Date de publication
Géographie
Langue de la ressource
Texte disponible en version intégrale
Open Access / OK to Reproduce
Évalué par des pairs
L’objectif
RESEARCH QUESTION
The unregulated toxic drug crisis and unpaid family caregiving are two important health and social issues in Canada, particularly in rural communities. However, we do not know much about the relationship between the two issues. We asked “What are the experiences of unpaid family caregivers of people who use drugs in rural Canada?"
Constatations/points à retenir
Highlights and Recommendations:
• Families provide extensive care for PWUD, often filling critical gaps left by limited formal services in rural communities.
Recommendation: Additional publicly-funded formal health and social services are needed across rural Prairie communities. New services should be flexible and responsive to the needs of PWUD and the broader community. Accessible early intervention for child mental health is also essential. Strengthening these services would not only support PWUD but also ease the care burden placed on families.
• The unique geographic and sociocultural characteristics of rural communities can limit access to services, especially due to transportation. Many communities lack public transportation and PWUD often do not have a vehicle or driver’s license. In addition, weather conditions can also make travel to appointments unpredictable or impossible.
Recommendation: Service providers should recognize the distinct barriers to care in rural communities and adapt accordingly. This may include offering virtual care, avoiding penalties for missed appointments due to travel or weather issues, or providing subsidized transportation (e.g., taxi chits).
• Caregiving is an all-consuming endeavour with significant health, social and financial strain. However, supports for caregivers of PWUD are almost non-existent in rural spaces.
Recommendation: Accessible and adequate formal psychosocial and financial caregivers supports are needed. These may entail expanded publicly-funded services that address grief and trauma, and enhanced employment leaves and financial supports. Supports targeted to caregivers of PWUD should be provided given the extent of the unregulated toxic drug crisis.
• Caregivers recognize the complexity of substance use and the structural factors that shape service access and substance use. They emphasized that the root causes must be addressed to effectively support PWUD.
Recommendation: The upstream factors of substance use must be addressed to ideally prevent substance use and the conditions that create the need for unpaid care. This means addressing systemic racism and discrimination within the healthcare system, stigma, housing insecurity, and poverty.
La conception ou méthodologie de recherche
This research is a communitybased qualitative study. In Fall 2021, we convened a working group to design and lead the research. The 16-person working group is composed of individuals across the Prairies, including academics, family members of PWUD, people with lived experience of substance use, and community-based organization staff. Participants were recruited through community organizations, social media, and word of mouth. To be eligible for the study, participants had to be: a) At least 18 years of age b) Providing unpaid care for an adult who uses drugs other than alcohol, tobacco and cannabis (e.g., family, friend, neighbour, other loved one) c) Providing care that was not compensated through paid employment d) Living in rural Alberta, Manitoba, or Saskatchewan e) Able to complete an interview in English In Fall 2024, we interviewed 31 unpaid family caregivers of people who use drugs in rural communities across the Prairies. Interviews took place over the phone or on Zoom after informed consent was collected. Participants received $50 CAD as a thank you for their time and expertise. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The interview transcripts were analyzed for key themes using reflexive thematic analysis. Research approval was received from the University of Alberta Health Research Ethics Board 1.
