Research Fellow
Faculty of Social Sciences Colin Bell Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA
https://www.stir.ac.uk/people/rebeccafoster
I am based in the Salvation Army Centre for Addiction Services and Research, part of the Faculty of Social Sciences. I was the Research Fellow for an NIHR funded study - ‘Supporting Harm Reduction through Peer Support’ (SHARPS) and for an NHS Fife funded study on prescription opioid overdose risk. I currently co-lead or work on a range of projects relating to problem substance, including intersections with homelessness. I also supervise undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Prior to joining the Centre in May 2018, I worked as a social researcher in the Scottish Government in the crime research team, where I was responsible for leading on and assisting with research projects covering a range of policy areas. I completed my PhD in Criminology at the University in Glasgow (part of the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research) - my PhD explored the experiences of imprisonment for families of prisoners.
I hold an LLB (Hons) (First Class) and an MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice, both from the University of Edinburgh.
While my interests are varied, inequality and marginalisation and the manifestations and experiences of these, are common themes. I am particularly interested in the lived experience of problem substance use, homelessness and the criminal justice system (especially prison).
Methodologically, I am particularly interested in: qualitative interviews; ethnography and ethnographic approaches; creative research methods; co-production and peer involvement in research.
Assessing prescription opioid overdose risk (POOR) via a quality improvement process led by Fife Pharmacy and scoping the feasibility of a specific overdose prevention intervention (distribution of and training in administration of intrasnasal take home naloxone) delivered by Community Pharmacists in NHS Fife.
PI: Professor Tessa Parkes
Funded by: NHS Fife
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Feasibility and acceptability of an overdose prevention intervention delivered by Community Pharmacists for patients prescribed opioids for chronic non cancer pain
PI: Dr Rebecca Foster
Funded by: Scottish Government
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Perceptions and attitudes of strategic decision-makers and affected families across Scotland towards Drug Consumption Rooms to prevent drug-related deaths
PI: Dr Rebecca Foster
Funded by: Scottish Government
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Exploring The Potential Of Long-Acting Buprenorphine In People Who Use Drugs And Are Homeless
PI: Professor Catriona Matheson
Funded by: Camurus AB
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Article
Parkes T, Matheson C, Carver H, Foster R, Budd J, Liddell D, Wallace J, Pauly B, Fotopoulou M, Burley A, Anderson I, Price T, Schofield J & MacLennan G (2022) Assessing the feasibility, acceptability and accessibility of a peer-delivered intervention to reduce harm and improve the well-being of people who experience homelessness with problem substance use: the SHARPS study. Harm Reduction Journal, 19 (1), Art. No.: 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-021-00582-5
Article
Long-acting depot buprenorphine in people who are homeless: Views and experiences
Matheson C, Foster R, Schofield J & Browne T (2022) Long-acting depot buprenorphine in people who are homeless: Views and experiences. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2022.108781
Article
Parkes T, Matheson C, Carver H, Foster R, Budd J, Liddell D, Wallace J, Pauly B, Fotopoulou M, Burley A, Anderson I & MacLennan G (2022) A peer-delivered intervention to reduce harm and improve the well-being of homeless people with problem substance use: the SHARPS feasibility mixed-methods study. Health Technology Assessment, 26 (14), pp. 1-128. https://doi.org/10.3310/wvvl4786
Article
Parkes T, Foster R, McAuley A, Steven D, Matheson C & Baldacchino A (2022) Chronic pain, prescribed opioids and overdose risk: a qualitative exploration of the views of affected individuals and family members. Drugs: Education, Prevention, and Policy. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687637.2021.2022100
Commentary
Foster R, Carver H, Wallace J, Dunedin A, Burridge S, Foley P, Pauly B & Parkes T (2021) "PPI? That sounds like Payment Protection Insurance": Reflections and learning from a substance use and homelessness study Experts by Experience group. Research Involvement and Engagement, 7 (1), Art. No.: 82. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-021-00324-8
Article
Quantifying prescribed high dose opioids in the community and risk of overdose
