20‐Year Trajectories of Substance‐Use Service Utilization by Ontario's Muslim‐Majority Country Immigrants

Objective The aim of this study is to conduct a population‐level study on substance use treatment utilization among immigrants from Muslim‐majority countries (MMC) and non‐MMC, compared with Canadian‐born individuals in Ontario. Methods A population‐based, repeated measures cross‐sectional study was...

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Main Authors: Ahmed N. Hassan, Fardowsa Ahmed, Haley Golding, Luke Mondor, Taaha Muhammad, Marwa Azab, Jibran Khokhar, Heba Ragheb, Allie Ali, Nazila Isgandarova, Abd Alfatah Tawakkal, Refik Saskin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-03-01
Series:Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.prcp.20240090
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author Ahmed N. Hassan
Fardowsa Ahmed
Haley Golding
Luke Mondor
Taaha Muhammad
Marwa Azab
Jibran Khokhar
Heba Ragheb
Allie Ali
Nazila Isgandarova
Abd Alfatah Tawakkal
Refik Saskin
author_facet Ahmed N. Hassan
Fardowsa Ahmed
Haley Golding
Luke Mondor
Taaha Muhammad
Marwa Azab
Jibran Khokhar
Heba Ragheb
Allie Ali
Nazila Isgandarova
Abd Alfatah Tawakkal
Refik Saskin
author_sort Ahmed N. Hassan
collection DOAJ
description Objective The aim of this study is to conduct a population‐level study on substance use treatment utilization among immigrants from Muslim‐majority countries (MMC) and non‐MMC, compared with Canadian‐born individuals in Ontario. Methods A population‐based, repeated measures cross‐sectional study was conducted. Additionally, individuals with at least one contact with substance use services were followed. Negative binomial models were run to compare the rate ratio of the number of repeated healthcare visits per person per year of follow‐up by subpopulation group. This study included three separate populations (Canadian‐born, immigrants from MMC, and immigrants from non‐MMC) residing in Ontario, Canada. All individuals residing in Ontario on the first day of each calendar year from January 2003 to December 2022 were included. Data were collected from three major sources: outpatient visits, emergency department visits, and inpatient hospitalizations. Results In 2022, immigrants from MMC (n = 561,937) and non‐MMC (n = 2,138,307) groups had lower substance‐use service utilization across all service types compared with Canadian individuals (n = 12,178,607). Comparing 2022 to 2003, the most significant increase in utilizing hospitalization was for MMC immigrants (RR: 3.0; 95% CI: 2.1–4.4; p < 0.01) and the lowest increase in outpatient service utilization was in MMC immigrants (RR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.5–2.0; p < 0.01). The rates of repeated service utilization among those who initiated contact with outpatient services in the MMC and non‐MMC groups were significantly less than Canadian‐born individuals. Conclusions Immigrants from MMC and non‐MMC with substance use disorders may utilize service only at critical stages, thereby jeopardizing treatment success.
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spelling doaj-art-e6eb9ce3c6b249bb97c54fd00ad090d22025-08-20T03:41:15ZengWileyPsychiatric Research and Clinical Practice2575-56092025-03-0171324310.1176/appi.prcp.2024009020‐Year Trajectories of Substance‐Use Service Utilization by Ontario's Muslim‐Majority Country ImmigrantsAhmed N. Hassan0Fardowsa Ahmed1Haley Golding2Luke Mondor3Taaha Muhammad4Marwa Azab5Jibran Khokhar6Heba Ragheb7Allie Ali8Nazila Isgandarova9Abd Alfatah Tawakkal10Refik Saskin11Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute Toronto Ontario CanadaCentre for Addiction and Mental Health Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute Toronto Ontario CanadaInstitute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) Toronto Ontario CanadaInstitute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) Toronto Ontario CanadaDepartment of Family and Community Medicine Temerty School of Medicine University of Toronto Toronto Ontario CanadaDepartment of Psychology California State University Long Beach California USADepartment of Anatomy and Cell Biology Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry Western University London Ontario CanadaHayat Wellness Centre Toronto Ontario CanadaEmployment Fanshawe College London Ontario CanadaEmmanuel College at Victoria University in the University of Toronto Toronto Ontario CanadaMuslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration London Ontario CanadaInstitute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) Toronto Ontario CanadaObjective The aim of this study is to conduct a population‐level study on substance use treatment utilization among immigrants from Muslim‐majority countries (MMC) and non‐MMC, compared with Canadian‐born individuals in Ontario. Methods A population‐based, repeated measures cross‐sectional study was conducted. Additionally, individuals with at least one contact with substance use services were followed. Negative binomial models were run to compare the rate ratio of the number of repeated healthcare visits per person per year of follow‐up by subpopulation group. This study included three separate populations (Canadian‐born, immigrants from MMC, and immigrants from non‐MMC) residing in Ontario, Canada. All individuals residing in Ontario on the first day of each calendar year from January 2003 to December 2022 were included. Data were collected from three major sources: outpatient visits, emergency department visits, and inpatient hospitalizations. Results In 2022, immigrants from MMC (n = 561,937) and non‐MMC (n = 2,138,307) groups had lower substance‐use service utilization across all service types compared with Canadian individuals (n = 12,178,607). Comparing 2022 to 2003, the most significant increase in utilizing hospitalization was for MMC immigrants (RR: 3.0; 95% CI: 2.1–4.4; p < 0.01) and the lowest increase in outpatient service utilization was in MMC immigrants (RR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.5–2.0; p < 0.01). The rates of repeated service utilization among those who initiated contact with outpatient services in the MMC and non‐MMC groups were significantly less than Canadian‐born individuals. Conclusions Immigrants from MMC and non‐MMC with substance use disorders may utilize service only at critical stages, thereby jeopardizing treatment success.https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.prcp.20240090
spellingShingle Ahmed N. Hassan
Fardowsa Ahmed
Haley Golding
Luke Mondor
Taaha Muhammad
Marwa Azab
Jibran Khokhar
Heba Ragheb
Allie Ali
Nazila Isgandarova
Abd Alfatah Tawakkal
Refik Saskin
20‐Year Trajectories of Substance‐Use Service Utilization by Ontario's Muslim‐Majority Country Immigrants
Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice
title 20‐Year Trajectories of Substance‐Use Service Utilization by Ontario's Muslim‐Majority Country Immigrants
title_full 20‐Year Trajectories of Substance‐Use Service Utilization by Ontario's Muslim‐Majority Country Immigrants
title_fullStr 20‐Year Trajectories of Substance‐Use Service Utilization by Ontario's Muslim‐Majority Country Immigrants
title_full_unstemmed 20‐Year Trajectories of Substance‐Use Service Utilization by Ontario's Muslim‐Majority Country Immigrants
title_short 20‐Year Trajectories of Substance‐Use Service Utilization by Ontario's Muslim‐Majority Country Immigrants
title_sort 20 year trajectories of substance use service utilization by ontario s muslim majority country immigrants
url https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.prcp.20240090
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