Factors Associated with Substance Use Disorder: Male Adolescents’ Lived Experience

• Published in: International journal of mental health and addiction 2023-10, Vol.21 (5), p.3258-3275
• Main Authors: Khalil, Malek, Tabar, Nazih Abu, Alsadi, Mohammad, Khrais, Huthaifah, Oweidat, Islam, Hamaideh, Shaher H., Hamdan-Mansour, Ayman M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Community and Environmental Psychology; Data collection; Drug use; Health Psychology; Interviews; Males; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental disorders; Mental health; Original Article; Perceptions; Psychiatry; Psychology; Public Health; Rehabilitation; Sociodemographics; Substance abuse treatment; Substance use disorder; Teenagers
• ISSN: 1557-1874; 1557-1882
• DOI: 10.1007/s11469-022-00790-5

Exploration of factors associated with adolescents’ substance use disorder and risk evaluation using their narratives are not adequately addressed in the literature. The purpose of this study was to explore the adolescent’s lived experiences regarding factors associated with substance use disorder. A descriptive phenomenological approach was used. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from a sample of Jordanian adolescents aged 18 to 23 years diagnosed with substance use disorder. The study emerged four major themes after analyzing and interpreting participants’ transcripts adopting Colaizzi’s method: social facilitating factors for psychoactive substances, familial role, suffer and experience of consuming psychoactive substances, and factors leading to SUD. The analysis showed that peer promotion and classmate types are considered facilitating factors. Lack of parental monitoring (lack of supervision) and involvement in raising awareness about the risks of illicit substances, lack of monitoring by parents, and monetary capability are considered familial factors. Neighbors’ behaviors and availability of substances in the community are considered environmental factors. Finally, curiosity and imitating others are examples of individual contexts. Adolescents reported many factors associated with SUD. Perception and risk evaluation is a multidimensional factor that is affected by personal, familial, and community factors. The study has implications for mental health practitioners and policymakers to amend and develop their treatment and interventional health protocols for adolescents.