Father engagement in addictions health services

Father engagement in addictions services with substance‐using mothers may be neglected, resulting in mothers’ poorer engagement and retention in addictions services, and subsequent compromised family health. To determine the extent and nature of father exclusion in ante‐partum, partum and post‐partum addictions services, and whether father exclusion affects mothers’ engagement and retention in services, a mixed methods study, using qualitative and quantitative methods, will be conducted at Fir Square Combined Care Unit, BC Women’s Hospital. Quantitative data pertaining to mothers and fathers will be obtained from hospital charts of former Fir Square patients. This data will be analyzed to determine associations between father involvement and mothers’ engagement and retention in addictions services. For the qualitative study, six mothers, former patients of Fir Square, and their partners will be recruited and interviewed separately. A focus group with the twelve parents will also be conducted. An additional focus group with Fir Square physicians, social work, nursing, infant development and counselling staff will also be conducted to elicit service provider views. Data will be recorded, transcribed, analyzed and coded by the researcher, using a qualitative thematic analysis technique.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Paule McNicoll

Student:

Sydney Weaver

Partner:

BC Women’s Hospital

Discipline:

Social work

Sector:

Life sciences

University:

University of British Columbia