, HCV knowledge, SCL-90 tests) and laboratory blood tests, with which inferential and descriptive statistical analyses were performed.

Of the 127 participants, 58 (45.7%) were HCV-positive. A significant portion of both HCV-positive (31.0%) and HCV-negative (66.7%) individuals were unaware of their status prior to testing (P = 0.04). Overall HCV knowledge was high and similar between the two groups, though specific gaps persisted, with fewer than 40% recognizing the transmission risk from unregulated cosmetic procedures. Sharing syringes was significantly more prevalent in the HCV-positive group (P = 0.001). Compared to Chinese national norms, HCV-positive PWUDs exhibited significantly higher psychological distress across all ten SCL-90 dimensions (all P < 0.001), with the most pronounced elevations in somatization and psychoticism.

Educational programs in rehabilitation centers appear effective in raising general HCV awareness, significant gaps in knowledge about community-based transmission routes persist. The profound psychological distress observed among HCV-positive PWUDs, coupled with the high rate of status unawareness, underscores the urgent need for integrated care models that address both virological treatment and mental health support.

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