Community perspectives on drug/alcohol use, concerns, needs and resources in four Washington State Tribal communities.

Community-university teams investigated substance use, abuse, and dependence (SUAD) and related concerns, needs, strengths, and resources in four Washington State Tribal communities as part of National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) protocol CTN-0033-Ot-3.

One hundred and fifty-three key community members shared their perspectives through 45 semi-structured interviews and 19 semi-structured focus groups. Qualitative data analysis revealed robust themes: prescription medications and alcohol were perceived as most prevalent and concerning; family and peer influences and emotional distress were prominent perceived risk factors; and SUAD intervention resources varied across communities. Findings may guide future research and the development of much needed strength-based, culturally appropriate, and effective SUAD interventions for American Indians, Alaska Natives, and their communities.

Related protocols: CTN-0033-Ot-3