Overview
Adolescence and young adulthood mark important periods in the onset of mental health and substance use challenges. Young people also experienced major stressors and disruptions to normal developmental milestones during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has led to increased concerns about young peoples’ mental health and substance use.
In response, the project team is conducting research on youth substance use in British Columbia to understand the factors that protect against substance use or increase the risk for substance use. They’re also examining how young people access services for substance use issues and how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted youths’ needs for services.
After seeing the results, the team will work to develop interventions for substance use by young people, taking into account the results they see for specific communities and populations in order to make the interventions relevant and appropriate.
This study is led by Dr. Skye Barbic (Head Scientist at Foundry and Associate Professor at University of British Columbia) and Dr. Kirsten Marchand (Foundry Research Scientist and Assistant Professor at University of British Columbia).
Funders
This study is funded by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), sponsored by CIHR in collaboration with the CIHR’s Centre for Research on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies, the HIV/AIDS Research Initiative, the Institute of Population and Public Health (IPPH), and the Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR).
Resources
- Kreim S, Marchand K, Mallia E, Dubras R, McMaster WR, Tee K, Mathias S, Barbic S. (2023). Identifying early intervention opportunities for illicit stimulant use: A cross-sectional study of factors associated with illicit stimulant use among young people accessing integrated youth services in British Columbia, Canada. Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment. 151:209076.
- Marchand K, Liu G, Hastings KG, Palis H, Mathias S, Sutherland JM, Barbic S. (2025). The multidimensional social ecological needs and service utilization patterns of youth using non-medical prescription opioids: an observational study of routinely collected data in a provincial integrated youth services initiative. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy. 20(1):51.
- Marchand K, Liu G, Mallia E, Ow N, Glowacki K, Hastings KG, Mathias S, Sutherland JM, Barbic S. (2022). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on alcohol or drug use symptoms and service need among youth: A cross-sectional sample from British Columbia, Canada. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy. 17(1):82.
- Ow N, Marchand K, Liu G, Mallia E, Mathias S, Sutherland J, Barbic SP. (2023). Patterns of service utilization among youth with substance use service need: A cohort study. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy. 18(1):62.