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Wanting and Getting Help for Substance Problems on Both Sides of the US-Mexico Border

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Abstract

The US-Mexico border presents potential cultural and logistic barriers to obtaining substance abuse treatment. We compare the prevalence and correlates of wanting and getting help between border and non-border residents in both the US and Mexico. Data come from the 2011 to 2012 US-Mexico Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions which surveyed 3214 border and 1582 non-border residents in the US and Mexico. Multivariate logistic regressions estimate the effect of border residence on desire for and receipt of help. In both countries, border substance users were about half as likely as nonborder substance users to have wanted or obtained any kind of help, independent of predisposing, need and enabling factors, including migration status. Among those desiring help, however, about half had obtained it, both on and off the border in both countries. While substantial proportions of those who need help do not get it either on or off the border, lower motivation for treatment may be more important than access in explaining border/non-border differences. Future research should investigate whether there are border-specific barriers to wanting help, and how to minimize them.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Grant R01 AA01836540 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (Cheryl Cherpitel, PI). Nate Marti, Ph.D., at the University of Texas, provided statistical consultation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Addiction Research Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, 1717 W. 6th Street, Suite 335, Austin, TX, 78703, USA

    Lynn Wallisch

  2. Alcohol Research Group, 6475 Christie Avenue, Suite 400, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA

    Sarah E. Zemore & Cheryl J. Cherpitel

  3. Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Calzada México Xochimilco, No. 101, Col. San Lorenzo Huipulco, C.P. 14370, Mexico, DF, Mexico

    Guilherme Borges

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  1. Lynn Wallisch
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Correspondence to Lynn Wallisch.

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Wallisch, L., Zemore, S.E., Cherpitel, C.J. et al. Wanting and Getting Help for Substance Problems on Both Sides of the US-Mexico Border. J Immigrant Minority Health 19, 1174–1185 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-016-0442-y

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