Exploring family support for adolescents after rehabilitation for drug abuse

Abstract

Despite the fact that a lot of information exist in the literature regarding factors leading to drug abuse, consequences of drug abuse for adolescents; little exists that focuses on family support for adolescents after rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to explore family support for adolescents after rehabilitation for drug abuse. The study was based on semi-structured interview based qualitative research. Findings during interviews was that the families have no clear understanding or are not skilled as to how to continue supporting the adolescents after they are discharged from the rehabilitation centre. What was also interesting according to the participants was that even in the rehabilitation centres families are not made part of or involved during the rehabilitation process. There is a need to make the rehabilitation centres aware that families need to be involved during the rehabilitation process of the adolescent so that it becomes easy for the families to continue supporting the adolescents after they have completed the rehabilitation process.