"The junkie abuses, the psychonaut learns": a qualitative analysis of an online drug forum community
"The junkie abuses, the psychonaut learns": a qualitative analysis of an online drug forum community
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DOI：
10.1108/dat-10-2018-0052
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发表时间：
2019-11-21
影响因子：
0.9
通讯作者：
Beccaria, Franca
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Rolando, Sara;Beccaria, Franca
目的毒品相关的网络论坛被认为是调查最新一代吸毒者的有效途径。本文的目的是探讨有关药物和新的精神活性物质（Psychoactive substances）的讨论，在意大利的精神病学家的在线社区，以获得更好地了解精神病学家的个人资料，通过审查他们的主要消费动机，这主要是针对迷幻药。设计/方法/方式为了收集数据，关键字列表中使用的论坛搜索引擎。针对十种最常提及的物质中的每一种，选择了前五个最近的对话（线程）。此外，10个新论坛成员写的自我介绍帖子也被添加到数据集中，使帖子总数达到60个。使用Atlas.ti 7应用模板模型分析对数据进行编码（King，1998）。结果-论坛成员介绍自己受过良好教育，知情的吸毒者，和鉴赏家的化合物的药理特性：因此，他们声称要知道药物的影响和可能的风险。对使用致幻剂动机的分析实质上证实了以往的研究，表明致幻剂使用的主要原因包括精神需求、自我探索和自我治疗。从娱乐用途转向更“坚定”的目标，如自我发展，被视为吸毒者职业生涯中的一个进步。对减少伤害的普遍兴趣表明，心理宇航员的态度可能是防止吸毒不良后果的一个保护因素。数据中最有问题的使用者是那些使用药物进行自我治疗的人，因为他们的话语集中在痛苦而不是快乐上。独创性/价值-分析和监测药物相关论坛的大部分努力都集中在“前沿”英语国际网站。没有研究涉及意大利论坛。此外，这项研究解决了一些学者最近引入的一个误导性的使用术语电子心理宇航员，他们的研究集中在电子商务上。
Purpose Drug-related web forums have been argued to be an effective way to investigate the latest generation of drug users. The purpose of this paper is to explore discussions about drugs and new psychoactive substances (NPS) on an Italian psychonauts' online community in order to gain a better understanding of the psychonauts' profiles by scrutinising their main motives for consumption, which is mainly addressed to psychedelic drugs. Design/methodology/approach To collect data, a keywords list was used in the forum search engine. The first five most recent conversations (threads) for each of ten most frequently mentioned substances were selected. In addition, ten posts written by new forum members to introduce themselves were added to the data set, bringing the total number of threads to 60. The data were coded using Atlas.ti 7 applying a template model analysis (King, 1998). Findings The forum members present themselves as well-educated, informed drug users, and connoisseurs of the pharmacological properties of chemical compounds: accordingly, they claim to be aware of drug effects and possible risks. The analysis of the motives for using psychedelic drugs substantially confirms previous studies, indicating that the main reasons include spiritual needs, self-exploration and self-treatment. The shift from a recreational use towards more "committed" aims such as self-development is seen as a step forward in a drug user's career. A generalised interest in harm reduction suggests that the psychonauts' attitude may be a protective factor against adverse consequences of drug use. The most problematic users represented in the data are those who use drugs for self-treatment, since their discourse focusses on suffering rather than on pleasure. Originality/value Most efforts to analyse and monitor drug-related forums have focussed on "leading edge" English-language international websites. No studies have dealt with Italian forums. Furthermore the study address a misleading use of the term e-psychonauts recently introduced by some scholars whose's studies were focussed on NPS.