View in EDS HTML Full Text PDF Full Text

'I don't know what we should have done differently': A qualitative study on the dilemmas of 'tough love' and toxic drugs in British Columbia, Canada.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: 'I don't know what we should have done differently': A qualitative study on the dilemmas of 'tough love' and toxic drugs in British Columbia, Canada.
Authors: Hawkins, Jennifer (AUTHOR), Salmon, Amy (AUTHOR), Fernando, Saranee (AUTHOR), Battle, Chris (AUTHOR), Esau, Steve (AUTHOR), Snyder, Daniel (AUTHOR), Sikora, Mike (AUTHOR)
Source: Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy. Apr2026, Vol. 33 Issue 2, p156-165. 10p.
Subjects: Drug overdose, Codependency, Substance abuse, Secondary analysis, Qualitative research, Research funding, Culture, Statistical sampling, Interviewing, Family relations, Judgment sampling, Decision making, Thematic analysis, Ethics, Harm reduction, Social skills, Metropolitan areas, Rural conditions, Research methodology, Interpersonal relations, Comparative studies, Data analysis software, Drugs of abuse
Geographic Terms: Canada
Abstract: Background: In British Columbia, Canada, a public health emergency of unregulated drug deaths presents a fraught backdrop for concerned significant others (CSOs). Method: Community-based Participatory Action Research design. We conducted 22 semi-structured qualitative interviews with CSOs about their perceptions and experiences during the toxic drug crisis. We examined how 'tough love' constructs informed their relationships with and responses to their loved ones. Results: Understandings of tough love were widely varied and intertwined with decisions around supporting loved ones at risk of overdose. These decisions involved three main mediating factors: (1) perceived potential outcomes around the loci of various harms; (2) beliefs, attitudes and values around love and compassion, the nature of drug use, and personal agency; (3) available personal assets or social capital. Participants often displayed significant levels of uncertainty and regret that was mitigated by the psychosocial concept of 'boundaries' in contrast to codependency-derived dichotomies of tough love and enabling. Conclusion: Decisions around levels of support or engagement involve complex negotiations within a highly pressurized context of a toxic supply of illicit drugs. Inconsistently understood normative language influences confounding relational negotiations for CSOs, who require theoretical frameworks that help them negotiate decisions within their own limits and values, both moral or pragmatic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 1
Header DbId: pbh
DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
An: 192371492
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: 'I don't know what we should have done differently': A qualitative study on the dilemmas of 'tough love' and toxic drugs in British Columbia, Canada.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hawkins%2C+Jennifer%22">Hawkins, Jennifer</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Salmon%2C+Amy%22">Salmon, Amy</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fernando%2C+Saranee%22">Fernando, Saranee</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Battle%2C+Chris%22">Battle, Chris</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Esau%2C+Steve%22">Esau, Steve</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Snyder%2C+Daniel%22">Snyder, Daniel</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sikora%2C+Mike%22">Sikora, Mike</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Drugs%3A+Education%2C+Prevention+%26+Policy%22">Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy</searchLink>. Apr2026, Vol. 33 Issue 2, p156-165. 10p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Drug+overdose%22">Drug overdose</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Codependency%22">Codependency</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Substance+abuse%22">Substance abuse</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Secondary+analysis%22">Secondary analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Qualitative+research%22">Qualitative research</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+funding%22">Research funding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Culture%22">Culture</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistical+sampling%22">Statistical sampling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interviewing%22">Interviewing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Family+relations%22">Family relations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Judgment+sampling%22">Judgment sampling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decision+making%22">Decision making</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thematic+analysis%22">Thematic analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ethics%22">Ethics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Harm+reduction%22">Harm reduction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+skills%22">Social skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Metropolitan+areas%22">Metropolitan areas</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rural+conditions%22">Rural conditions</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+methodology%22">Research methodology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interpersonal+relations%22">Interpersonal relations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Comparative+studies%22">Comparative studies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analysis+software%22">Data analysis software</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Drugs+of+abuse%22">Drugs of abuse</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectGeographic
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Canada%22">Canada</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Background: In British Columbia, Canada, a public health emergency of unregulated drug deaths presents a fraught backdrop for concerned significant others (CSOs). Method: Community-based Participatory Action Research design. We conducted 22 semi-structured qualitative interviews with CSOs about their perceptions and experiences during the toxic drug crisis. We examined how 'tough love' constructs informed their relationships with and responses to their loved ones. Results: Understandings of tough love were widely varied and intertwined with decisions around supporting loved ones at risk of overdose. These decisions involved three main mediating factors: (1) perceived potential outcomes around the loci of various harms; (2) beliefs, attitudes and values around love and compassion, the nature of drug use, and personal agency; (3) available personal assets or social capital. Participants often displayed significant levels of uncertainty and regret that was mitigated by the psychosocial concept of 'boundaries' in contrast to codependency-derived dichotomies of tough love and enabling. Conclusion: Decisions around levels of support or engagement involve complex negotiations within a highly pressurized context of a toxic supply of illicit drugs. Inconsistently understood normative language influences confounding relational negotiations for CSOs, who require theoretical frameworks that help them negotiate decisions within their own limits and values, both moral or pragmatic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=192371492
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/09687637.2025.2493140
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 10
        StartPage: 156
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Drug overdose
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Codependency
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Substance abuse
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Secondary analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Qualitative research
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research funding
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Culture
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Statistical sampling
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interviewing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Family relations
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Judgment sampling
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Decision making
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Thematic analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ethics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Harm reduction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social skills
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Metropolitan areas
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Rural conditions
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research methodology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interpersonal relations
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Comparative studies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data analysis software
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Drugs of abuse
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Canada
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: 'I don't know what we should have done differently': A qualitative study on the dilemmas of 'tough love' and toxic drugs in British Columbia, Canada.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Hawkins, Jennifer
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Salmon, Amy
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Fernando, Saranee
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Battle, Chris
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Esau, Steve
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Snyder, Daniel
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Sikora, Mike
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 04
              Text: Apr2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 09687637
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 33
            – Type: issue
              Value: 2
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy
              Type: main
ResultId 1