This report was published by the University of Calgary & CRISM Prairies.

HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT:

This interview study from the CRISM Prairie Node took place as part of a national project from the Canadian Research Initiative on Substance Misuse (CRISM), with funding from the Emerging Health Threat (EHT) Implementation Science Program on Opioid Interventions and Services. The Youth Project ran from 2018 and 2022 with researchers focused on mapping the landscape of prevention and treatment for Canadian youth aged 15-25 who were new or “at risk” users of opioids. Our research activity included regional youth focus groups, a national Youth Summit, a survey of youth treatment service providers, and a scoping review. All activities were carried out in partnership with CRISM research teams based in Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, Ontario, the Prairie provinces, and BC.

This report summarizes the findings of a smaller project embedded in CRISM’s Prairie Node, covering Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. To compliment other youth engagement research in the CRISM EHT Youth Project, researchers at the University of Calgary interviewed 17 family members and loved ones affected by youth or young adult opioid use and overdose death. Our aim was to understand family experiences when supporting a young person seeking healthcare and treatment for the use of opioids and/or other substances. While our discussions emphasized family members’ roles as caregivers we also discussed their needs for support when supporting a loved one or dealing with grief following overdose death.