Barriers and facilitators to accessing substance use treatment for people who use drugs in the Muslim communities

This systematic review, published in drug and alcohol dependence explores the barriers and facilitators to accessing inpatient and community substance use treatment and harm reduction services for people who use drugs in Muslim communities.

Highlights

• The scarcity of research on illicit drug use conducted in the Muslim world, specifically, on barriers and facilitators to access drug treatment and harm reduction services for people who use drugs indicates the need for more research in the region.

• Stigma on drug use in the Muslim world permeates psychosocial and organizational factors affecting people who use drugs access to drug treatment and harm reduction services.

• Psychosocial barriers and facilitators of people who use drugs access to drug treatment and harm reduction services include denial of the problem severity, lack of trust in the treatment system, fear of breach in confidentiality and privacy, the need for community support, religion and women who use drugs.

• Organizational barriers and facilitators of people who use drugs access to drug treatment and harm reduction services include affordability, treatment Service characteristics, lack of Awareness, service providers’ Attitudes, drug use registration and fear of legal consequences of drug use.

• The way people receive treatment is different in different Muslim countries in terms of gender, experience, policy and availability of treatments and harm reduction services.