Engaging Adolescents in the Fight Against Drug Abuse and Addiction: A Concept Mapping Approach

Abstract

Background To identify contextually-relevant strategies for reducing and eventually eliminating addiction, it is imperative to engage stakeholders that are most affected by drug abuse but typically left out of the conversation, such as adolescents. Aim The aim of this study was to collaborate with 45 adolescent stakeholders participating in a school-based research program to identify areas to address addiction. Methods Guided by a modified version of the mixed-methods concept mapping approach, adolescents were asked to brainstorm and sort a list of statements about how to address addiction in their community. The data were then analyzed via multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis. Results The concept map identified eight clusters from 75 edited statements: policing/security (e.g., increase punishment for selling drugs), helping community (e.g., create more jobs), treatment (e.g., make treatments more affordable), increased awareness (e.g., identify and help at-risk youth), communication (e.g., more communication with people who are abusing drugs), increased understanding/education (e.g., online communities for people who are abusing drugs), clean up community (e.g., clean up abandoned houses) and prevent addiction (e.g., effectively deal with peer pressure). Discussion These stakeholder-driven ideas are consistent with the socioecological framework of addressing substance use and add to the credibility and transferability of individual and systemic level approaches to reducing substance use in marginalized communities. Conclusion This study emphasizes the feasibility of engaging adolescents in the development of contextually-relevant addiction education, prevention, and treatment interventions in underserved communities.

The Mediating Role of Contextual Problems and Sensation Seeking in the Association between Substance Use and Mental Health in Adolescents from Northern Chile

“…Since the school context is where adolescents spend a considerable amount of time, the main relevance of the results of this study relates to using the educational establishment as an intermediary between government institutions and young people in the fight against problematic substance use and its adverse consequences for people’s lives; in this sense, this is in line with the study by Montgomery et al, where, taking an ecological model as a frame of reference, the school context becomes the most appropriate place for education and socialization in terms of adolescent substance use [ 43 ].…”

“…The educational context is the one where adolescents spend a considerable amount of time, so that educational establishments become an intermediary between governmental institutions and students, where, taking an ecological model as a frame of reference, the school context becomes the most appropriate place for education and socialization in terms of adolescent substance use [ 43 ]. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the mediating role that sensation seeking and contextual variables have in the relationship between substance use and indicators of emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents from northern Chile.…”

Türkiye’de Ergenlik Döneminde Bağımlılıkla Mücadele Konusunu Ele Alan Çalışmaların İncelenmesi: Teknoloji ve Madde Bağımlılıkları

“…Ancak özellikle bağımlılık geliştikten sonra, bağımlılık gelişen bireyleri bu davranışlarından kurtarmak daha etkili çözüm stratejileri gerektirebilmektedir. Bu etkililik ise uygulamaya ağırlık verilmesini, yerel yönetimlerin daha işlevsel olmasını gerektirmektedir (26,(42)(43). Ancak araştırmacılar bu konuda yetersizliği ifade etmişlerdir.…”

“…Bağımlılık daha önce de ifade edildiği gibi çok boyutlu olan ve pek çok farklı kişinin rol ve sorumlulukları olan bir durumdur. Özellikle ergenlik döneminde bulunan çocuğun, ebeveynlerinin dikkati, ebeveynlerin okulla bağlantılı hareket etmeleri önemli ve gereklidir (1,42,(56)(57). Ergenin davranışlarında değişimle fark edilebilecek bağımlılıkla etkin bir şekilde mücadele edilebilmesi için ebeveynin ergenle iletişimi önemli olup ve bu etkileşiminin arttırılması gerekmektedir.…”

“…Bireysel çabalarda ise dini tutumlar ve gelecek beklentisi önemli yer tutmaktadır. Özellikle bireyin geleceğe yönelik beklentileri, planları bağımlılığın getireceği problemleri fark ederek uzak durmasına yol açabilir (26,42,58).…”