Urban adolescents’ reflections on brief substance use treatment, social networks, and self-narratives

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine urban adolescents’ experiences of completing a brief, substance use treatment protocol. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2006 with 23 patients to better understand their treatment experience, the subsequent impact on their social networks and self-narrative reflections. Results suggest common themes of new awareness of self in relation to substance use, utility of social networks in providing ongoing support, and hopeful future self-narratives. Participants named and evaluated all the substances that they could think of, with marijuana most frequently named and rated as good (65% of patients), indicating a positive attitude toward this drug. In general, we conclude that these qualitative data provide evidence of the effectiveness of brief substance abuse treatment for urban adolescents.

• Urban adolescents
• brief substance use treatment
• social networks
• self-narrative
• qualitative analysis
• integration