How do People Attribute their Polydrug Use? A Mixed Methods Approach

ABSTRACT

In Finland, polydrug use is generally seen as stigmatized deviant behavior. By means of the mixed methods approach, this article focuses on how people explain their polydrug use and what they attribute it to. Our findings show that these explanations vary according to sociodemography. Moreover, polydrug use is not always presented as planned and goal-oriented behavior, but also something that can occur due to sudden situational factors beyond the control of the person. Our findings implicate that the judgments regarding the deviance of polydrug use are contextual and different sociodemographic groups consider whether it is deviant behavior or not differently.

Additional information

Funding

The article is a part of the research project: “Making Sense of Polydrug Use: Prevalence, Use Patterns and Harms” funded by the Academy of Finland [Project Grant 274415]. We are very grateful to the Academy of Finland for this support.

Notes on contributors

Kati Kataja

KATI KATAJA, Ph.D., works as a Senior Researcher at the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Finland. Her research interests concern the questions of social exclusion such as substance abuse, intergenerational marginalization, and ethnic minorities from a sociological point of view. Currently, she is undertaking research on social meanings, use patterns, and risks of polydrug use.

KAROLIINA KARJALAINEN, Ph.D., works as a Senior Researcher at the Unit of Alcohol, Drugs and Addictions at the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in Finland. She is also a docent of social psychiatry at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Tampere. Her research interests include illicit drug use, misuse of medicines, and driving under the influence (DUI).

JENNI SAVONEN is a doctoral student of social psychology at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Her dissertation is on the social representations of polydrug use. Research interests include substance use, marginalization, intergroup relations, and social identity.

PEKKA HAKKARAINEN (sociology) is a Research Professor at the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in Helsinki, Finland. He has published numerous studies on drug issues. Currently, he is leading the research project “Making Sense of Polydrug Use: Prevalence, Use Patterns and Harms” funded by the Academy of Finland.

SANNA HAUTALA, Ph.D., is a Professor of Empowering Social Work at the University of Lapland, Finland. Her specific areas of research are substance abuse, polydrug use, and alcohol problems. In addition, Hautala has analyzed gender issues in and the effectiveness of social work, as well as marginalization: questions of homelessness, mental health problems, and crime as a part of people’s life course.