The purpose of our research program is to ensure that young people are provided a platform to be advocates for their own support needs around alcohol and other drugs.
Youth Solutions’ research program is supported by a broader research advisory group made up of members from the University of Wollongong, University of Sydney and Western Sydney University. This collaborative working group was created in late 2018 to assist Youth Solutions in increasing it’s research capacity.
Thank you to our Research Advisory Committee and previous research assistants Steve Loomes and Joseph Abdo.
This project engaged with young people with lived experience of substance use and mental health concerns in considering the unique challenges in accessing care and engaging with services. This study was co-created with lived experience young people and explored the concepts of ‘recovery’ and what ‘recovery’ means for young people seeking treatment for dual diagnoses.
Funding Declaration: Community Mental Health, Drug & Alcohol Research Network
Publication: Toole-Anstey, C, Carr, L, Deans, E & Sidis, A 2024, ‘“That’s the cards you’ve been given. And it’s really just what you do with them”: a photovoice study about recovery‘, Advances in Dual Diagnosis, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 81-101.
Youth Solutions and Drug and Alcohol Youth Service (DAYS) represent two youth services working within the AOD sector in South Western Sydney; a unique partnership which has worked to bridge the gap between prevention (Youth Solutions) and treatment (DAYS). Both services are committed to responding to the needs of young people and recognise the value in understanding a young person’s journey through the AOD treatment system. The purpose of this research project was to understand through qualitative inquiry the barriers and enablers to effective service provision and how we can better support and provide for the young people accessing support for alcohol and other drug issues. The team interviewed 19 young people and 5 parents and carers who were navigating the AOD treatment system.
Funding Declaration: SWSLHD Drug Health Services
Publication: Deans, E, Ravulo, J, Conroy, E, Kelly, P, Grados Bonner, E, Lal, J, Morrison, J & Whitton, G 2023, ‘Engaging and retaining clients in AOD treatment: young people’s perspectives’, Journal of Youth Studies, https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2024.2391922.
The purpose of this research project was to understand through qualitative inquiry the socio-cultural factors that shape mental health help seeking behaviours among Pacific young people, a growing cultural group in South Western Sydney. The outcome was the co-creation of new knowledge to guide AOD and mental health community services in designing resources and approaches that are influenced and shaped by Pacific perspectives. The team conducted 9 focus groups with a total of 27 Pasifika young people and have a publication currently under review.
Funding Declaration: SWSLHD Drug Health Services
This project involved qualitative focus groups with 30 young people currently transitioning through the NSW Youth Justice System about the substances that have caused them concern and the socio-cultural factors that have shaped their involvement in drug use. This research study also explored young people’s perceptions on AOD health education and how services can provide better support and advocacy for justice-involved youth populations.
Funding Declaration: SWSLHD Drug Health Services, University of Wollongong.
Publications:
Deans, E, Ravulo J, Conroy, E & Abdo, A 2022, ‘A qualitative study exploring young offender’s perspectives on alcohol and other drug health promotion’, BMC Public Health, vol. 22, no. 586
Deans, E, Abdo, J, Ravulo J & Conroy, E 2024, ‘‘I had nothing and drugs don’t leave’ : A qualitative study exploring the drug use trajectories of young people in contact with the justice system’, Child Protection and Practice, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chipro.2024.100068.
A total of 45 participants were recruited to support Youth Solutions’ ongoing commitment to understanding the needs of service users.
Funding Declaration: Western Sydney University, SWSLHD Drug Health Services
Funding Declaration: Camden Council
Publication: Deans, E, Ravulo, J, Blignault, I & Conroy, E 2020, ‘Understanding the needs of local youth to inform drug and alcohol prevention and harm reduction services: A qualitative study’, Health Promotion Journal of Australia, DOI: 10.1002/hpja.393
Report: Understanding the alcohol and other drug needs of young people living in Camden
This project involved qualitative interviews with 15 young people recruited from the LGBTQIA+ community about the appropriateness of alcohol and other drug prevention and harm reduction resources. The findings from this research study were used to develop a video resource for use in our health education workshops. The video focuses on the drug cannabis, providing helpful harm reduction information for young people in our community. The resource also highlights the warning signs for us to watch for that might indicate a friend or family member is developing a tolerance to cannabis.
Funding Declaration: The AURORA Group
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Youth Solutions is committed to working collaboratively with others to build the research capacity of the of alcohol and other drug (AOD) non-profit sector. This project mapped and explored the existing research capacity across public local health districts (LHDs) and non-government organisation (NGO) AOD services in New South Wales.
Stirling, R, Hudson, S, Ross, J, Deans, E, Tibbetts, J, Day, C, Deacon, R, Dunlop, A & Lintzeris, N 2023, ‘Understanding the research capacity of alcohol and other drugs services in New South Wales, Australia’, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/dar.13776
Want to learn more about the brains behind our research? We could not complete these vital research projects without the support and contributions of our committee.
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