Treatment barriers identified by substance abusers assessed at a centralized intake unit

J Subst Abuse Treat. 2006 Apr;30(3):227-35. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2006.01.002.

Abstract

The 59-item Barriers to Treatment Inventory (BTI) was administered to 312 substance abusers at a centralized intake unit following assessment but before treatment entry to assess their views on barriers to treatment. Factor analysis identified 25 items in 7 well-defined latent constructs: Absence of Problem, Negative Social Support, Fear of Treatment, Privacy Concerns, Time Conflict, Poor Treatment Availability, and Admission Difficulty. The factorial structure of the barriers is consistent with the findings of other studies that asked substance abusers about barriers to treatment and is conceptually compatible with Andersen's model of health care utilization. Factors were moderately to highly correlated, suggesting that they interact with one another. Selected characteristics were generally not predictive of barrier factors. Overall, results indicate that the BTI has good content validity and is a reliable instrument for assessing barriers to drug treatment. The potential utility of the BTI in assessment settings is discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Data Interpretation, Statistical
  • Denial, Psychological
  • Employment
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Fear
  • Female
  • Health Services Accessibility
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Admission
  • Privacy
  • Social Support
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / statistics & numerical data*
  • Substance-Related Disorders / psychology
  • Substance-Related Disorders / rehabilitation*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires