Investigation of the Factors Affecting Successful Treatment of Drug Abuse with Grounded Theory Approach

Abstract

Introduction: One of the concerns of specialists of drug abuse treatment is stabilization in the treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the effective factors in the successful treatment of drug abuse. Method: This qualitative study with Grounded theory approach, was conducted in Zanjan in 2016. Fifteen subjects with a history of drug abuse, who were treated for at least 4 years, were selected through snowball sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using constant comparative analysis method (Strauss and Corbin) by Nvivo 10 software. Results: Using open, axial, and selective coding, the main theme of this study was "Steps to successful treatment of drug abuse". Contextual conditions include the uncensored look at life, the hope of return, the awareness of the return path, and the causative conditions include motivational helplessness, motivational resources, personality traits, and choosing an efficient treatment method. Intervening conditions include religion, helpful resources, and attitude change. And strategies include mechanisms of self-disclosure, trust in God, getting away from the environments conducive to drug consumption, recalling the difficulties of addiction period and social networking. The main outcomes of the successful treatment include retaking family and social responsibilities, comprehending new pleasures of life, and development and growth of efficient personality traits. Conclusion: Successful treatment of drug abuse doesn’t occur suddenly and requires some conditions and strategies leading to observable outcomes that encourage people to not leave the path of treatment and consequently, stabilize the treatment. The results of this study can be useful for drug abusers and specialists of drug abuse treatment.

Keywords

• Drug abuse treatment
• Qualitative research
• Grounded Theory