To help improve how we treat individuals with concurrent disorders, a prioritization exercise with experts from across Canada was conducted during the Concurrent Disorders Think Tank in December 2024. The event was co-hosted by CCSA and Homewood Research Institute.
Participants were asked to submit their top ideas for concurrent disorders research topics and were asked to consider according to three criteria:
- Impact: This idea has significant potential to improve care, policies or outcomes broadly, addressing critical needs or challenges within the field.
- Feasibility: This research idea is highly achievable with available resources, expertise and access to necessary data or participants.
- Excitement: This research idea is highly inspiring, innovative and energizes you to act or explore further.
These were the top research topics:
1) Investigate and evaluate formal and informal care pathways for individuals with concurrent disorders
2) Conduct implementation studies of learning health systems in concurrent disorder treatment settings
3) Develop guidelines for standardized measurement and assessment of concurrent disorders
4) Identify needs and research priorities of People with Lived and Living Experience in integrated models of care
5) Determine health system needs and gaps from those with lived experience, living experience, families and clinicians
6) Create a national health data sharing platform that upholds ethical practices surrounding individual consent to share information
7) Establish methods for scaling up evidence-based concurrent disorders services to ensure universal access
8) Develop and evaluate co-design strategies to improve engagement in concurrent disorders treatment
9) Evaluate implementation approaches to scaling up integrated services for individuals with concurrent disorders
10) Implement and evaluate the impact of stigma reduction strategies on access to care for individuals with concurrent disorders
Additional work is underway to refine the details of the top 10 ideas and how they can be implemented.
These prioritized research areas will also serve as a guidance for health system funders and decision-makers to prioritize the most potentially impactful research areas.
These topics were published as part of the National Concurrent Disorders Think Tank: Insights and Perspectives on Integrated Care Summary Report.
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Guidance, Tools and Resources
CCSA produces research-based publications, tools, and resources to support evidence-based decision-making on substance use health issues. Select your area of interest from the six categories below:
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Substances
Delve into key resources on commonly used substances, such as alcohol, cannabis, opioids, stimulants and psychedelics. Learn about their effects, usage patterns, associated health and social consequences, and harm reduction considerations
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Get insights on the personal and societal impacts of substance use and addiction , including gambling and impaired driving, and their effects on health, safety, and social well-being. Learn about effective prevention and harm-reduction strategies in various sectors.
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Communities share common interests, values or goals, and interact with one another to build relationships and help networks. These materials support more inclusive, equitable, and community-informed responses to substance use and addiction. Dive into resources highlighting people with lived and living experience, stigma, sex- and gender-based analysis, Indigenous Peoples, and housing.
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Explore medical, psychological, and social approaches aimed at helping individuals avoid or recover from substance use disorders. Get the facts on public health topics and learn about collaborative efforts to reduce stigma and promote more equitable, inclusive responses to substance use.
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Learn about factors influencing substance use in young people, including childhood trauma and brain development, and get tools to support adult allies in leading meaningful, evidence-informed conversations with youth. Content promotes early prevention, harm reduction and supportive environments for youth up to age 25.
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Substance Use and the Workplace
Substance use has a significant impact on the workplace, potentially affecting safety, productivity and employee well-being. Explore research on substance use in various industries. Resources support workplace leaders in building more supportive, stigma-free environments through practical strategies, improved approaches and initiative-taking education.
