Skip to content
EMDR International Association
  • About EMDR Therapy
    • What is EMDR therapy?
      • Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) Model
      • EMDR Therapy & Addiction
      • EMDR Therapy & Anxiety
      • EMDR Therapy & Childhood Trauma
      • EMDR Therapy & Depression
      • EMDR Therapy & PTSD
    • Experiencing EMDR Therapy
    • EMDR Therapy in Treatment Guidelines
    • Recent Research on EMDR Therapy
    • Find an EMDR Therapist®
  • EMDR Training
    & Education
    • EMDR Education Calendar
    • EMDR Basic Training
      • 5 Steps to Take an EMDRIA™ Approved EMDR Basic Training
      • Eligibility Requirements for EMDR Basic Training
      • EMDR Basic Training FAQs
      • Training vs Certification
      • Find an EMDR Basic Training
    • Continuing Education
      • OnDemand Education
    • EMDRIA Conference
    • EMDRIA Summit
      • Summit Speaker Resources
    • EMDRIA™ Digital Badges
    • EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ Application
      • How to Market Yourself as an EMDRIA Certified Therapist™
      • EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ FAQs
      • Membership vs Certification
      • EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ Renewal
    • EMDRIA Approved Consultant™ Application
      • Updating EMDRIA Approved Consultant™ Standards
      • CIT Declaration Form
      • EMDRIA Approved Consultant in Training™ FAQs
      • Consultation Packet
      • EMDRIA Approved Consultant™ Renewal
      • Consultant Day Events
    • EMDRIA Credit Provider & Program Applications
    • EMDRIA Approved Trainer™ Application
    • EMDR Basic Training Policies & Requirements
    • Standards for EMDR Basic Training
    • Trainer Day Events
  • Publications
    & Resources
    • EMDRIA Library
    • Glossary of EMDR Terms
    • Antiracism Resources
    • Online EMDR Therapy Resources
    • Focal Point Blog
      • Subscribe to Focal Point Blog
    • Go With That Magazine®
    • Journal of EMDR Practice & Research®
    • Let’s Talk EMDR Podcast
    • Toolkits & Practice Resources
      • 8 Phases Toolkit
      • Building Your EMDR Practice Toolkit
      • Client Brochures
      • Addictions Toolkit
      • Depression Toolkit
      • EMDRIA Children’s Toolkit
      • Chronic Pain Toolkit
      • Military Toolkit
      • EMDR Consultation Toolkit
    • Kits y Recursos Prácticos
      • Folletos de Terapia EMDR
      • Kit de las 8 Fases
      • Kit de la Depresión
      • Kit del Dolor Crónico
      • Kit de los Niños y Niñas
  • EMDRIA™ Membership
    • Join EMDRIA™
      • Retired Membership
      • Agency Group Membership
      • International Affiliate Organizations
    • Member Hub
    • Renew EMDRIA™ Membership
    • Membership Benefits
    • EMDRIA™ Member Account Overview
    • Directory Profile Information
    • Membership vs Certification
  • EMDRIA Online Community
    • EMDRIA Online Community
    • EMDR Topic Forums
    • Special Interest Groups
  • About
    EMDRIA™
    • EMDRIA’s 30th Anniversary
    • EMDRIA™ FAQs
    • Contact EMDRIA™
    • Contact Media Relations
    • Meet the Board of Directors
      • Call for Board of Directors Nominations
    • Board News and Updates
      • Annual Membership Meeting
    • EMDR International Association™ Policies
    • EMDRIA™ Awards & Winners
    • EMDRIA Foundation
FacebookTwitterLinkedinInstagram
  • Join EMDRIA™
  • Contact
  • Find an EMDR Therapist®
EMDR International Association
Log In
  • About EMDR Therapy
    • What is EMDR therapy?
      • Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) Model
      • EMDR Therapy & Addiction
      • EMDR Therapy & Anxiety
      • EMDR Therapy & Childhood Trauma
      • EMDR Therapy & Depression
      • EMDR Therapy & PTSD
    • Experiencing EMDR Therapy
    • EMDR Therapy in Treatment Guidelines
    • Recent Research on EMDR Therapy
    • Find an EMDR Therapist®
  • EMDR Training
    & Education
    • EMDR Education Calendar
    • EMDR Basic Training
      • 5 Steps to Take an EMDRIA™ Approved EMDR Basic Training
      • Eligibility Requirements for EMDR Basic Training
      • EMDR Basic Training FAQs
      • Training vs Certification
      • Find an EMDR Basic Training
    • Continuing Education
      • OnDemand Education
    • EMDRIA Conference
    • EMDRIA Summit
      • Summit Speaker Resources
    • EMDRIA™ Digital Badges
    • EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ Application
      • How to Market Yourself as an EMDRIA Certified Therapist™
      • EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ FAQs
      • Membership vs Certification
      • EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ Renewal
    • EMDRIA Approved Consultant™ Application
      • Updating EMDRIA Approved Consultant™ Standards
      • CIT Declaration Form
      • EMDRIA Approved Consultant in Training™ FAQs
      • Consultation Packet
      • EMDRIA Approved Consultant™ Renewal
      • Consultant Day Events
    • EMDRIA Credit Provider & Program Applications
    • EMDRIA Approved Trainer™ Application
    • EMDR Basic Training Policies & Requirements
    • Standards for EMDR Basic Training
    • Trainer Day Events
  • Publications
    & Resources
    • EMDRIA Library
    • Glossary of EMDR Terms
    • Antiracism Resources
    • Online EMDR Therapy Resources
    • Focal Point Blog
      • Subscribe to Focal Point Blog
    • Go With That Magazine®
    • Journal of EMDR Practice & Research®
    • Let’s Talk EMDR Podcast
    • Toolkits & Practice Resources
      • 8 Phases Toolkit
      • Building Your EMDR Practice Toolkit
      • Client Brochures
      • Addictions Toolkit
      • Depression Toolkit
      • EMDRIA Children’s Toolkit
      • Chronic Pain Toolkit
      • Military Toolkit
      • EMDR Consultation Toolkit
    • Kits y Recursos Prácticos
      • Folletos de Terapia EMDR
      • Kit de las 8 Fases
      • Kit de la Depresión
      • Kit del Dolor Crónico
      • Kit de los Niños y Niñas
  • EMDRIA™ Membership
    • Join EMDRIA™
      • Retired Membership
      • Agency Group Membership
      • International Affiliate Organizations
    • Member Hub
    • Renew EMDRIA™ Membership
    • Membership Benefits
    • EMDRIA™ Member Account Overview
    • Directory Profile Information
    • Membership vs Certification
  • EMDRIA Online Community
    • EMDRIA Online Community
    • EMDR Topic Forums
    • Special Interest Groups
  • About
    EMDRIA™
    • EMDRIA’s 30th Anniversary
    • EMDRIA™ FAQs
    • Contact EMDRIA™
    • Contact Media Relations
    • Meet the Board of Directors
      • Call for Board of Directors Nominations
    • Board News and Updates
      • Annual Membership Meeting
    • EMDR International Association™ Policies
    • EMDRIA™ Awards & Winners
    • EMDRIA Foundation

