Dependence-Robust Confidence Intervals for Capture-Recapture Surveys.

Capture-recapture (CRC) surveys are used to estimate the size of a population whose members cannot be enumerated directly. CRC surveys have been used to estimate the number of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections, people who use drugs, sex workers, conflict casualties, and trafficking victims. When -capture samples are obtained, counts of unit captures in subsets of samples are represented naturally by a contingency table in which one element-the number of individuals appearing in none of the samples-remains unobserved.

Prevalence of drug use before and during imprisonment in seven European countries (2014-2018).

Substance use is a global phenomenon that is particularly affecting the prison population. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of drug use among people in prison before and during incarceration in seven European countries and to compare it with the prevalence in the general population. Individual data collection was carried out between 2014 and 2018 with a model European Questionnaire on Drug Use among people in prison.

COVID-19 and people who use drugs: Impact of the pandemic on general anxiety and depressive disorders among adults in Belgium.

Background: During previous pandemics people who use drugs (PWUD) were categorized among the most vulnerable. In the current study, firstly, we wanted to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders among PWUD. Furthermore, we wanted to compare the prevalence of these disorders with that of members from the general population who did not use drugs.

Use of health care services by people with substance use disorders in Belgium: a register-based cohort study.

Background: The objective of the study was to describe the frequencies of health-care utilization by people with substance use disorder (SUD), including contacts with general practitioners (GP), psychiatrists, emergency departments (ED) and hospital admissions and to compare this frequency to the general population.

Methods: Data from the national register of people who were in treatment for SUD between 2011 and 2014 was linked to health care data from the Belgian health insurance (N = 30,905). Four comparators were matched on age, sex and place of residence to each subject in treatment for SUD (N = 123,620).

Estimates of people who injected drugs within the last 12 months in Belgium based on a capture-recapture and multiplier method.

Background: For Belgium, available estimates of the number of people who inject drugs (PWID) are based on data from more than fifteen years ago and apply only to those who report ever injecting drugs. As a result, no reliable baseline data exist to determine the scale of services for PWID.

Methods: We obtained pseudo-anonymized identifier information from treatment and harm reduction service providers and a fieldwork study between February and April 2019 in Brussels.

Prevalence of HCV among people who inject drugs in Brussels-a respondent-driven sampling survey.

Background: In Belgium, people who inject drugs (PWID) are at a high risk of being infected by hepatitis C (HCV) as injecting drug use is the main mode for transmission of HCV in Europe. Estimates about the number of people living with HCV in Belgium are rare and even less is known about the prevalence of HCV among PWID.

Method: Between 1 February 2019 and 26 April 2019, PWID and high-risk opiate users (HROU) were recruited in Brussels through respondent-driven sampling (RDS).

Alternatives to prison for drug offenders in Belgium during the past decade.

Objective: Imprisonment has a more pronounced criminogenic effect on drug offenders than on other types of offenders. Additionally, little research has been conducted on the practical application of drug-related alternatives to prison. Therefore, this study describes drug-related alternatives to prison in Belgium over a ten years' period since 2005.

Treatment for substance use disorders: the Belgian Treatment Demand Indicator registration protocol.

Background: Registration of patients with substance use disorders is of key importance to get insights and to study trends in patients characteristics and substance use patterns. The Treatment Demand Indicator (TDI) is gathering this information at European level since 2000. In Belgium, this registration started at national level in 2011 and an increasing number of facilities of different types are participating in this data collection since then.