Exploring the lived experiences of Indigenous Australians within the context of alcohol and other drugs treatment services: a scoping review
Date
2022
Authors
Heath, A.
Martin, M.K.
Krakouer, J.
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Journal article
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Drug and Alcohol Review, 2022; 41(7):1664-1681
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Issues Substance use among Indigenous peoples has been extensively researched in the Australian context. However, syntheses of existing research focused on Indigenous Australian peoples' experiences of alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment are limited. This review sought to fill this gap. Approach A scoping review using three databases, and the Google search engine, examined empirical and grey literature relating to Indigenous Australian peoples' lived experiences of accessing and undergoing AOD treatment. The review was not restricted to intervention type, treatment setting, substance, or individual characteristics (e.g., age or gender). The experiences of staff of Indigenous Australian service providers were excluded. Key Findings Twenty-seven articles were reviewed, with most research (n = 12) conducted in New South Wales. Our secondary analysis of existing research found three themes: the role of culture, the value of holistic strength-based services, and the influence of organisational components for Indigenous Australian service users in AOD treatment settings. Implications and Conclusion Despite diversity of experiences, our review highlights the importance of integrating culture and facilitating holistic strength-based approaches to AOD treatment for Indigenous Australian peoples. While our review is limited by the findings and biases contained within the literature reviewed, the paucity of literature relating to the experiences of Indigenous Australian peoples within AOD treatment settings warrants further attention.
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Copyright 2022 The Authors. Drug and Alcohol Review published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs. This is an open access article under the terms of the http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is nonâcommercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)