Crack social representations elaborated by users under treatment

Abstract

The main goal of this research was to know and to analyze the content and the structure of crack social representation, elaborated by drug addicts under treatment. This study was conducted in a psychiatric institution of João Pessoa-PB (Brazil), with 30 crack users. Two instruments were used: an interview, which was analyzed by the Thematic Content Analysis; and the Free Word Association Technique, with the tag "crack," which was analyzed from the EVOC program. It was found a negative representation of the crack, where it is embodied in the figure of the Devil, having enough power to destroy its users' lives and the society in general. It was also observed that this representation is made up by negative elements which evidence the sadness and the suffering that permeate the crack users reality. The results found are expected to aid state offices to bring out public policies in order to find this problematic issue a solution, which is able to encompass the psychosocial aspects of the crack usage.

Keywords

• Crack
• transtornos relacionados ao uso de substâncias
• representação social