Social pressures and reactions of adolescent drug users in an outpatient clinic

Abstract

Coercive measures and social pressures may affect patients and the treatment for substance abuse disorder. This study analyzes the reactions of adolescents who use psychoactive substances to potentially coercive situations and its effects during treatment. The collected data were analyzed with mixed methods. Results show the prevalence of informal social pressures (48.1%). We classified patients’ reactions as acceptance (17.5%), resistance (31.6%), and lack of motivation (14%). Resistance and lack of motivation can affect the treatment and patients’ autonomy. The use of mixed methods was essential to analyze the medical records regarding senses and meanings and allowed us to quantify and compare the findings with the literature and the qualitative data.