title: Injecting transition risk and depression among Mexican American non-injecting heroin users.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Existing research has documented high comorbid rates for injecting drug use (IDU) and social and health consequences including HIV infection, a condition that disproportionately affects U.S. Hispanic populations. Few studies have examined the specific associations between injecting transition risk among non-injecting heroin using (NIU) populations and mental health conditions. This study hypothesizes that injecting transition risk will be strongly associated with depression symptomatology controlling for age and gender among Mexican American NIUs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Street-recruited NIUs (n=300) were administered structured interviews. The Mexican American sample was predominantly male (66%), unemployed (75%) with more than half experiencing incarceration in their lifetimes (58%). Depression was measured using the CES-D scale. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were employed to determine the associations between the dependent variable of heroin injecting transition risk and the key independent variables of depression symptomatology and other independent variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depression symptomatology was the strongest independent correlate of injecting transition risk. Those NIUs with high levels of depression symptomatology had more than three times the heroin injecting transition risk than those NIUs with low levels. Heroin use network influence was also found to be a strong correlate. Acculturation level was significantly associated with injecting transition risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The comorbid condition of depression symptomatology and heroin use places Mexican American NIUs at elevated risk of contracting blood-borne pathogens such as HIV. Development of prevention and treatment strategies that target Hispanic non-injecting heroin users in socially disadvantaged communities should consider depression symptoms and develop interventions that build new social networks.
authors: School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-041, United States.
authors: Alice
authors: A
authors: Cepeda
authors: Charles
authors: C
authors: Kaplan
authors: Alan
authors: A
authors: Neaigus
authors: Miguel Ángel
authors: MÁ
authors: Cano
authors: Yolanda
authors: Y
authors: Villarreal
authors: Avelardo
authors: A
authors: Valdez
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult