Research Updates – W/C 27/02/2023
A scoping review of qualitative research on barriers and facilitators to the use of supervised consumption services
This paper presents findings from a scoping review of qualitative studies on experiences of people who use drugs with supervised consumption services between 1997 and 2022. Access the review here.
The risk matrix: Drug-related deaths in prisons in England and Wales, 2015-2020
This article explores factors which contributed to drug-related deaths in English and Welsh prisons between 2015 and 2020. The study highlights the process of complex interaction between substances used, individual characteristics, situational features and the wider environment in explaining drug-related deaths in prisons. Access the paper here.
Special Issue: Substance use, stigma and social harm
The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is currently accepting submissions for its special issue, ‘Substance use, stigma and social harm’. The editors call for a need for insights into the health and social harms arising from stigma which is weaponised against vulnerable groups who use drugs, as well as critical engagement with systems of power and privilege that reproduce social harm. Deadline for manuscript submissions is 30th November 2023. Full details here.
Should I Stay or Should I Go? A qualitative exploration of stigma and other factors influencing opioid agonist treatment journeys
This paper explores the factors that might influence the treatment journeys of people who use opioid agonist treatment. The authors looked at factors at each level of the socioecological system and considered the ways these interact to influence treatment journeys in OAT. Access the paper here.
Improved health-related quality of life after hepatitis C viraemic clearance among people who inject drugs may not be durable
This study aimed to assess the impact of direct-acting antiviral treatment success on quality of life for people who use drugs. The authors concluded that successful direct-acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C may not lead to a durable improvement in quality of life, although there may be a transient improvement around the time of sustained virologic response. Access the study findings here.
Overdose Alert and Response Technologies: State-of-the-are review
The aim of this review was to identify and classify overdose-specific digital technologies being developed, implemented and evaluated. Findings included there has been increasing interest in the research and application of these technologies, with a willingness from people who use drugs, and affected communities, to use devices. Access the review here.
Carriage of naloxone by police in Scotland within a public health framework: A qualitative study of acceptability and experiences
This study explores the acceptability and the experiences of naloxone carriage and administration by police in Scotland. The authors found that carriage is an acceptable and potentially valuable harm reduction tool to help tackle drug-related deaths. Read the full findings here.
