Support Needs of Parents of Adolescents Abusing Substances in Selected Hospitals in Limpopo Province

Abstract

Parents with adolescents who abuse substances need support. They have high stress levels and low quality of life compared to other parents. This is because they have unmet support needs, do not know what to do to help their adolescents, and are distressed. Most studies focus on the support needs of adolescents. Less is known about the specific support needs of their parents. This study explores the support needs of parents of adolescents abusing substances and being treated in five hospitals in Limpopo Province. A qualitative research approach was applied with an explorative, descriptive, and contextual design using semi-structured interviews to understand parents’ views. Data saturation was reached at the 14th parent. Data were analyzed using the Tesch method. The parents mainly wanted informational and emotional support. The study identified specific parent-related support needs and adolescent-related support needs. This study is the first to explore the support needs of parents of adolescents abusing substances in a South African rural context.

Keywords

• support
• parents
• adolescent
• substances abuse