Characteristics of affected family members seeking treatment in their own right: a secondary analysis of existing Irish health data for 2010–2020

Figures & data

Table 1. Gender and age of referrals 2010–2020, all referrals, adult referrals, and child referrals^a.

	All referrals		Adult referrals		Child referrals
Total	n = 13,744		n = 11,754		n = 815
Gender	n = 13,698	%	n = 11,714		n = 814	%
Male	3,087	22.5	2,460	21.0	368	45.2
Female	10,611	77.5	9,254	79.0	446	54.8
Age	n = 12,569		n = 11,754		n = 815
Mean age (years)	43.4		45.4		14.2
Std deviation	15.1		13.5		2.6
Median age (years)	45		46		15
Range (5th–95th percentiles)	16–67		22–68		9–17

^aVariables were analysed without cases where the response was ‘unknown.’

Table 2. Gender and grouped age cross tabulation for all referrals 2010–2020.

		Grouped age
		All referrals
		<18	18–24	25–34	35–44	45–54	55–64	65+	Total
Male	n	368	202	302	490	688	524	254	2,828
	% within gender	13.0	7.1	10.7	17.3	24.3	18.5	9.0	100.0
	% within age	45.2	24.7	16.3	17.7	21.0	25.5	27.1	22.6
	% of total	2.9	1.6	2.4	3.9	5.5	4.2	2.0	22.6
Female	n	446	615	1,554	2,278	2,589	1,534	684	9,700
	% within gender	4.6	6.3	16.0	23.5	26.7	15.8	7.1	100.0
	% within age	54.8	75.3	83.7	82.3	79.0	74.5	72.9	77.4
	% of total	3.6	4.9	12.4	18.2	20.7	12.2	5.5	77.4
Total	n	814	817	1,856	2,768	3,277	2,058	938	12,528
	% within gender	6.5	6.5	14.8	22.1	26.2	16.4	7.5	100.0
	% within age	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
	% of total	6.5	6.5	14.8	22.1	26.2	16.4	7.5	100.0

Number where age and gender known = 12,528.

Table 3. Education and employment of referrals 2010–2020, all referrals, adult referrals, and child referrals^a.

	All referrals		Adult referrals		Child referrals
Total	n = 13,744		n = 11,754		n = 815
Education	n = 8,811	%	n = 8,192	%	n = 425	%
Primary level incomplete	150	1.7	105	1.3	42	9.9
Primary level	1,072	12.2	870	10.6	194	45.5
Junior Certificate	2,180	24.7	1,977	24.1	172	40.4
Leaving Certificate	3,460	39.3	3,355	41.0	17	4.0
Third level	1,936	22.0	1,873	22.9	0	0.0
Never went to school	13	0.1	12	0.1	0	0.0
Employment	n = 12,582	%	n = 10,767	%	n = 796	%
In paid employment	6,010	47.8	5,482	50.9	7	0.9
Student	1,060	8.4	286	2.7	750	94.2
Training course	219	1.7	190	1.8	11	1.4
Housewife/husband	1,597	12.7	1,378	12.8	0	0.0
Unemployed	2,361	18.8	2,192	20.4	25	3.1
Other	18	0.1	15	0.1	<5	<1.0

^aVariables were analysed without cases where the response was ‘unknown.’

Table 4. Living circumstances of referrals 2010–2020, all referrals, adult referrals, and child referrals^a.

	All referrals		Adult referrals		Child referrals
Total	n = 13,744		n = 11,754			n = 815
Living where	n = 13,409	%	n = 11,500	%		n = 803	%
Stable accommodation	13,198	98.4	11,321	98.4		782	97.4
Homeless	52	0.4	47	0.4		<5	<1.0
Other unstable accommodation	102	0.8	86	0.7		10	1.2
Prison	<5	<1.0	<5	<1.0		0	0.0
Institution (residential care/halfway house)	54	0.4	43	0.4		7	0.9
Living arrangements	n = 13,268	%	n = 11,371	%		n = 807	%
Alone	1,140	8.6	1,078	9.5		0	0.0
Parents or family	2,202	16.6	1,338	11.8		752	93.2
Friends	138	1.0	128	1.1		7	0.9
Partner (alone)	1,701	12.8	1,615	14.2		<5	<1.0
Partner and child(ren)	5,428	40.9	4,860	42.7		6	0.7
Alone with child(ren)	2,417	18.2	2,161	19.0		<5	<1.0
Other	212	1.6	183	1.6		18	2.2
Foster care	32	0.2	8	<0.1		21	2.6

^aVariables were analysed without cases where the response was ‘unknown.’

