Workers with Lived and Living Experience: Characteristics and Wellbeing in the Australian AOD Sector

Introduction: Little data exists examining workers with lived/living experience of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use who are not in designated peer roles. The prevalence of these workers within the national workforce, and their levels of wellbeing, are currently unknown. The current study therefore explored the prevalence, characteristics, and predictors of wellbeing among workers with different types of lived experience (personal vs family/other) compared to those without any reported lived experience.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted of the Australian AOD workforce. Group differences were explored on variables of interest via frequency statistics, χ² tests of independence, multivariate analysis of variance, and linear regression.

Results: Of the 986 AOD workers in direct client service roles, 2.4% were in a designated peer role, but 67.2% reported lived experience (34.5% personal lived experience and 32.8% family/other lived experience). Substantial proportions had not disclosed their lived experience to their workplace (27.4% with personal lived experience and 43.3% with other lived experience). Wellbeing (i.e., levels of burnout and engagement) did not differ significantly between groups. Predictors of wellbeing across all three groups included age, work intensity (e.g., heavy workloads), and finding work to be personally meaningful; additional differences between groups were also identified.

Discussion: More than two-thirds of AOD workers in Australia have some form of lived experience, however this is not reflected in the number of peer roles. Initiatives that reach all workers with lived experience are required to safeguard their wellbeing, enhance recruitment and retention, and support best practice.