Understanding addiction, relapse and recovery amongst substance using offenders – a qualitative study informed by developmental psychological theories
ISSN: 1745-9265
Article publication date: 11 December 2020
Issue publication date: 11 December 2020
Abstract
Purpose
Psychological developmental informed theories imply that addiction is not exclusively due to the addictive properties of the substance but that early psycho-social experiences are influential on later life. The purpose of this paper is to understand substance dependency, relapse and recovery amongst community-based substance using offenders in relation to their childhoods, relationships and significant life events, from their perspective. A key aim was to help better inform policy and practice.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative study (interpretative phenomenological analysis) was used to understand the impact of childhood, relationships and significant life events amongst (N = 17) adult ex/offenders with substance use dependency problems, (who were part of the UK Government rehabilitation programme), to understand their substance use and recovery from their own perspectives.
Findings
Four main superordinate themes were developed illustrating participants extremely adverse childhoods. Substance use was a means to cope with current and past trauma and crises and to help manage the emotions and mental health which could accompany these difficulties. Managing recovery was about learning to manage life itself, including emotions, mental health problems, trauma/responses, relationships and everyday life.
Originality/value
This group is under researched where qualitative methods have been used. The study focussed on early-psycho-social experiences and relationships and the influence of these throughout the life cycle, in relation to their substance use. The study was informed by theories often used in therapeutic settings but rarely in research, (Orford, 2008; Khantzian, 2012; Flores, 2012, Van Der Kolk, 2014).
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Authors’ note: Any such political opinions contained within this article and not specifically referenced or accredited to others are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect UK government policy or opinion.
Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The Society for the Study of Addiction (Grant 11221).
Citation
Love, B., Vetere, A. and Davis, P. (2020), "Understanding addiction, relapse and recovery amongst substance using offenders – a qualitative study informed by developmental psychological theories", Drugs and Alcohol Today, Vol. 20 No. 4, pp. 337-352. https://doi.org/10.1108/DAT-04-2020-0023
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited