Bridging the gaps: Experiencing and preventing life-threatening heroin overdoses in men in Oslo

Abstract

The aim of this study was to illuminate and interpret the experiences of professionals and men living with life-threatening heroin overdoses in Oslo. A case study design was chosen for data collection. A phenomenological hermeneutic approach and triangulation was used to analyse the data. The nave reading involved awareness of the perceived sense of social isolation, which had consequences for how life-threatening heroin overdoses were managed, comprehended and motivated by the men. Professionals also experienced isolation, since they had no specific goals or guidelines for cooperation, and relevant political documents did not address the phenomenon of life-threatening heroin overdoses. Non-participant observation revealed different types of isolated interventions, involving very short interventions by several kinds of actors. The structural analysis identified three themes: The meaning of being rescued, the meaning of longing for communion and the meaning of being confused. A comprehensive understanding of the complexity in experiencing and preventing life-threatening heroin overdoses in men in Oslo indicated that the meaning of these social phenomena could be understood as bridging the gaps between barriers to treatment, interaction and motivation. © 2009 Informa UK Ltd.