Rethinking experiences of vulnerability and marginalisation amongst those affected by problematic drug use: Directions for social (work) research and social change

TY - JOUR

T1 - Rethinking experiences of vulnerability and marginalisation amongst those affected by problematic drug use

T2 - Directions for social (work) research and social change

AU - Young, Kathryn

AU - Smith, Mark

AU - McCulloch, Trish

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

PY - 2026/7/7

Y1 - 2026/7/7

N2 - Those affected by problematic drug use are among the most vulnerable and marginalised in society. In Scotland, the city of Dundee is recognised as having the highest rate of drug deaths in Europe. In policy terms, drug misuse is generally understood and responded to through a biopsychosocial lens. Increasingly, the Scottish Government seeks to frame it within a human rights framework. Against this backdrop, it can be difficult to discern or articulate a distinctive social work approach, which recognises structural determinants but also the subjective and inter-subjective impact of problematic drug use on people’s lives, including emotions of shame and experiences of marginalisation. This article reports on a research collaboration between social work academics at the University of Dundee and a local community-based organisation supporting people affected by poverty and substance misuse to reflect on the limitations of current policies. Many of these limitations reflect and are reflected in the positivist research methods that dominate drug policy as a field of enquiry. We move on to consider what kind of theoretical orientations and research methodology might offer insights for drug policy and practice. We conclude with a discussion of the project’s early findings and some implications of these.

AB - Those affected by problematic drug use are among the most vulnerable and marginalised in society. In Scotland, the city of Dundee is recognised as having the highest rate of drug deaths in Europe. In policy terms, drug misuse is generally understood and responded to through a biopsychosocial lens. Increasingly, the Scottish Government seeks to frame it within a human rights framework. Against this backdrop, it can be difficult to discern or articulate a distinctive social work approach, which recognises structural determinants but also the subjective and inter-subjective impact of problematic drug use on people’s lives, including emotions of shame and experiences of marginalisation. This article reports on a research collaboration between social work academics at the University of Dundee and a local community-based organisation supporting people affected by poverty and substance misuse to reflect on the limitations of current policies. Many of these limitations reflect and are reflected in the positivist research methods that dominate drug policy as a field of enquiry. We move on to consider what kind of theoretical orientations and research methodology might offer insights for drug policy and practice. We conclude with a discussion of the project’s early findings and some implications of these.

KW - Problematic drug use

KW - affective equality

KW - recognition

KW - rights

KW - shame

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105044231079

U2 - 10.1080/13691457.2026.2695272

DO - 10.1080/13691457.2026.2695272

M3 - Article

SN - 1369-1457

JO - European Journal of Social Work

JF - European Journal of Social Work

ER -