SUBSTANCE ABUSE AMONG MALE ADOLESCENTS

• TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Chapter ONE

INTRODUCTION

• ORIENTATION TO THE STUDY      Pages INTRODUCTION............................................................................................. 1 BACKGROUND TO THE RESEARCH PROBLEM................................... 2 RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY ................................................................... 3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY................................................................. 4 AIMS OF THE INVESTIGATION................................................................. 4 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM .............................................................. 4 RESEARCH STRATEGY AND RESEARCH METHOD............................ 5 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS .................................................................... 5 DEMARCATION OF THE STUDY ............................................................... 6 DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS ....................................................................... 6 Adolescence ....................................................................................................... 6 Adolescent ......................................................................................................... 6 Substance............................................................................................................ 6 Substance use .................................................................................................... 7 Substance dependence ...................................................................................... 7 OUTLINE OF THE STUDY ........................................................................... 7 CHAPTER SUMMARY .................................................................................. 8 

Chapter TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

•  LITERATURE REVIEW OF ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE USE INTRODUCTION............................................................................................. 9 TYPES OF ABUSED SUBSTANCES............................................................. 9 PREVALENCE OF SUBSTANCE USE AND ABUSE AMONG ADOLESCENTS .............................................................................................. 9 THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE CAUSE OF viii SUBSTANCE USE AND ABUSE .................................................................... 11 Developmental theories..................................................................................... 12 The development of identity ............................................................................... 13 Identity confusion............................................................................................... 14 Disease or biological theories .......................................................................... 16 Psychological theories ....................................................................................... 18 Learning theories............................................................................................... 19 Progression theory............................................................................................. 21 Economic theories ............................................................................................. 21 Symbolic interaction theory ............................................................................. 22 Social control theory ......................................................................................... 24 Availability theory............................................................................................. 26 EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE............................................................. 27 Health effects of substances.............................................................................. 27 Substance dependence........................................................................................ 27 Social effects of substances ............................................................................... 35 Economic effects of substance abuse .............................................................. 37 SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE OF ZEERUST DISTRICT ...................... 38 Demographic profile ......................................................................................... 40 Population size and population growth ............................................................. 40 Number of households ....................................................................................... 40 Urbanisation rate................................................................................................ 40 Labour profile.................................................................................................... 40 Number and rate of unemployment................................................................... 41 Informal and formal sector employment........................................................... 41 Poverty rate ......................................................................................................... 41 Educational profile............................................................................................. 41 PROFILE OF ADOLESCENTS IN ZEERUST DISTRICT ........................ 42 CHAPTER SUMMARY................................................................................... 43 ix 

Chapter THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

•  RESEARCH METHOD INTRODUCTION............................................................................................. 44 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN........................................................ 44 SAMPLING ....................................................................................................... 46 Eligibility criteria .............................................................................................. 47 THE INTERVIEW SETTING......................................................................... 47 RESEARCHER’S ROLE ................................................................................. 47 WAYS OF RECRUITING PARTICIPANTS ................................................ 48 DATA COLLECTION ..................................................................................... 48 Unstructured interviews ................................................................................... 49 Genograms ......................................................................................................... 51 Observation........................................................................................................ 52 PILOT STUDY.................................................................................................. 52 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ..................................................................... 54 Permission to conduct the study ...................................................................... 54 Debriefing........................................................................................................... 54 Voluntary participation .................................................................................... 54  Informed consent.............................................................................................. 54 Protection of participants ................................................................................. 55 Confidentiality ................................................................................................... 55 DATA ANALYSIS ............................................................................................ 55 Thematic analysis .............................................................................................. 56 Advantages and disadvantages of thematic analysis...................................... 59  x RESEARCH BENEFITS.................................................................................. 59 CHAPTER SUMMARY................................................................................... 60 

Chapter FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

• FINDINGS OF THE STUDY INTRODUCTION............................................................................................. 61 BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF PARTICIPANTS .......................................... 61 THEMATIC DATA ANALYSIS ..................................................................... 73 RESULTS........................................................................................................... 83 Age and grade for substance use...................................................................... 83 Substances of abuse and setting ....................................................................... 83 Reasons for substance use................................................................................. 83 Experimentation ................................................................................................. 84 Depression .......................................................................................................... 84 Biological reasons .............................................................................................. 84 Peer group pressure............................................................................................ 85 Availability ......................................................................................................... 85 Family factors..................................................................................................... 86 Maintaining the substance abuse habit ........................................................... 87 Stopping substance abuse ................................................................................. 88 Effects of substance abuse ................................................................................ 88 CHAPTER SUMMARY................................................................................... 90 

Chapter FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

• DISCUSSION INTRODUCTION............................................................................................. 91 AGE AND GRADE FOR USE OF SUBSTANCES ....................................... 91 NATURE OF SUBSTANCES ABUSED BY MALE ADOLESCENT......... 91 MODES OF SUBSTANCE USE...................................................................... 92 PROGRESSION IN THE USE OF DRUGS................................................... 92 xi SETTING FOR SUBSTANCE USE................................................................ 93 MAINTAINING SUBSTANCE ABUSE HABIT........................................... 93 REASONS FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE ......................................................... 94 Developmental stage of adolescence ................................................................ 94 Depression.......................................................................................................... 95 Family structure ................................................................................................ 95 Parenting style ................................................................................................... 96 Educational level of parents ............................................................................. 97 Availability of substances ................................................................................. 97 Learned behaviour ............................................................................................ 98 Media .................................................................................................................. 99 The school environment.................................................................................... 99 EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE............................................................. 100 Social effects....................................................................................................... 100 Health effects ..................................................................................................... 100 Economic effects ................................................................................................ 101 CHAPTER SUMMARY................................................................................... 102 CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION INTRODUCTION............................................................................................. 103 CONCLUSION.................................................................................................. 103 LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDY.................................................................. 104 RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................. 106 Future research ................................................................................................. 106 Policy implications............................................................................................. 107 Training and development................................................................................ 108 REFLECTIONS ................................................................................................ 112 Adolescent stage................................................................................................. 113 Peer group pressure .......................................................................................... 113 Poverty................................................................................................................ 113  xii Child- headed family......................................................................................... 113 CHAPTER SUMMARY................................................................................... 114 REFERENCES.................................................................................................. 115 APPENDICES ................................................................................................... 125