Drug use, policy and society (DPS)
Our Research
Most research within the group focuses on illicit drugs, although studies on alcohol and pharmaceuticals are also conducted. Several areas have been the focus of multiple projects, in particular:
- living conditions, everyday life, and risk-taking among people with drug problems
- urban drug scenes as risk environments and police work related to drugs
- overdoses and mortality among people who inject drugs
- substance use treatment within social services and healthcare
- documentation and knowledge development in youth services and addiction treatment
- drug policy in Sweden and internationally
- the situation and support needs of affected family members
- social vulnerability and mental ill-health among young people with drug problems
- ageing with long-term drug use
- sexuality, substance use, and social vulnerability
- ethnicity and drug-related problems
- women’s vulnerability in drug environments
- social workers’ views on drug policy and harm reduction
The group’s research rests on a strong empirical foundation, focusing on people’s experiences, attitudes, and perceptions, as well as the meaning and effects of interventions—often highly relevant to addiction treatment and social work practice.
Theoretical starting points
The research draws on a wide range of theoretical perspectives. A central point of departure for several projects is an actor-oriented perspective rooted in symbolic interactionism, in which individuals’ lifeworlds, everyday lives, and experiences are central. In addition, theoretical perspectives and concepts are drawn from, among others, developmental and life-course theory, theories of social categorisation, discourse theory, gender theory, street capital, risk environment frameworks, victimology, the sociology of emotions, professional theory, and implementation research.
Methods and working practices
We employ both qualitative and quantitative methods (interviews, surveys, register data, and ethnography). In our research projects, we often collaborate with practitioners, user organisations, and individuals with lived experience of substance use.
Collaboration and networking
The research group maintains close collaborations with drug researchers at Lund University and with colleagues at Aarhus University. We are members of the national research networks SONAD (the Swedish network for social science on alcohol and drugs) and SAD (the Swedish Association for Alcohol and Drug Research).
Knowledge dissemination and policy work
We are actively engaged in knowledge dissemination and in the public debate on drug policy, regularly contributing to media, conferences, public lectures, and popular science publications. Members of the group have served as experts in several government commissions and have written consultation responses on official reports and guidelines. Through this work, we have contributed to shaping policies towards more accessible care and treatment and increasing harm reduction measures in the field.
The research group collaborates with a range of organisations within social services and regional healthcare, as well as with NGOs and user organisations. These collaborations encompass research, service development, and education.
Teaching
We teach several different courses. At the Department of Social Work, Malmö University, we are responsible for three courses focusing on alcohol and drugs: Social Work with Substance Use and Addiction (elective, semester 7, Social Work Programme), Social Work: Alcohol and Drug Problems – Understanding and Addressing Substance Use and addiction (distance course), and Sexology: Sexuality, Substance Use and Social Vulnerability (elective in the Master’s Programme in Sexology).
In addition, we contribute teaching to the Master’s Programme in Social Work and to semesters 1 and 4 of the Social Work Programme. We also regularly teach in the Police Education Programme at Malmö University, the Psychology Programme at Karolinska Institutet, and the Social Pedagogy Programme with a specialisation in youth and addiction care at Linnaeus University.
