Implementation Science’s Role in Community Engagement for Substance Use Prevention

Abstract

Until recently, the field of implementation science has provided limited insight and guidance on the use of community engagement and partnership to support implementation of evidence-based practices. Listing community engagement as a barrier to optimal implementation is often the extent of the discussion. An article recently published by Perry et al. (PS 24:61-76, 2023) details what community engagement can entail and documents how this engagement can shape opioid use prevention research. The article also describes benefits of engaging community partners in prevention interventions, particularly for opioid use disorder, and the feasibility of employing multiple levels of engagement to do so. The article concludes by emphasizing areas for future research including examining the role community engagement has on the success of prevention interventions and the impact on long-term intervention outcomes. To respond to the Perry et al. (PS 24:61-76, 2023) article, our team conducted a literature scan of recently published implementation science and community engagement manuscripts, which demonstrated a growing body of research on the subject. We summarize these findings by offering suggested approaches for integrating implementation science and community engagement for substance use prevention programs and suggestions for advancing this intersection.