مجله علوم روانشناختی (Jul 2024)
Barriers and facilitators of recovery in drug users under addiction treatment: A qualitative study
Abstract
Background: Drug abuse is one of the major challenges in Iran and the world, and the successful treatment of this chronic disorder has always been one of the most important concerns of specialists in this field. Knowing the specific causes of addiction relapse as well as the factors that facilitate successful treatment based on the experiences of drug users under treatment can be the basis for therapeutic interventions in this group. Aims: Therefore, the purpose of this research is to identify the obstacles and facilitators of recovery after withdrawal based on the deep experiences of drug abusers undergoing treatment with a history of relapse. Methods: In this study, a qualitative approach with a thematic analysis method was used. The participants included all drug users under treatment, parents of patients under treatment, and addiction therapists in winter of 2023-2024 in Tehran, who were selected using a targeted sampling method. Theoretical sampling continued until data saturation. 30 individual interviews of 45-90 minutes were conducted and the data reached saturation. Data analysis was done by theme analysis method (Brown and Clark) and using MAXQDA version 2022 software. Results: The results of the analysis of interviews with 30 participants in the research led to the extraction of 48 first-order categories, 12 organizing categories, and 4 main categories. Obstacles to successful addiction treatment were classified into two main categories: internal and external stimuli. Internal stimuli were divided into three organizing categories: negative personality-emotional characteristics, weak cognitive functions, and skill weaknesses, and external stimuli were divided into three organizing categories: family injuries, traumatic socio-economic issues, and obstacles related to treatment. Also, treatment facilitators were divided into two main categories, internal and external factors. The internal facilitating factors were divided into three organizing categories, which were personality traits, skills training, and strengthening of cognitive functions, and the external facilitating factors of treatment were divided into three organizing categories of safe and accepting family relationships, Social support and acceptance and appropriate and continuous treatment were categorized. Conclusion: High-risk situations can lead to treatment failure and relapse, but the good news is that treatment failure can be prevented by identifying relapse risk factors along with identifying facilitating factors. Identifying the mentioned factors, in addition to increasing knowledge in this field, helps professionals in this field to use these findings in designing appropriate interventions for relapse prevention and successful rehabilitation.
