Substance dependency and treatment issues in South Africa : voices of relapsed involuntary service users

South Africa like many countries across the globe is faced with a high prevalence of substance dependence among the youth. Drug treatment is a widely and generally accepted approach to curb substance dependence. Among users who are considered for treatment, the majority are treated on an involuntary...

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Main Authors: Mkhize, Nkanyiso Nkazimulo, Gutura, Priscilla
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2021
Online Access:http://journalarticle.ukm.my/19028/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/19028/1/52071-170960-1-SM.pdf
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author Mkhize, Nkanyiso Nkazimulo
Gutura, Priscilla
author_facet Mkhize, Nkanyiso Nkazimulo
Gutura, Priscilla
author_sort Mkhize, Nkanyiso Nkazimulo
building UKM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description South Africa like many countries across the globe is faced with a high prevalence of substance dependence among the youth. Drug treatment is a widely and generally accepted approach to curb substance dependence. Among users who are considered for treatment, the majority are treated on an involuntary basis, however, they relapse. This paper discusses the causes of relapse among in-patient and out-patient involuntary youth service users. The findings emanate from a qualitative study that was conducted in Uthungulu district, in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Findings revealed lack of personal motivation for behaviour change, stigmatisation and lack of reintegration of users, lack of aftercare programmes, socioeconomic conditions, poor social support, dual addiction implications and psychological factors as causes of relapse. The paper concludes that lack of effective aftercare programmes opened gaps through which socio-economic challenges and poor social support enabled post-treatment relapse. It is recommended that the social development sector must develop guidelines and treatment programmes designed for the treatment of involuntary service users in both in-patient and out-patient settings.
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spelling oai:generic.eprints.org:190282022-07-22T08:56:04Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/19028/ Substance dependency and treatment issues in South Africa : voices of relapsed involuntary service users Mkhize, Nkanyiso Nkazimulo Gutura, Priscilla South Africa like many countries across the globe is faced with a high prevalence of substance dependence among the youth. Drug treatment is a widely and generally accepted approach to curb substance dependence. Among users who are considered for treatment, the majority are treated on an involuntary basis, however, they relapse. This paper discusses the causes of relapse among in-patient and out-patient involuntary youth service users. The findings emanate from a qualitative study that was conducted in Uthungulu district, in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Findings revealed lack of personal motivation for behaviour change, stigmatisation and lack of reintegration of users, lack of aftercare programmes, socioeconomic conditions, poor social support, dual addiction implications and psychological factors as causes of relapse. The paper concludes that lack of effective aftercare programmes opened gaps through which socio-economic challenges and poor social support enabled post-treatment relapse. It is recommended that the social development sector must develop guidelines and treatment programmes designed for the treatment of involuntary service users in both in-patient and out-patient settings. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2021 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/19028/1/52071-170960-1-SM.pdf Mkhize, Nkanyiso Nkazimulo and Gutura, Priscilla (2021) Substance dependency and treatment issues in South Africa : voices of relapsed involuntary service users. e-BANGI: Jurnal Sains Sosial dan Kemanusiaan, 18 (9). pp. 228-242. ISSN 1823-884x https://ejournal.ukm.my/ebangi/issue/view/1434
spellingShingle Mkhize, Nkanyiso Nkazimulo
Gutura, Priscilla
Substance dependency and treatment issues in South Africa : voices of relapsed involuntary service users
title Substance dependency and treatment issues in South Africa : voices of relapsed involuntary service users
title_full Substance dependency and treatment issues in South Africa : voices of relapsed involuntary service users
title_fullStr Substance dependency and treatment issues in South Africa : voices of relapsed involuntary service users
title_full_unstemmed Substance dependency and treatment issues in South Africa : voices of relapsed involuntary service users
title_short Substance dependency and treatment issues in South Africa : voices of relapsed involuntary service users
title_sort substance dependency and treatment issues in south africa : voices of relapsed involuntary service users
url http://journalarticle.ukm.my/19028/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/19028/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/19028/1/52071-170960-1-SM.pdf