Exploring family based immigrant youth substance use prevention programmes: a scoping review protocol

Abstract

IntroductionCanada has one of the highest rates of problematic opiate and alcohol use in the world. Globally, Canada was the second country that legalized marijuana for non-medical use. As Canada is an immigrant-receiving country, newcomers and immigrants contend with a substance use landscape that was likely absent in their countries of origin. Although immigrants have lower rates of substance use than the host population, the risk of substance use, especially among youth, increases with acculturation and peer pressure. While parents are best placed to mitigate the risks for substance use among their youth, immigrant parents often do not have the knowledge and skills to do so. Therefore, culturally adaptable family based interventions need be explored to build immigrant parents’ capacities to mitigate substance use risks.Aim and purposeThe aim of this scoping review is to explore family based substance use prevention interventions for immigrant youth, which will be guided by two questions:What is known about family based interventions for preventing immigrant adolescents’ substance use?What are the features and study results of these intervention protocols?Methods and analysisWe will apply Arksey and O’Malley’s procedure for reporting scoping review and report study findings based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for scoping reviews.DiscussionWe hope that the knowledge translation emanating from this review will increase immigrant parents’ knowledge of substance use and enable them to effectively intervene to prevent substance use among their youth. We also hope that this work can inform policy development on best practices for substance use prevention and for the creation of culturally sensitive programmes and services for immigrant youth.

Process and Outcome of Community Engagement Event on Substance Use and Addiction Risks Facing Their Immigrant Communities in Regina, Saskatchewan

“…18 The ease at which alcohol and marijuana can be accessed in Canada, combined with pressure to acculturate, leaves immigrants without prior exposure especially vulnerable to using these drugs socially and/or recreationally. 19 The risk of substance use among immigrants in Canada varies by place of origin and increases with the length of time in Canada, and although their Canadian-born counterparts have higher alcohol and marijuana use, it is still important to monitor these rates amongst immigrants. 20,21 In immigrant communities, the individual and the family suffer in silence when one develops an addiction; this is attributable to stigma, shame, or fear of "losing face" in the community.…”

“…34 Substance use among immigrants is further aggravated by the availability and accessibility of alcohol and marijuana, 2 socially acceptable substances in Canada. 19 Moreover, immigrants can readily access these substances in Canada regardless of gender, class, and socioeconomic status.…”