Hannah Carver

Hannah Carver is a Senior Lecturer in Substance Use within the Department of Sociology, Social Policy & Criminology at the University of Stirling's Faculty of Social Sciences. She serves as Co-Director of the Salvation Army Centre for Addiction Services and Research (SACASR), where she leads critical research initiatives addressing substance use and related social challenges.

Dr. Carver specializes in understanding substance use patterns among vulnerable populations through qualitative methodology. Her research spans multiple interconnected domains including health inequalities, harm reduction strategies, drug and alcohol use, social inequalities, children and family dynamics, mental health challenges, and homelessness. She has developed expertise in qualitative research methods, systematic reviews (including meta-ethnography), and collaborative research approaches with marginalized communities, focusing on practical applications of research findings.

• Professional Memberships:
• Addiction and the Family International Network - Member
• British Psychological Society - Member
• Society for the Study of Addiction - Member

Dr. Carver secured significant research funding from the Scottish Universities Insight Institute for her 2018 project addressing "tri-morbidity" (the co-occurrence of homelessness, poor mental/physical health, and problem substance use). This project highlighted that substance use accounts for over a third of deaths among homeless populations and developed practical harm reduction approaches for individuals facing these intersecting challenges.

Prior to her position at Stirling, Dr. Carver completed her PhD at Edinburgh Napier University, where her research examined substance use communication between looked after young people and their formal carers. This foundational work established her commitment to understanding substance use within vulnerable populations and developing evidence-based harm reduction strategies.