Introduction: The Institute of Addictions of Madrid Health (City Council of Madrid) routinely employs
outreach strategies aimed at different population groups. In 2020, a new outreach programme was
initiated targeting individuals engaged in chemsex practices. This paper presents the design and initial
outcomes of this programme. Objectives: The PAUSE outreach programme aims to engage chemsex
users who have not yet sought professional help, providing them support at earlier stages to mitigate
the risks associated with these practices, introduce breaks from them, or facilitate better access and
linkage to public and community services specialised in chemsex within the city of Madrid. Materials
and Methods: The programme’s design explored various approaches to engage active chemsex users,
including online dissemination strategies and through cards and posters. Users were offered two
types of interventions: brief and structured. The former were conducted via chat, while the latter
were scheduled either for in-person meetings or through Skype/Zoom. Results: During the analysed
activity period, a total of 739 brief interventions were conducted via chat, benefiting 442 users in total.
Additionally, 190 structured sessions, either in-person or online, lasting an hour each were carried
out. A total of 115 users were referred to addiction care centres. The programme’s services received
excellent evaluations. Conclusions: The intervention model implemented in the PAUSE programme
proved effective in reaching users engaged in chemsex during early stages. Online outreach through
gay contact apps emerged as the most successful engagement strategy. Users served demonstrated a
high acceptability of this intervention format.
Autores
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Raúl Soriano - Sociólogo. Coordinador programa Pausa (periodo A). Valencia, España.
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Felipe Yobino Olguin - Médico CCAD Casa de Campo Cruz Roja, Coordinador programa Pausa (periodo B). Madrid. España
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Ruth Olmos Espinosa - Médica, Jefa Dpto. Asistencia Instituto de Adicciones, Madrid Salud. Madrid. España
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Paloma Varas Soler - Médica Adjunta Dpto. Asistencia, Instituto de Adiciones, Madrid Salud. Madrid. España
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María García-Inés Alcalde - Coordinadora CCAD Casa de Campo, Cruz Roja. Madrid. España
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Santiago Redondo Bueno - Psicólogo programa Pausa (periodo A). Madrid. España
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Carlos J. Torrecilla Ramírez - Psicólogo programa Pausa (periodo A). Madrid. España
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Alejandro Ruiz Sánchez - Psicólogo programa Pausa (periodo B). Madrid. España
Palabras clave:
Chemsex; outreach; GBMSM.