Funding outcome

Canada is experiencing an opioid misuse crisis never before seen and recently Alberta and B.C. have seen a sharp rise in the number of deaths linked to the opioid fentanyl. Public health experts are urging governments to develop a number of measures that will help with the prevention and treamtent of problematic opioid use such as improved access to evidence-based treatment programs and harm reduction measures. Many bereaved parents of individuals who have died from opioid misuse are advocating for these changes as well. To date however, no research study has investigated the role that parents play in helping to address the current epidemic of opioid deaths in Canada. My study aims to examine the advocacy role that mothers play in addressing Canada's opioid crisis. This work is in partnership with three prominent advocacy groups, mumsDU, Moms Stop The Harm and The Voice of the Family. I plan to explore what advocacy strategies show the most promise for bringing about policy change, describe the experience of bereaved mothers who advocate around opioid misuse and investigate how mother's advocacy work is framed in the media. I will use a variety of methods such as a systematic scoping review, qualitative interviews with bereaved mothers involved in advocacy work and a media analysis to answer my research questions. This research is expected to create new knowledge about the role of mothers in influencing health policy around opioid use and will impact the work of parent advocates, health professionals, and policy makers in this field.