Trajectórias de usos de drogas e experiências de consumo problemático na juventude

Abstract

The present research aims to characterize the trajectory of youngsters that went through a period of problematic experiences with drugs, as well as the abandon of such behavior, so as to acknowledge the extension of this phenomenon in the youthful sector and to understand the processes inherent to the overcoming of the problematic consumption, recognizing their repercussion in the healthy social and personal development. We opted for a qualitative management, so that we could explore significances associated to the use of drugs in the bosom of one’s life course, taking the narrative perspective as vehicle through which the individuals project and communicate senses (Manita, 2001; Fernandes & Carvalho, 2000; Denzin & Lincoln, 1994). Throughout the trajectory, the use of psychoactive substances (PAS) assumes a central role and its progression seems to afford a withdrawal towards the youngsters ’life goals, which convey vulnerability and difficulty in controlling their use of drugs, revealing harm and damage in what concerns mental health, school indifference, and weakness of the family and peers ties quality. In what concerns the overcoming of the problematic use of drugs, if some participants stop using them due to the awareness of the risk associated to their conduct, others enhance the management of the usage in a process of abandon of the problematic consumption, bearing in mind the incompatibility between their previous standard of use and a functional and adaptable life, keeping the use of drugs to the leisure circle and keeping it away from the responsibilities and normative activities. Globally, the desire of autonomy regarding their own conduct seems to contribute to the behavioral transformation, where the young people reveal the acquisition of skills of refusal of their peers influence and capability of projecting the future and the need of asking for help to their progenitors as efficient strategies in the overcoming of the problematic use of drugs.

Date of Award	31 Jan 2012
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Raquel Matos (Supervisor) & Maria Carmo Carvalho (Co-Supervisor)