Reasons for seeking treatment among young drug abusers in Hong Kong

This study examined the reasons for seeking treatment among 300 male young heroin abusers in Hong Kong (172 newcomers and 128 repeaters) recruited from non-government drug treatment agencies. A 55-item Reasons for Seeking Treatment Scale (Reasons Scale) was developed to measure the participants' reasons for seeking treatment. The results showed that the scale was internally consistent and six factors with reliable related subscales were extracted. The findings are generally consistent with the "hitting of the bottom" hypothesis, which posits that drug abusers will seek help only when they perceive that their addicted life is out of control. The results suggest that drug treatment and rehabilitation services should target the reasons for seeking treatment among young drug abusers.