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Qualitative Evidence in Addictions

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Handbook of Qualitative Health Research for Evidence-Based Practice

Part of the book series: Handbooks in Health, Work, and Disability ((SHHDW,volume 4))

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Abstract

This chapter presents an overview of the contribution of qualitative evidence to what is known about the addictions. There is a long history of conducting qualitative research in this field with major contributions to our understanding of issues from the perspectives of users. Additionally, our awareness of how wider social forces (whether historical, social, or economic) shape the everyday realities lived by drug and alcohol users has been increased through qualitative research. However, taken as a whole, knowledge production in the field has been dominated by quantitative approaches and the current trend in addictions policy and practice is that treatment approaches should be evidence-based, underpinned by the objective, unbiased findings of research. Qualitative research has played a major role in questioning such positivist assumptions and how we think about and respond to addictions, but in so doing it has created an epistemological divide. In an attempt to bridge this gap it has been suggested that transdisciplinary research, where qualitative researchers put aside their theoretical and epistemological commitments in order to engage with others, is used. It is argued in the chapter that this can only be a partial solution to the problem and that the integrity of single discipline approaches is important. Each research approach is most suited to certain questions—and it would be erroneous to presume that transdisciplinary work is the only way forward.

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  1. Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Marston Site, Jack Straw’s Lane, Marston, Oxford, OX3 0FL, UK

    Lindsey Coombes M.A.

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  1. Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    Karin Olson

  2. Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, and Special Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Richard A. Young

  3. Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, and Special Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Izabela Z. Schultz

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Coombes, L. (2016). Qualitative Evidence in Addictions. In: Olson, K., Young, R., Schultz, I. (eds) Handbook of Qualitative Health Research for Evidence-Based Practice. Handbooks in Health, Work, and Disability, vol 4. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2920-7_12

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