The team in our Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation (CESI) is delighted to have worked with the Northern Ireland Drug and Alcohol Alliance (NIADA) to investigate how COVID-19 affected the substance use behaviour and trends of a range of service users during the early stages of global pandemic lockdown. School of SSESW colleagues Kathy Higgins, Grace Kelly and Anne Campbell co-authored a report entitled Service Users’ Experience During Lockdown.

The experience and feedback from users of NIADA’s services are documented in the report, providing important information on the types of support needed to help people cope during lockdown. Key among the supports identified as important were consistent contact with drug and alcohol services and easier access to mental health and primary care services. The report is available at NIADA research study.