Opioid use disorder (OUD) poses a significant and growing threat. When OUD co-occurs with other mental health disorders, patients report more severe clinical profiles and more suicidal ideation and behavior. While access to treatment is especially important for patients with co-occurring disorders (COD) who are at high risk of morbidity and mortality, prior research suggests there are disparities in access to and utilization of care for OUD and mental health disorders between non-Hispanic white individuals and ethnically minoritized individuals. The current study examines whether such disparities exist between Hispanic/Latinx and non-Hispanic/Latinx patients with COD receiving primary care in New Mexico. Using data from the CLARO clinical trial, which enrolled 736 patients with probable OUD plus PTSD and/or depression receiving care at one of 14 primary care clinics, we ran logistic regressions to compare rates of MOUD and mental health treatment, as well as demographic and social determinant of health variables, between Hispanic/Latinx and non-Hispanic/Latinx patients enrolled in the trial. Our results suggest that within the population of our study, there were no differences in utilization of care for OUD or mental health disorders. Hispanic/Latinx patients were more likely to report the presence of a social support person in their lives, and more likely to report a lower level of education. Our results conflict with the majority of the literature on ethnic disparities in utilization of care, and demonstrate the need for more localized and contextualized research in order to reconcile these conflicting findings and rectify any existing discrepancies.
Rabinowitz et al. (Tue,) studied this question.