Project Details

The increasing number of overdoses, particularly in connection with opioids, is being addressed as part of the doctoral project. Although overdoses only lead to death in a few cases and are a recurring event in specific scenes, the number of studies in this area is very limited. Even in the USA, where the phenomenon of opioid overdoses is more pronounced than in Germany, there are only isolated studies on surviving overdoses and their effects. For the German context, there is no comprehensive study to date on individual perceptions and the management of overdose events.

The central question of the project therefore relates to the patterns of experience and coping of people after overdoses in connection with opioids, especially among users of outpatient addiction support services. The aim is to work out the subjective perspectives of those affected on their overdose experiences and, in this context, to investigate the role of regularly visited outpatient addiction support settings.

As the perspective of those affected is at the forefront of this project, opioid users are asked about their subjective experiences using guided interviews. The users are to be reached via outpatient addiction support services (e.g. drug consumption room, counselling services, substitution outpatient clinic) as well as directly at scene locations. The data collected will then be analysed using the documentary method.