Lindsay Wolfson

• Master of Public Health
• Research Manager at Centre of Excellence for Women's Health

Annually, researchers associated with the Prevention Network Action Team (pNAT) of the CanFASD Research Network search the academic literature for articles related to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) prevention. The findings are organized using a four-level prevention framework developed by the pNAT to describe the wide range of work that com...

In Canada, the context for providing brief intervention on substance use during pregnancy is shifting with new opportunities for enhancing discussion of alcohol and other substances, due to the introduction of novel nicotine delivery products (e.g., vaping), the legalization of cannabis, and the crisis in the useof prescription pain medication. The...

The purpose of this issue paper is to describe what is known about the prevalence of alcohol use during pregnancy, identify risk factors associated with alcohol consumption during the prenatal period, and provide research, policy, and practice recommendations. Where possible, this issue paper will emphasize what is known in the Canadian context.

This report reflects the outcomes of a 2024 project: Identifying Research and Promising Practices to Inform Sex and Gender Informed Treatment and Recovery for Women with Substance Use Concerns in Canada, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) through a Planning and Dissemination Grant. It reflects the findings of a rapid revie...

Annually, researchers associated with the Prevention Network Action Team (pNAT) of the CanFASD Research Network search the academic literature for articles related to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) prevention. The findings are organized using a four-level prevention framework developed by the pNAT to describe the wide range of work that com...

Alcohol is legalized and used for a variety of reasons, including socially or as self-medication for trauma in the absence of accessible and safe supports. Trauma-informed approaches can help address the root causes of alcohol use, as well as the stigma around women's alcohol use during pregnancy. However, it is unclear how these approaches are use...

In Canada, a Four-Part Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Prevention has been developed that describes a continuum of multi-sectoral efforts, including broad awareness campaigns, safe and respectful conversations around pregnancy and alcohol use, and holistic and wraparound support services for pregnant and postpartum women with alcoho...

Background and Objective: FASD prevention efforts have been expanded in the last 25 years to go beyond the moral panic that guided early public awareness campaigns and policy responses. In Canada, a Four-Part Model of FASD Prevention has been developed and used that describes a continuum of multi-sectoral efforts for women, girls, children, and the...

Background and objective Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) prevention efforts have grown in the last 25 years to go beyond the moral panic that guided the early public awareness campaigns and policy responses. In Canada, a four-part model of FASD prevention has been developed and used that describes a continuum of multisectoral efforts for wom...

This report is for practitioners in the substance use field, and policy makers or scientists who are designing alcohol-related policies or research. It reviews the evidence on how sex- and gender-related factors can determine the effects and impacts of alcohol use, with a focus on women and women’s health. It also reviews the evidence on sex, gende...

Preconception care is often missed when providing perinatal and reproductive health care. This article describes four evidence-informed preconception interventions on substance use: 1) brief interventions, 2) group interventions, 3) technology-based interventions, and 4) community and workplace awareness strategies. Using concrete resources and ope...

Rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) and substance use have risen during the COVID-19 pandemic, with potentially enduring effects on women’s health. A rapid review was conducted on IPV and women’s substance use in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rapid review explored two separate research questions with a view to integrate the literat...

This summary describes evidence from 30 articles from academic and grey literature published between 2018 and 2020 related to beliefs and perceptions of cannabis use.

Understanding the factors that contribute to women’s alcohol use in pregnancy is critical to supporting women’s health and wellness and preventing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. A systematic review of qualitative studies involving pregnant and recently postpartum women was undertaken to understand the barriers and facilitators that influence alco...

Pregnant women and mothers who use substances often face significant barriers to accessing and engaging with substance use services. A scoping review was conducted in 2019 to understand how stigma impacts access to, retention in and outcomes of harm reduction and child welfare services for pregnant women and mothers who use substances. The forty-tw...

Individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) experience remarkably high rates of mental health and substance use challenges, beginning early in life and extending throughout adulthood. Proactive intervention can help to mitigate some of these negative experiences. Although the literature on FASD intervention is growing, there is currentl...

We distilled years of research from a large scoping review into a Handbook featuring 10 Key questions to improve responses to substance use. It shares evidence and practical tools for service providers and leaders in prevention, treatment, program and policy design. The handbook promotes critical thinking on: • Understanding concepts of sex, gender...

Women who use substances in pregnancy and/or have children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) are highly stigmatized by the media, public, and health and social service providers. Social isolation, non-disclosure of alcohol and/or substance use, and not seeking or receiving the necessary support can be the result.

Drawing on data from a scoping review on sex, gender and substance use, this narrative review explores the use of gender-informed and technology-based approaches in substance use prevention and health promotion interventions. With an ever-changing landscape of new technological developments, an understanding of how technology-based interventions ca...

Brief alcohol interventions are an effective strategy for reducing harmful and risky alcohol use and misuse. Many effective brief alcohol interventions include information and advice about an individual's alcohol use, changing their use, and assistance in developing strategies and goals to help reduce their use. Emerging research suggests that brie...

Much is changing in the substance use and child welfare fields to bring forth approaches that are culturally safe, trauma informed, harm reduction-oriented and participant-driven. This toolkit highlights these advances and invites people working in both systems to think about how we can continue to improve our work, in partnership with the women wh...

Stigma can negatively impact individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and can decrease individuals’ capacity to access services and supports, while perpetuating feelings of shame and contributing to social isolation. Increased access to information about FASD must be shared with and amongst health and social service providers, teache...

The association between fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), residential schools and subsequent assimilatory policies in Canada is of such significance that it was included in the groundbreaking Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Final Report through Call to Action #33, which focuses on collaboratively developing FASD prevention pro...

In Canada, the context for providing brief intervention on substance use during pregnancy is shifting with new opportunities for enhancing discussion of alcohol and other substances, due to the introduction of novel nicotine delivery products (e.g., vaping), the legalization of cannabis, and the crisis in the use of prescription pain medication. Th...

This resource focuses on brief intervention with girls and women in the preconception and perinatal period. Service providers from a range of backgrounds will find it relevant to their practice, including midwives, physicians, nurses, Indigenous health care providers, anti-violence workers, pregnancy outreach workers, sexual health service provider...