| dc.description.abstract | The growing phenomenon of drug abuse has alerted the attention of health professionals, addiction counsellors, school educators, the media and community members. Susceptible sub groups of the population such as adolescents have been seriously affected as addiction destroys their identities, health, daily performance, family structure and ultimately results in social disintegration. Consequently, rehabilitation facilities have been established and addicts are entering the treatment system via referrals from school principals, the judiciary court or desperate parents and family members. Despite this, after having spent a reasonable amount of time and money in rehabilitation centres, relapse rates are significantly high and addicts are returning to treatment. The question was then raised as to whether recurrent relapses were as a result of their occupational needs not being met in treatment. To understand whether the occupational needs of these recovering adolescents are met, a true client-centred approach was employed. A descriptive approach was used within a qualitative research paradigm. The participants that were selected from four drug rehabilitation facilities in the Cape Town Metropolis, included 8 recovering drug addicted adolescents, 2 rehabilitation workers employed at two different facilities, and a sum of 26 parents of recovering addicts. Purposeful sampling was used for the adolescents and rehabilitation workers while convenient sampling was used for the parents. To access the perspectives and perceptions of the participants the researcher used individual semi-structured interviews for the recovering adolescents and drug rehabilitation workers, and focus groups for the parents. The data was analysed thematically using Lincoln & Guba’s (1985) method of qualitative data analysis. All data was managed manually. The objectives of the study explored perceptions of drug addicted adolescents with regard to relapse, to describe the barriers with regard to drug rehabilitation and their occupational needs, to reveal facilitators with reference to the recovery process, and to present suitable strategies which may improve drug treatment practice. Three themes were constructed based on the findings of the study. The themes were: 1) easy to get in, difficult to get out, 2) breakdown on life caused by drug addiction, and 3) moving forward towards recovery. Since adolescence is known as a transitional period characterised by identity development, adolescents are naturally influenced by their social and physical environment, particularly their peer groups at school and in the community. Consequently, adolescents enter treatment with numerous physical, psychological, social, intrapersonal, and legal needs. The constant pursuit of drugs and its lifestyle leads to dysfunction and imbalance in the individual’s daily performances with relapse remaining a common element in the recovery process. The lack of knowledge from participants pertaining to the concept of relapse was perceived as a barrier to recovery. The physical and social environment such as the general availability and accessibility of drugs in adolescent’s community, the unfavourable influence that peers and family relationships play, organisational challenges such as staff handling principles regarding their developmental stage and ineffective communication within the rehabilitation centre, and personal barriers including manipulative and behavioural difficulties, emerged as contra-indicative to the recovery process. Many of the recovering drug addicted adolescents were unable to cope with the array of needs and triggers, and found themselves relapsing and returning to the rehabilitation facility. Among the many facilitators as perceived by the participants, the actual programme at the rehabilitation centre was significant in promoting progress. If it included education groups, where clients are taught about substance abuse, relapse and how to restructure their lifestyle of recovery, it was deemed as beneficial. Another facilitator highlighted by the participants was the involvement of family by incorporating parent support sessions, and an interesting factor suc Recommendations for the study included that adolescents who abuse substances need to be treated very differently to adults or children, and that maintaining communication or a connection with them via aftercare for example, will enable them to sustain their sobriety outside of the rehabilitation facility. Since addiction affects the individual’s identity, roles, and habits on an occupational performance level it is paramount that treatment should be addressed from an occupation-based perspective in collaboration with existing evidence-based addiction models. Occupational therapists are uniquely equipped to deal with these components. h as including spirituality as a resource was raised as valuable in their recovery process. | en_US |