Drug use in street sex workers (DUSSK) study: Results of a mixed methods feasibility study of a complex intervention to reduce illicit drug use in drug dependent female sex workers (British Medical Journal Open)

Article-FeaturedImage

Home / Resources / Addictions / Drug use in street sex workers (DUSSK) study: Results of a mixed methods feasibility study of a complex intervention to reduce illicit drug use in drug dependent female sex workers (British Medical Journal Open)

Drug use in street sex workers (DUSSK) study: Results of a mixed methods feasibility study of a complex intervention to reduce illicit drug use in drug dependent female sex workers

Participants received targeted PTSD screening then treatment with EMDR to reduce illicit drug use in drug dependent female sex workers.


Article Abstract

“Objectives: The majority of female street-based sex workers (SSWs) are dependent on illicit drugs and sell sex to fund their drug use. They typically face multiple traumatic experiences, starting at a young age, which continue through sex work involvement. Their trauma-related symptoms tend to increase when drug use is reduced, hindering sustained reduction. Providing specialist trauma care to address post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) alongside drug treatment may therefore improve treatment outcomes. Aims to (1) evaluate recruitment and retention of participants; (2) examine intervention experiences and acceptability; and (3) explore intervention costs using a mixed methods feasibility study.

Setting: Female SSW charity premises in a large UK inner city.

Participants: Females aged 18 years or older, who have sold sex on the street and used heroin and/or crack cocaine at least once a week in the last calendar month.

Intervention: Female SSW-only drug treatment groups in a female SSW-only setting delivered by female staff. Targeted PTSD screening then treatment of positive diagnoses with eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy by female staff from a specialist National Health Service trauma service.

Results: (1) Of 125 contacts, 11 met inclusion criteria and provided informed consent, 4 reached the intervention final stage, (2) service providers said working in collaboration with other services was valuable, the intervention was worthwhile and had a positive influence on participants. Participants viewed recruitment as acceptable and experienced the intervention positively. The unsettled nature of participant’s lives was a key attendance barrier. (3) The total cost of the intervention was £11 710, with staff costs dominating.

Conclusions: Recruitment and retention rates reflected study inclusion criteria targeting women with the most complex needs. Two participants received EMDR demonstrating that the three agencies working together was feasible. Staff heavy costs highlight the importance of supporting participant attendance to minimise per participant costs in a future trial.”

—Description from publisher

Article Access

Open Access

Patel, R., Redmond, N. M., Kesten, J. M., Linton, M.-J., Horwood, J., Wilcox, D., Munafo, J., Coast, J., Macleod, J., & Jeal, N. (2020). Drug use in street sex workers (DUSSK) study: Results of a mixed methods feasibility study of a complex intervention to reduce illicit drug use in drug dependent female sex workers. British Medical Journal Open, 10(12), Open access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-036491

View the Resource
Basic Info Collapse

Date
December 15, 2020

Creator(s)
Rita Patel, Niamh M Redmond, Joanna M Kesten

Contributor(s)
Myles-Jay Linton, Jeremy Horwood, David Wilcox, Jess Munafo, Joanna Coast, John Macleod, Nicola Jeal

Topics
Addictions, Sexual Trauma

More Info Collapse

Extent
14 pages

Publisher
BMJ

Rights
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

APA Citation
Patel, R., Redmond, N. M., Kesten, J. M., Linton, M.-J., Horwood, J., Wilcox, D., & . . . Jeal, N. (2020). Drug use in street sex workers (DUSSK) study: Results of a mixed methods feasibility study of a complex intervention to reduce illicit drug use in drug dependent female sex workers. British Medical Journal Open, 10(12), Open access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-036491

Audience
EMDR Therapists, Other Mental Health Professionals

Language
English

Content Type
Article, Peer-Reviewed

Access Type
External Resource, Open Access

Related Resources

EMDR Therapy and Military Resource List

Read More

EMDR Early Intervention Resources

Read More

Perceived feasibility of group EMDR therapy among disaster-affected adolescents in Turkey: A convergent mixed-methods study (Preprint, BMC Psychiatry)

Read More

Find an EMDR Therapist®

EMDRIA™ has more than 18,000 members trained to provide EMDR Therapy. Find a therapist near you.

Find an EMDR Therapist®
sun-flare-min
logo-emdria-grayscale-min

7000 N Mo Pac Expy
Ste 200
Austin, TX 78731-3013

Email info@emdria.org

Phone 512-451-5200

EMDRIA Facebook EMDRIA Twitter EMDRIA LinkedIn EMDRIA YouTube EMDRIA Online Community
  • About EMDR Therapy
  • EMDR Training and Education
  • EMDRIA™ Membership
  • Publications & Resources
  • EMDRIA Online Community
  • EMDRIA Foundation
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Sitemap
gold-circle-2022

© 1995-2025 EMDR International Association™. All rights reserved.

Website by Yoko Co

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • Please be aware that email is not a secure means of communication and spam filters may prevent your email from reaching the therapist. We recommend you follow up with a phone call. Sending an email using this page does not guarantee that the recipient will receive, read, or respond to your email.

    If this is an emergency do not use this form. Call 911 or your nearest hospital.

We use cookies to ensure the best website experience. See our privacy policy to learn more.