Help and support for bereaved persons who use drugs: a qualitative study

Abstract

Despite high rates of drug-related deaths in many countries across Europe, drug-related bereavement has been sparsely investigated. Given the fact that people using illicit drugs are at particular risk of experiencing bereavement as a result of a drug-related death (DRD), which is then related to increased drug use and the risk of developing complicated grief, there is an urgent need for knowledge about their needs and experiences regarding help and support. The present study aimed to explore the experiences of help and support for DRD bereaved persons who use drugs. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse 13 semi-structured individual interviews. Findings suggest that the bereaved who use drugs are deprived of both social support and professional help. Based on our results, we recommend that social professions gain knowledge of the risk of complicated grief following DRD, and be able to provide adequate help to bereaved persons who use drugs. An important precondition is that the professionals listen to what the bereaved need. Bereaved persons who use drugs can improve their self-care by acknowledging their grief following drug-related death and being open to those around them about what kind of help and support is helpful.