This year we began an exciting new project on people’s experiences of hepatitis C, treatment and post-treatment life in this new age in which hepatitis C elimination seems possible. This project will generate new knowledge on impediments to hepatitis C treatment uptake and a publicly accessible website presenting personal experiences of treatment, decision-making about treatment,…
The public health challenge of hepatitis C may become a thing of the past with the advent of new drugs for the treatment of hepatitis C. These drugs have been heralded as ‘revolutionary’, having the potential to both eliminate hepatitis C and transform the lives of people affected by it. Australia has committed to eliminating…
In 2019 the DruGS team completed work on a qualitative interview-based research project on stigma, conducted with South Western Sydney Drug Health Services. Two journal articles were written from the project and have now been published. The first article was recently accepted for publication in Sociology of Health and Illness. Entitled ‘Exclusion and hospitality: The…
Treatment of hepatitis C has been revolutionised in recent years with the introduction of interferon-free direct-acting antiretroviral (DAA) medications. With far fewer side effects and higher success rates than past treatments, hepatitis C elimination has been adopted in Australia and elsewhere as an important public health goal. Reaching all those affected by hepatitis C, informing…
In mid-2019, the SSAC team (now the DruGS team) was invited to host the Qualitative Methods Journal Club of the Society for the Study of Addiction. The club provides a forum for qualitative alcohol and other drug researchers and students to share knowledge, discuss methodological issues and promote high quality qualitative research. As a qualitative…
A team of researchers led by DruGS Program Leader Professor Suzanne Fraser will begin work this month on a new project investigating impediments to hepatitis C treatment uptake, including the role of stigma, in an era focussed on elimination. Entitled ‘Lived experiences of treatment for hepatitis C in Australia: An online resource for people considering treatment,…
Recruitment and interviewing for SSAC’s ARC-funded research on uptake and diffusion of take-home naloxone in Victoria and New South Wales are almost complete. After a successful recruitment period in Victoria, the SSAC team begun recruiting in NSW towards the end of 2017. The interviews with people who consume opioids and health professionals working in relevant…
Final report from SSAC’s Lives of Substance project now available. Despite decades of research, policymaking and service provision, much remains unknown about lived experiences of alcohol and other drug addiction or dependence in Australia. Little is known, for example, about the range of people currently affected by addiction issues, and how they cope and manage…
A groundbreaking new website was launched in Melbourne on Friday the 7th of October with the help of writer Kate Holden and harm reduction pioneer Jenny Kelsall. Lives of Substance is Australia’s first dedicated website presenting carefully researched personal stories of alcohol or other drug addiction, dependence or habit. Based on an innovative ARC-funded project, the website’s aim is to generate and present much-needed new…
Having just completed data collection, SSAC PhD candidate Liz Normand is looking forward to tackling the next phase of her project: data analysis. A qualitative study supervised by Dr Robyn Dwyer and Professor Suzanne Fraser, the project’s key research questions are: How do marginalised young people in contact with alcohol and other drug (AOD) services understand their AOD…
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