Schofield J, Steven D, Foster R, Matheson C, Baldacchino A, McAuley A & Parkes T (2021) Quantifying prescribed high dose opioids in the community and risk of overdose. BMC Public Health, 21 (1), Art. No.: 1174. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11162-4
Article
Peer Support and Overdose Prevention Responses: A Systematic 'State-of-the-Art' Review
Mercer F, Miler JA, Pauly B, Carver H, Hnízdilová K, Foster R & Parkes T (2021) Peer Support and Overdose Prevention Responses: A Systematic 'State-of-the-Art' Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (22), Art. No.: 12073. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182212073
Research Report
Getting it right for families affected by imprisonment: lessons from ten years of research
Barkas B, Deacon K, Foster R, Jardine C, Primrose K & Troy V (2021) Getting it right for families affected by imprisonment: lessons from ten years of research. Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research. Glasgow. https://www.sccjr.ac.uk/publications/getting-it-right-for-families-affected-by-imprisonment/
Article
Miler JA, Foster R, Hnizdilova K, Murdoch H & Parkes T (2021) 'It maybe doesn't seem much, but to me it's my kingdom': staff and client experiences of Housing First in Scotland. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687637.2021.1926429
Article
Miler J, Carver H, Foster R & Parkes T (2020) Provision of peer support at the intersection of homelessness and problem substance use services: a systematic 'state of the art' review. BMC Public Health, 20, Art. No.: 641. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-8407-4
Book Chapter
Families' Experiences in a Prison Visitors' Centre
Foster R (2019) Families' Experiences in a Prison Visitors' Centre. In: Hutton M & Moran D (eds.) The Palgrave Handbook of Prison and the Family. 1 ed. Palgrave Studies in Prisons and Penology. Basingstoke: Springer International Publishing, pp. 251-272. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12744-2
Article
Parkes T, Matheson C, Carver H, Budd J, Liddell D, Wallace J, Pauly B, Fotopoulou M, Burley A, Anderson I, MacLennan G & Foster R (2019) Supporting Harm Reduction through Peer Support (SHARPS): testing the feasibility and acceptability of a peer-delivered, relational intervention for people with problem substance use who are homeless, to improve health outcomes, quality of life and social functioning and reduce harms: study protocol. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 5 (1), Art. No.: 64. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-019-0447-0
Article
'Doing the wait': an exploration into the waiting experiences of prisoners' families
Foster R (2019) 'Doing the wait': an exploration into the waiting experiences of prisoners' families. Time and Society, 28 (2), pp. 459-477. https://doi.org/10.1177/0961463X16633235
Research Report
What works? Collaborative Police and Health Interventions for Mental Health Distress
McGeough E & Foster R (2018) What works? Collaborative Police and Health Interventions for Mental Health Distress. Scottish Government. Social Research series. Edinburgh. https://www.gov.scot/publications/works-collaborative-police-health-interventions-mental-health-distress/
Book Chapter
Exploring 'betwixt and between' in a prison visitors' centre and beyond
Foster R (2017) Exploring 'betwixt and between' in a prison visitors' centre and beyond. In: Moran D & Schliehe AK (eds.) Carceral spatialities: dialogues between geography and criminology. Palgrave Studies in Prisons and Penology. London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 169-199.
Research Report
Religiously Aggravated Offending in Scotland 2016-17, Scottish Government Social Research
Foster R & Myant K (2017) Religiously Aggravated Offending in Scotland 2016-17, Scottish Government Social Research. Scottish Government. Edinburgh.
Research Report
Foster R & Myant K (2017) Charges reported under the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012 in 2016-17, Scottish Government Social Research. Scottish Government. Social Research series. Edinburgh. https://www.gov.scot/publications/charges-reported-under-offensive-behaviour-football-threatening-communications-scotland-act/
Website Content
The research perspective on tackling knife crime in Scotland
Foster R (2014) The research perspective on tackling knife crime in Scotland. No Knives, Better Lives [Blog Post] 02.05.2014. http://noknivesbetterlives.com/practitioners/discussion/the-research-perspective
Research Report
Knife Crime Interventions: 'What works?'
Foster R (2014) Knife Crime Interventions: 'What works?'. Scottish Government. Glasgow: Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research.
