title: Quality of life of people who inject drugs: characteristics and comparisons with other population samples.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the quality of life (QOL) of persons who inject drugs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Some 483 current injecting drug users visiting a large NSP over a 2-week period in October 2009 were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. QOL was measured using the WHOQOL-BREF. Data were collected on age, gender, injecting patterns, current drug treatment status and hepatitis C status. Participant QOL profiles were compared to published domain scores for a range of other population groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  People who inject drugs (PWID) experience a very poor QOL irrespective of socio-demographic characteristics, injecting patterns, hepatitis C sero-status and drug treatment status. Sample participants (PWID) experience a QOL below that experienced by many population groups in the community affected by disabling chronic illnesses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Injecting drug use is associated with a poor QOL. Some PWID may be self-medicating for chronic non-malignant pain, and it is likely that these people had a low QOL prior to the decision to inject. Despite this caveat, it remains likely that injecting drug use does little to enhance the QOL of the user.
authors: Pharmacy Australia Centre for Excellence (PACE), School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, 4102, Australia, Jane.Fischer@Flinders.edu.au.
authors: Jane A
authors: JA
authors: Fischer
authors: Sue
authors: S
authors: Conrad
authors: Alexandra M
authors: AM
authors: Clavarino
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Kemp
authors: Jackob M
authors: JM
authors: Najman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D055030:Drug Users / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult