IT’S BIG –
Jan. 17, 2026 – Conducted as part of the Review of the Medically Supervised Injecting Room Trial, this study identified high rates of complex trauma that can create barriers to treatment among people who use supervised injecting facilities.
“We already know that high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among people who inject drugs can adversely affect health outcomes and create barriers to engaging with services,” explains the study’s lead author. “People who use drugs often have nowhere else to turn. They face stigma, discrimination, and exclusion from traditional healthcare settings,” she adds.
Supervised injection facilities are one of the few accessible and non-judgmental points of contact with the health system for people who inject drugs.
To better understand how to improve access to care among people who often fall through the cracks, the researchers examined the prevalence of PTSD and complex PTSD (C-PTSD) among people who attend the Melbourne Supervised Injecting Room, and the ways that symptom severity might relate to perceived barriers to alcohol and drug treatment.
