A qualitative study of methamphetamine initiation in Cape Town, South Africa
A qualitative study of methamphetamine initiation in Cape Town, South Africa
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DOI：
10.1016/j.drugpo.2015.10.006
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发表时间：
2016-04-01
影响因子：
4.4
通讯作者：
Meade, Christina S.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hobkirk, Andrea L.;Watt, Melissa H.;Meade, Christina S.
背景：尽管低收入和中等收入国家的甲基苯丙胺使用量显著增加，但很少有人对在这些环境中导致个人开始使用甲基苯丙胺的因素进行实证检验。本研究的目的是定性地考察与南非甲基苯丙胺使用相关的因素。方法：对南非开普敦的30名甲基苯丙胺活跃使用者(13名女性和17名男性)进行了深入访谈。采访包括对有关甲基苯丙胺启动的情况的叙述性描述。访谈被录音、转录和翻译。通过文件备忘录、数据显示矩阵和持续比较技术对成绩单进行分析以确定主题。结果：参与者平均在21岁左右开始定期使用甲基苯丙胺，并已使用7年。出现了与开始使用甲基苯丙胺有关的四个主要主题。甲基苯丙胺吸毒者和分销商的盛行使首次吸毒者非常方便和容易获得这种药物。甲基苯丙胺越来越受欢迎，被认为是“时髦的”，这造成了来自朋友的社会压力，更少的是来自家庭成员的压力，要求他们开始使用。缺乏娱乐和就业的机会进一步推动了入会，这导致了人们对这种药物传言的积极作用感到厌烦和好奇。年轻人还通过帮派成员身份使用和分发甲基苯丙胺，试图在经济机会有限的贫困社区创造收入。最后，参与者将启动甲基苯丙胺描述为应对开普敦地区高暴力和犯罪率造成的累积压力和心理负担的一种手段。结论：这一发现突显了在南非等低收入和中等收入国家启动甲基苯丙胺的复杂性。需要在社区一级采取干预措施，解决甲基苯丙胺的可获得性和被认为是正常的问题，并为年轻人提供娱乐机会。在个人层面上，解决精神健康和对甲基苯丙胺的危险和好处的误解可能会改善启动的意愿。潜在的干预点包括大众媒体运动和基于学校的干预，以提高对甲基苯丙胺的身体和社会影响的认识，以及结构性干预，以创建更安全的社区，提供就业和娱乐机会，并扩大精神健康服务，以改善情绪健康和应对技能。(C)2015爱思唯尔B.V.保留所有权利。
Background: Despite a significant rise in methamphetamine use in low- and middle-income countries, there has been little empirical examination of the factors that contribute to individuals' initiation of methamphetamine use in these settings. The goal of this study was to qualitatively examine factors associated with methamphetamine initiation in South Africa.Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 active methamphetamine users (13 women and 17 men) in Cape Town, South Africa. Interviews included narrative descriptions of the circumstances surrounding methamphetamine initiation. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and translated. Transcripts were analyzed with document memos, data display matrices, and a constant comparison technique to identify themes.Results: On average, participants began regularly using methamphetamine around age 21 and had used for seven years. Four major themes emerged related to the initiation of methamphetamine use. The prevalence of methamphetamine users and distributors made the drug convenient and highly accessible to first time users. Methamphetamine has increased in popularity and is considered "trendy", which contributes to social pressure from friends, and less often, family members to initiate use. Initiation is further fueled by a lack of opportunities for recreation and employment, which leads to boredom and curiosity about the rumored positive effects of the drug. Young people also turn to methamphetamine use and distribution through gang membership as an attempt to generate income in impoverished communities with limited economic opportunities. Finally, participants described initiating methamphetamine as a means of coping with the cumulative stress and psychological burden provoked by the high rates of violence and crime in areas of Cape Town.Conclusion: The findings highlight the complex nature of methamphetamine initiation in low- and middle-income countries like South Africa. There is a need for community-level interventions to address the availability and perceived normality of methamphetamine use, and to provide young people opportunities for recreation. On an individual level, addressing mental health and misconceptions about the dangers and benefits of methamphetamine could ameliorate willingness for initiation. Potential points of intervention include mass media campaigns and school-based interventions to raise awareness of the physical and social impacts of methamphetamine, and structural interventions to create safer neighborhoods, provide opportunities for employment and recreation, and expand mental health services to improve emotional health and coping skills. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.