Perceived Opioid-Related Health Beliefs Among Homeless-Experienced Individuals Engaging in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

BACKGROUND: People experiencing homelessness are disproportionately affected by opioid use disorder (OUD), yet treatment engagement remains low. Understanding opioid-related health beliefs in this population may inform more tailored interventions. OBJECTIVE: To characterize opioid-related health beliefs among homeless-experienced individuals with OUD and examine their alignment with opioid use severity. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of individuals initiating opioid treatment at a homeless healthcare program in Boston, Massachusetts. The survey assessed key Health Belief Model domains related to opioid use and incorporated the World Health Organization's Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) to quantify opioid use severity. We used nonparametric trend tests to examine associations between ASSIST quartiles (Q1 ≤ 23.5, Q2 23.6-33.0, Q3 33.1-38.0, and Q4 > 38.0) and belief domains. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with greater opioid use severity endorsed higher perceived opioid-related threats and treatment-related benefits. Interventions that highlight these beliefs may help enhance treatment engagement in this high-risk population.