Conducting Rapid Street Assessment of Drug Users in New York City Using Oral Fluid and Brief Interviews: A Feasibility Study

Abstract

This study piloted the feasibility of rapidly collecting both self-reports of drug use and saliva specimens for drug toxicology in field settings. The use of oral fluid collection devices to supplement self-reports is unproven in street settings and may pose challenges for field research. Sixty adults who identified as recent illicit drug users were recruited in public settings in New York City and were asked to complete a brief drug screening inventory and provided saliva specimens. Descriptive findings are detailed along with critical best research practices and limitations that provide important directions for researchers looking to employ both toxicology and self-report in rapid field recruitment designs.

Effectiveness of a supportive housing program for homeless adults with mental illness and substance use: A two-group controlled trial

“…Although this population, once sheltered, commonly receives medical and psychiatric health care, medication compliance is fragmentary and is often not required for shelter placement. Reduction of substance use is encouraged but is also difficult to achieve, particularly when substances such as K2 (synthetic cannabinoids) have become epidemic international problems driven by ready availability and inexpensiveness (Aikins et al., 2015). An acknowledged limitation of this study involved our inability to collect information about participants’ substance use.…”