Dr Maria Fotopoulou

Senior Lecturer

Sociology, Social Policy & Criminology Colin Bell Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA

Dr Maria Fotopoulou

Contact details

About me

Dr Maria Fotopoulou is a lecturer in the Faculty of Social Sciences. Prior to joining the University of Stirling she worked in the field of policy and service evaluation of the health and social care of problem drug users and more broadly marginalized and minority groups in the UK and Greece

My research interests include:  Problem substance use and specifically, the ways the 'drug problem' and problem drug users have been constructed historically  Problem substance use in relation to recovery processes and gender  The impact of problem drug use on individuals and communities; in particularly the experiences and needs of drug affected families  Evaluation of social policy with a specific focus on problematisation processes in drug policy  The needs and experiences of refugees and asylum seekers as well as unaccompanied children

Award

An international and intersectional dialogue on how to reduce harm and promote wellbeing amongst people who have housing, health and substance use challenges: A series of knowledge exchange events



People who experience homelessness often have intersecting health problems including poor mental and physical health and problem substance use (Hewett & Halligan 2010). The co-occurrence of these three problems has been termed ‘tri-morbidity’. Problem substance use is often a contributing factor to someone becoming homeless and accounts for over a third of deaths in homeless people (Crisis 2011). Engagement with treatment services, particularly those which expect abstinence, can be extremely challenging (Collins et al. 2016). While harm reduction approaches are recommended for those unlikely to achieve abstinence (Raistrick et al. 2006), there is virtually no specific guidance on how harms from problem substance use can be reduced for homeless people. International models of care and housing provision exist but their relevance to Scotland has not been systematically explored. To address this gap we will create a dialogue on international, national and local best practices in this area and, most critically, on how we can work better together across sectors and disciplines to develop Scottish solutions. We will bring together a diverse group who have substantial knowledge of the issues to develop a nuanced understanding of the current position and how this can better inform policy and practice developments going forward.

Research projects (7)

Should I stay or should I go: sense of belonging and intentions to stay among young, newcomers to Armenia
PI: Dr Sarah Wilson
Funded by: The British Academy
–

Harm reduction intervention for severe drug and/or alcohol dependence among people who are homeless
PI: Professor Tessa Parkes
Funded by: National Institute for Health Research
–

Improving survivor-informed support for trafficked children and young people - it's a long-term commitment
PI: Dr Maggie Grant
Funded by: Arts and Humanities Research Council
–

Supporting separated migrant children to thrive during COVID-19
PI:
Funded by: Economic and Social Research Council
–

Drugs Research Network Scotland (Host)
PI: Professor Tessa Parkes
Funded by: Scottish Funding Council
–

Responding to Unaccompanied Minors in Scotland
PI:
Funded by: The Carnegie Trust
–

Research Brief for East Ayrshire Child Protection Committee
PI:
Funded by: East Ayrshire Council
–

Outputs (37)

Article

Indicators of Integration: Assessing the Impact of Perceptions about Rights and Security, Public Outcomes, and Social Connections on Intentions to Stay of Newcomers in Armenia

Hunter S, Shapira M, Fotopoulou M, Wilson S & Zaslavskaya M (2024) Indicators of Integration: Assessing the Impact of Perceptions about Rights and Security, Public Outcomes, and Social Connections on Intentions to Stay of Newcomers in Armenia. Diaspora. https://doi.org/10.3138/diaspora.24.2.2024.09.25

Book Chapter

Policing of drugs in Scotland: Moving beyond the stalemate to redesigning the chess board

Fotopoulou M & Aston E (2023) Policing of drugs in Scotland: Moving beyond the stalemate to redesigning the chess board. In: Bacon M & Spicer J (eds.) Drug Law Enforcement, Policing and Harm Reduction Ending the Stalemate. 1st ed. Routledge Studies in Policing and Society. Abingdon: Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Drug-Law-Enforcement-Policing-and-Harm-Reduction-Ending-the-Stalemate/Bacon-Spicer/p/book/9780367722708