Table 5. Additional demographic variables for referrals 2016–2020, all referrals, adult referrals, and child referrals^a.

	All referrals		Adult referrals		Child referrals
Total	n = 6,546		n = 5,715		n = 532
Language at home	n = 4,357	%	n = 3,818	%	n = 378	%
English or Irish	3,814	87.5	3,310	86.7	352	93.1
Other language	543	12.5	508	13.3	26	6.9
Country of birth	n = 5,384	%	n = 4,681	%	n = 485	%
Ireland	4,735	87.9	4,069	86.9	458	94.4
Outside Ireland	649	12.1	612	13.1	27	5.6

^aVariables were analysed without cases where the response was ‘unknown.’

Table 6. Main treatment interventions received for treated cases, where known, 2016–2020, all cases, adult cases, and child cases.

	All cases		Adult cases		Child cases
Total	n = 3,084		n = 2,818		n = 212
Treatment interventions	n	%	n	%	n	%
Individual counselling	1150	37.3	1078	38.3	64	30.2
Brief intervention	1118	36.3	1051	37.3	44	20.8
Individual education awareness	354	11.5	313	11.1	35	16.5
Group education awareness	318	10.3	302	10.7	8	3.8
Family therapy	272	8.8	250	8.9	10	4.7
Group counselling	170	5.5	169	6.0	<5	<1.0
Multi-component model^*	137	4.4	107	3.8	30	14.2

^*Includes the 5-Step Model.

Table 7. Main interventions - length of treatment in days for treated cases, where known, 2016-2020, all cases, adult cases, child cases.

	All cases			Adult cases			Child cases
	n	Median	Range^a	n	Median	Range^a	n	Median	Range^a
Individual counselling	1,150	85	(1–460)	1,078	85	(1–458)	64	96	(8–438)
Individual education awareness	354	60	(1–324)	313	57	(1–332)	35	165	(7–291)
Group education awareness	318	22	(1–357)	302	22	(1–364)	8	33	(N/A)
Family therapy	272	43	(1–302)	250	43	(1–286)	10	86.5	(1-N/A)
Group counselling	170	120	(8–367)	169	120	(8–367)	<5	36	(36–36)
Multi-component model	137	37	(4–297)	107	64	(1–303)	30	37	(17–277)

^aDay range presented is the 5th percentile to 95th percentile. N/A: median cannot be calculated.

Table 8. Treatment setting for referrals 2010–2020, all referrals, adult referrals, and child referrals^a.

	All referrals		Adult referrals		Child referrals
Setting	n = 13,744	%	n = 11,754	%	n = 815	%
Outpatient	10,466	76.1	9,496	80.6	537	65.9
Inpatient	24	0.2	24	0.2	0	0
Low threshold	3,254	23.7	2,261	19.2	278	34.1

^aVariables were analysed without cases where the response was ‘unknown.’

Table 9. Source of referral 2016–2020, for all cases, adult cases, and child cases^a.

	All referrals		Adult referrals		Child referrals
	n = 4,542		n = 4,080		n = 324
Source of referral	n	%	n	%	n	%
Self	2,670	58.8	2,576	63.1	19	5.9
Social services/community services	679	14.9	520	12.7	136	42.0
Family and friends	595	13.1	443	10.9	132	40.7
Another drug treatment centre	182	4.0	168	4.1	11	3.4
Hospital or other medical source	169	3.7	142	3.5	19	5.9
General practitioner	168	3.7	157	3.8	6	1.9
Court/probation/police	70	1.5	65	1.6	<5	<1.0
Other	9	0.2	9	0.2	0	0.0

^aVariables were analysed without cases where the response was ‘unknown.’