Some of this research was supported by the MRC and the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office at The University of Glasgow.

The views expressed are those of the authors. (17/17)

References: drdsystemstructures.my.canva.site

If we consider co-prescription as one aspect of service quality, in what ways could the system map help us consider this more broadly? Moving beyond the roles of GPs and pharmacists, improving treatment planning requires incorporating lived experience at an organisation and policy level. (13/17)

Understanding the broader structure allows for policy decision-making that can better visualise tensions and trade-offs. Let’s unpack how public health policy makers can work with challenges at a treatment provision and co-prescription when trying to achieve health orientated goals. (12/17)

Access to quality and consistent drug treatment has the strongest evidence-base in reducing DRD risk. Stigma compounds in effect across services, individuals within them, and risk of experiencing a DRD. This can be mitigated with appropriate and empowering treatment on a case-by-case basis. (10/17)

The prevalence of stigmatising norms around drugs is characterised by feedback loops mentioned a few posts back. Factors reinforce one another and entrench these norms at the cultural level, making it harder to break the cycle and influence change. (9/17)

Let’s explore the subsystem of Public and workforce stigmatising attitudes.
Addressing stigma can’t happen through single intervention points. Targeting upstream and downstream factors—at same, and cross-level subsystems will allow for whole system change—it will change how our sky looks. (8/17)

There’s a view that current UK strategy positions on stigma are “fundamentally incoherent”. Systems thinking can identify how stigma is experienced and reproduced in the real world. This method is currently used at a government level with DEFRA in mapping systems for environmental policy.(7/17)

When thinking of a whole system, we can think of it as comprised of subsystems, or clusters of closely related factors. This may look confusing, but we can identify subsystems composed of upstream and downstream factors and their causal interconnections in this constellation. (3/17) #stopthedeaths

In 1998, calls advocating for harsher drug laws and a “drug-free world” were supported by the UN. It is now said that we are seeing progress in viewing DRDs as a public health over criminal issue. In addressing Scottish DRDs, Dr Priyadarshi calls for a “whole package of treatment and care”. (2/17)

In 2023, Scotland saw 1,172 drug related deaths (DRDs). Approaches to death prevention are complex as solutions require coordinated action across different sectors. How can we explore how causes of DRDs interact in our health and social care system?
Let's use systems mapping!🧵 (1/17)
#systemscience