"What is work?”: Perspectives of low-income young adults who use psychoactive substances and participate in a harm reduction-based low-threshold work program

Abstract

Background. Young adults in situations of social precarity are more exposed to the risks associated with both unemployment and psychoactive substance use. Low-threshold work is a promising alternative for this cohort, yet it has been little studied to date. This qualitative study describes the significance of both work in general and low-threshold work for these individuals. Methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 young adults who had participated in a low-threshold work program. The interviews were transcribed and subsequently analyzed thematically, filtered through a life course theory perspective. Results. Participants defined “work” as remunerated activity carried out within a formalized framework. The meanings they ascribed to work were somewhat negative, marked by prior experiences of abuse and exploitation. Precarious living conditions were also difficult to reconcile with the routines of full-time employment. However, a different set of meanings was ascribed to low-threshold work. Beyond representing temporary economic relief, it was experienced positively on a number of fronts and categorized by participants as distinctive from what they called “real work.” Conclusion. Low-threshold work as a harm reduction-based intervention strategy presents a number of potential benefits that include the chance to form lasting relationships, gain exposure to enjoyable work, and be supported in a process of change liable to promote the achievement of certain goals. A broadened definition of work that extends beyond the notion of productivity, as is programs like TAPAJ, could thus provide young people in situations of social precarity with more rewarding income-generating opportunities in addition to fostering feelings of achievement.