Personal and environmental factors affecting drug abuse tendency in addicts: a qualitative study

Abstract

Objective (s): According to the importance of recognizing factors affecting drug abuse tendency, the aim of this qualitative study was to explain personal and environmental factors affecting drug abuse tendency in addicted people in Ahvaz, Iran.Methods: This was part of a qualitative study that carried out according to content analysis approach. The data were collected by purposeful sampling method and 50 semi structured in-depth interviews and two focus group discussions with addicts in Ahvaz drop in centers. The participants signed informed consent formally and after the first interview, constant comparative analysis was performed to analyze the data in open, axially and selective coding. Results: Three factors affected the tendency toward drug abuse: environmental predisposing factors, family predisposing factors and personal predisposing factors. Conclusion: The finding suggest improving the parents knowledge about drug and singe of drug used, monitoring of children specially teenagers and providing social support for addicts might be useful in controlling addiction and drug abuse tendency.

Keywords

• substance abuse
• qualitative study
• content analysis