Why are drug-related deaths among women increasing in Scotland? - full report

Appendix 1. Literature search strategy.

Search undertaken by Scottish Government Library Services, as follows:

Context: Research project on the increase in drug related deaths for women in Scotland in recent years.

Question: What factors affect the risk of harms associated with problem drug use - in particular, drug-related deaths - among women compared to men?

Inclusion criteria:

• Systematic reviews published since 2006
• High income countries only
• Population of interest - women who use drugs, to include problem use of prescribed or illicit drugs, but not including alcohol use in isolation
• Comparator - men who use drugs
• Outcomes - harms relating to problem drug use, including overdose and death

Terms used:

• Women/female
• Drugs/substances
• Use/misuse/abuse/dependence
• Death/mortality/morbidity/harms/adverse events

Databases

• Knowledge & Evidence (KandE)
• IDOX
• NHS Knowledge Network
• ProQuest
• Web of Science