Community Perspectives to Inform Substance Use Prevention Practice

PROBLEM: The Market is a highly cohesive working-class community in South Belfast. Queen's Communities and Place (QCAP) has partnered with the Market as an anchor community to co-develop research to generate actionable data to alleviate public health challenges. Both the Market Development Association (MDA) and QCAP's research findings identified substance use (SU) as a key issue and delivered Northern Ireland's first peer naloxone training in December 2022. However, a long-term strategy aligned with residents’ vision is necessary. METHODS: The MDA and QCAP co-hosted an event in February 2023 asking attendees 4 questions to guide small group discussion: •What is the current situation with SU in the Market? •Why do these problems exist? •What are service gaps? •What should the MDA and QCAP do to help? QCAP staff conducted a qualitative analysis of the discussion notes and presented the results to the MDA to guide intervention development. RESULTS: Residents had nuanced knowledge of SU in the area and feelings of both powerlessness against larger forces and optimism for change if given the necessary resources. The analysis revealed 3 key themes: the breadth of the issue in the community; a lack of supportive services; and a need for demographically tailored SU education. LESSONS: QCAP and the MDA have a better understanding of area's concerns about SU and hopes for addressing it. Short and long-term actions are planned: •Event series for parents covering drugs circulating, signs of SU, and overdose intervention steps. •Materials added to the existing “community indicators dashboard” publicised through QR codes posted at key locations. •Programming for youth co-developed with the area's new youth forum. •Seeking funding for a “health navigator” based in the community to connect residents with services they need. •Building connections with local GPs using a local champion model to reduce provider burden. KEY MESSAGES: • Communities have strong understanding of their public health challenges and can effectively guide the development of intervention strategies. • It is feasible to derive meaningful and informative feedback to direct public health action through shared power in research and community-engagement.