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This research, carried out by Deloitte and the Simon community, provides an account of substance misuse, including drugs and alcohol, among homeless people in Northern Ireland.¹ Interviews were carried out with 154 homeless individuals (81 male, 73 female) from 33 hostels during the period November 2003 to April 2004.

The following are some of the findings relating to the drug use of those homeless individuals interviewed:

• 106 (69%) of those interviewed had used drugs at some stage in their lives (58% male, 42% female) and of these, 57 were current users (68% male, 32% female). More than 10 times the proportion of homeless people interviewed reported being current drug users compared to the Northern Ireland population.
• Cannabis was the most commonly used drug among all users (lifetime, recent and current), with 97% (103 of 106) of lifetime users reporting use at some stage. Following cannabis, the most commonly used drugs for lifetime users were Ecstasy and amphetamines. For recent and current users, the most commonly used drugs after cannabis were tranquillisers and Ecstasy.
• The rate of use of tranquillisers by men was double that of women, regardless of prevalence.
• All individuals who reported drug use within the last 12 months were using drugs at problem levels, with a high level of dependency as measured by the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) and the Severity of Opiate Dependence Scale (SODQ). However, the majority of users did not recognise their drug use as a problem.
• There was a relationship between the age of first drug use and the age of becoming homeless - 80% of those who used their first drug at age 12 or under were homeless by age 17.
• 82% of current users (n=57) reported having used drugs before they became homeless; 18% only reported drug use after becoming homeless.
• 12% (13 of 106; eight male, five female) of drug users reported ever having injected drugs; however, only three individuals reported current intravenous use.
• Homeless individuals reporting drug and alcohol misuse (n=134) also reported a high incidence of other risk behaviours, including suicidal behaviour (38.8%), unsafe sex (37.3%), criminal behaviour (35.8%) and self harm (32.8%). The numbers of individuals who reported having been tested for hepatitis B (n=19), hepatitis C (n=20) and HIV (n=24) is an indication of risk behaviour placing them at risk to blood borne diseases.
• 60% of those interviewed reported ill health.
• 63% (n=97) reported concerns regarding their mental health, 72 (74%) had sought help for these concerns and 41 (42%) were currently receiving treatment for a psychiatric illness.
• Only 15% of recent or current drug users had accessed drug services, while 26% had used GP services. Suggested improvements to drug services included provision of information, specialist facilities and staff training.
• The majority of those interviewed were more likely to have accessed homeless services compared to treatment services, with some experiencing problems in accessing services due to their substance misuse.

Among other recommendations, this research stated that "mechanisms should be put in place to develop a regional strategy for an integrated housing, homelessness and substance use service, both from a preventative and reactive perspective".

To download the full report "Research into Homelessness and Substance Misuse" click here. 

Reference

1. Deloitte MSC Ltd. Research into homelessness and substance misuse. Belfast: Drug and Alcohol Information and Research Unit (DAIRU), 2004.