The viewpoints of adolescent malesin Kimberley regarding the useof cannabis

[摘要] English: Cannabis usage increases the risk of contracting HIV and AIDS due to risky sexual practices, as it affects the user's sense of proper judgement and leads to disintegration of families. Considering the involved risks and the negative effects cannabis has on the mental health of adolescents and the severe shortage of available / appropriate services, it is clear that there is a shortfall regarding the support of cannabis abusing adolescents and their families. However, it is a gap that the Child Psychiatric Nurse Specialist can fill, by enabling the adolescent males to air their viewpoints regarding the use of cannabis freely. Understanding the viewpoints of adolescent males on the use of cannabis in Kimberley may assist the Child Psychiatric Nurse Specialist in possibly empowering them through preventive and promotive life skills programs.There are only two South African National Councils of Alcoholism (SANCA) centres in the Northern Cape Province, situated in Upington and Kimberley; these centres also deal with abuse of other drugs and cannabis. There is no in-patient facility for the adolescents in the province and patients are either send to the Gauteng or the Free State province. Those parents that belong to a medical aid scheme can send their adolescents for two week detoxifying and counselling sessions at private psychiatric hospitals in the Free State province. These programs are extensive but very expensive.The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the viewpoints of adolescent males in Kimberley regarding the use of cannabis.The research methodology used is qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual in design. Focus group interviews were used to collect data in the concerned school in Kimberley. An exploratory study was conducted to test the relevance and clarity of the question on the viewpoints of the adolescent males in Kimberley regarding the use of cannabis. The question was well understood by the participants and did not change for the main study. Data from this study formed part of the main data bank.Data obtained during the focus group interviews were analysed according to the steps proposed by Tesch. The data categories identified included a sense of belonging, the adolescents' belief system, knowledge of cannabis' harmful effects and a miscellaneous category of unrelated comments. The category about belonging was divided into the following sub-categories: peer pressure, popularity and curiosity. The category belief system was also divided into sub-categories, namely healing, relaxation, vision of the future and tradition. The category on harmful effects had four sub-categories, viz. physical/psychological, addiction and criminal behaviour. The last category, being miscellaneous, had three sub-categories: Advantages, family and boredom.Trustworthiness of the data is supported by employing the criteria of Lincoln & Guba: truth value, applicability, consistency and neutrality.Recommendations from the study are based on the identified categories and themes. The results briefly indicate that parents / guardians, teachers, the community members, churches, health-care professionals, as well as the Departments of Health, Social Development and Education, all had a role to play in ensuring that vulnerable adolescents' occupy their leisure time constructively. This can be in the form of engaging in sport, games or youth programmes like 'Ke Moja and 'Love Life after school and during school holidays, in order to minimize the risk of the adolescents using cannabis and other types of drugs from boredom. The preventative strategies that the researcher has formulated will also assist the adolescents to fruitfully utilizing their time in order to prevent boredom and engaging in substance abuse with cannabis.

[发布机构] University of the Free State