Research Report

Survivor-informed support for trafficked children in Scotland

Grant M, Fotopoulou M, Hunter S, Malloch M, Rigby P & Taylor K (2023) Survivor-informed support for trafficked children in Scotland. AHRC- Modern Slavery Policy and Evidence Centre. https://modernslaverypec.org/resources/trafficked-children-scotland

Article

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

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

Book Chapter

Responding to Problem Substance Use: deconstructing structures and politicising the personal

Fotopoulou M & Malloch M (2022) Responding to Problem Substance Use: deconstructing structures and politicising the personal. In: Gelsthorpe L & Brown S (eds.) The Wiley Handbook on What Works with Girls and Women in Conflict with the Law: A Critical Review of Theory, Practice, and Policy. Wiley Series in Offender Rehabilitation, Wiley Series in Offender Rehabilitation. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/The+Wiley+Handbook+on+What+Works+with+Girls+and+Women+in+Conflict+with+the+Law%3A+A+Critical+Review+of+Theory%2C+Practice%2C+and+Policy-p-9781119886419

Conference Paper (unpublished)

Recovery in the eyes of survivors of child trafficking in Scotland: implications for policy and practice

Taylor K, Fotopoulou M, Grant M, Malloch M & Rigby P (2022) Recovery in the eyes of survivors of child trafficking in Scotland: implications for policy and practice. QUB Human Rights Centre Human Trafficking Research Network Online Conference Beyond Silos: Amplifying Marginal Voices and Underexplored Methods in Human Trafficking Research 16-17 June 2022, QUB Human Rights Centre Human Trafficking Research Network Online Conference, 16.06.2022-17.06.2022.

Website Content

The Odyssey of the new policy: Reflections on the UK’s Nationality and Borders Bill (Part 1)

Fotopoulou M, Grant M, Malloch M, Rigby P & Taylor K (2022) The Odyssey of the new policy: Reflections on the UK’s Nationality and Borders Bill (Part 1). University of Stirling Public Policy Blog [Policy blog post] 03.05.2022. https://policyblog.stir.ac.uk/2022/05/03/the-odyssey-of-the-new-policy-reflections-on-the-uks-nationality-and-borders-bill-part-1/

Article

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

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

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

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

Conference Paper (unpublished)

Gendering recovery: women in research, policy and practice

Fotopoulou M & Malloch M (2018) Gendering recovery: women in research, policy and practice. Drugs, Alcohol, Women and Families, Manchester Metropolitan University, 23.05.2018-24.05.2018. https://dawfconference.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/dawf-conference-programme-final.pdf

Presentation / Talk

A Place of Safety for Everyone?

Rigby P, Fotopoulou M, Rogers A & Manta A (2018) A Place of Safety for Everyone?. Separated and Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children in Scotland Programme. Workshop 2, Glasgow, 26.04.2018-26.04.2018.

Presentation / Talk

Governing Risky Reproducers

Fotopoulou M (2017) Governing Risky Reproducers. Annual Conference of the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research 2017, 11.10.2017-11.10.2017.

Presentation / Talk

What works to improve child wellbeing? From policy to programme theory to practitioners: reflections on a realist journey

Coles E, Cheyne H, Fotopoulou M & Daniel B (2017) What works to improve child wellbeing? From policy to programme theory to practitioners: reflections on a realist journey. Realist 2017: From Promise to Practice - 2017 International Conference for Realist Research, Evaluation and Synthesis, Brisbane, Australia, 24.10.2017-26.10.2017. https://realist2017.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Realist-2017-program-201017.pdf

Presentation / Talk

Families and Drug Use in Greece

Fotopoulou M (2013) Families and Drug Use in Greece. 14th National Conference of Psychological Research, Alexandroupolis, Greece, 15.05.2013-19.05.2013.

Conference Paper (unpublished)

PTSD and female military returnees for Iraq and Afghanistan: What does the evidence tell us?

Haritos-Fatouros M, Zimbardo P, Stoltzfus N, Fotopoulou M & Dikaiou M (2009) PTSD and female military returnees for Iraq and Afghanistan: What does the evidence tell us?. International Society of Political Psychology 32nd Annual Scientific Meeting, Dublin, Ireland, 14.07.2009-17.07.2009. http://www.ispp.org/docs/pastconferences/Program2009.pdf

Research centres/groups