Perceived barriers to addiction treatment: an inductive qualitative content analysis

ABSTRACT

Aims

This study aimed to identify the context-specific barriers of addiction treatment.

Methods

This study followed an inductive qualitative content analysis approach to explore the barriers to drug addiction treatment. The sample consisted of 33 participants including 11 clients who sought addiction treatment, 15 psychologists, 5 general practitioners, an internist, and a psychiatrist; selected from Bojnourd’s addiction treatment clinics in 2018.

Findings

In total, 6 themes, 12 categories and 16 subcategories of barriers to addiction treatment emerged. The themes included treatment barriers, social barriers, family barriers, economic barriers, positive attitudes toward drug use, and lack of self-efficacy.

Conclusion

Lack of family support and lack of self-efficacy were the major reasons for abandoning addiction treatment. Accordingly, more studies (both qualitative and quantitative) are recommended on the role of self-efficacy and family support in addiction treatment programs in different communities.

KEYWORDS:

• Barriers
• drug use
• addiction treatment
• qualitative content analysis

Acknowledgments

We would like to appreciate all the participants and participating clinics and others who helped us in this research. We also thank the editor and reviewers for reviewing our manuscript and helping us improve the article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study is part of an approved research project funded by North Khorasan University Medical Sciences (Research Center for Addiction Studies & Behavioral Sciences); (IR.NKUMS.REC.1397.020).