ABSTRACT
One finding from our research was that although there appeared to be core elements to interviewees’ experiences of bereavement through substance use, there was also marked diversity across our sample of 106 adults. Given the lack of previous research in this area, and the fact that what research has been done has focused on parents and on drug-related deaths, it is important to understand both what might be commonalities for this group of bereaved people, but additionally where there may be differences between them. Hence, this chapter considers four dimensions: relationship – six ways in which our participants were related to those who died (parent, child, spouse or partner, sibling, friend and extended family member); treatment/recovery for the interviewees’ own substance use problems; substance type, comparing deaths involving alcohol with those involving drugs; and geography, comparing experiences in England with those in Scotland. The chapter aims to identify if and how each of these sub-group’s experiences may be unique. Finally, we draw some conclusions and suggest implications for supporting these people bereaved by substance use
