A Scoping Review of the Role of Doulas in Supporting People with Substance Use Disorders During the Perinatal Period in the United States

BACKGROUND: Substance use disorders (SUDs) are increasingly associated with poor maternal and infant health outcomes. Despite the demonstrated need for enhanced perinatal supports, little research explores the use of doulas to address the unique healthcare needs of people with SUDs. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review of peer-reviewed articles following PRISMA guidelines and registered the study protocol with PROSPERO. Search terms related to SUDs and doulas were used to search relevant databases and Google Scholar. Tabular and narrative analysis was used to examine study attributes, gaps in research, and overall themes. RESULTS: Of the 1,368 articles initially identified, 12 articles were included in the final results. Most (92%) of articles were descriptive studies and featured doula support programs. These results indicate this is an emerging area of research. Narrative themes included: SUD-Specific Perinatal Health Support, Doula Training for Perinatal SUD Support, Doula Programs to Support Perinatal People with SUDs, Doula Support for Specific Perinatal Populations, Barriers to Care Experienced by Perinatal People with SUDs. DISCUSSION: Doulas may be a promising source of support for perinatal people with substance use disorder by helping to navigate medical and legal systems, provide needed informational support, combat stigma, and support cultural and strengths-based resiliency. These results suggest that while doulas cannot replace needed systemic change, they offer a potential immediate avenue for enhancing support, reducing isolation, and strengthening agency for perinatal people who use substances.