ATTUNE: Understanding Pathways to Stimulant Use
Research type
Research Study
Full title
ATTUNE (Understanding Pathways to Stimulant Use: a mixed-methods examination of the individual, social and cultural factors shaping illicit stimulant use across Europe)
IRAS ID
220959
Contact name
Eileen Kaner
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NTW NHS, Research, Innovation and Clinical Effectiveness Department
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
This project aims to examine pathways of drug use among users of illicit stimulants in Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Poland and the Czech Republic. The project will explore why some individuals exposed to ATS do not start to consume, some users manage to keep their stimulant consumption on a comparatively controlled level and/or stop consumption altogether, while others switch to risky consumption patterns and/or develop dependency. We are also interested in the relationship that stimulant users have with other illicit and licit substances, especially alcohol and new psychoactive substances (“legal highs”). By analysing these individual pathways or trajectories of drug use “careers” the project seeks to identify and understand potential risk and/or resilience factors that might contribute to risky and dependent drug use respectively. We will use mixed methods to generate a rich, contextualised understanding of the multiple factors (familial, social and occupational situation, critical life events, general risk behaviour, mental and physical health, satisfaction with life) that shape individual drug use “careers”. Module 1 will use qualitative methods (semi-structured interviews with n=60 UK resident participants) to explore individual experiences of, and perspectives on, dynamics of change in stimulant consumption patterns. Ethical approval for module 1 was acquired through Newcastle University FMS Ethics committee (01204/2016)(non-NHS sites were utilised). Module 2 will use quantitative methods (structured questionnaires with n = 500 respondents) to validate and enhance the generalisability of the interview findings. This IRAS application relates to the UK arm, and module 2 in the study only.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/NE/0283
Date of REC Opinion
29 May 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion