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Valuing families' preferences for drug treatment: a discrete choice experiment

  • Marian Shanahan
    ,
  • Jennifer Seddon
    ,
  • Alison Ritter
    ,
  • Richard De Abreu Lourenco
Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Open access

Sustainable Development Goals

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well

Abstract

The burden on family members of those who are dependent on illicit drugs is largely unidentified despite the presence of significant negative financial, health and social impacts. This makes it difficult to provide appropriate services and support. This study aimed to assess the preferences for treatment attributes for heroin dependence among family members affected by the drug use of a relative and to obtain a measure of the intangible economic benefit. Discrete choice experiment. Data were analysed using mixed logit which accounted for repeated responses. Australia PARTICIPANTS: Eligible participants were Australian residents of 18+ years of age with a relative with problematic drug use. Complete data on 237 respondents were analysed; 21 invalid responses were deleted. Participant preference for likelihood of staying in treatment, family conflict, own health status, contact with police and monetary contribution to a charitable organisation providing treatment. All attributes were significant, and the results suggest there was a preference for longer time in treatment, less family discord, better own health status, less likelihood of their relative encountering police, and while they were willing to contribute to a charity for treatment to be available, they prefer to pay less not more. In order of relative importance, participants were willing to pay an additional $4.46 (95% CI 3.33-5.60) for treatment which resulted in an additional 1% of heroin users staying in treatment for longer than 3 months, $42.00 (95% CI 28.30-55.69) to avoid 5 days per week of family discord, $87.94 (95% CI 64.41-111.48) for treatment options that led to an improvement in their own health status, and $129.66 (95% CI 53.50-205.87) for each 1% decline in the chance of police contact. Drug treatment in Australia appears to have intangible benefits for affected family members. Families are willing to pay for treatment which reduces family discord, improves their own health, increases time in treatment and reduces contact with police. BACKGROUND AND AIMS DESIGN SETTING MEASUREMENTS FINDINGS CONCLUSIONS

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 690-699 (10 pages)

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Addiction (Volume 115, Issue 4)

Publication milestones

  • Accepted/In press - 16/08/2019
  • Published - 10/09/2019

Publication status

Published - 10/09/2019

ISSN

0965-2140

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/623565
  • Scopus: 85074931219
  • PubMed: 31506995

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