Mothers’ experience in caregiving for stimulant and hallucinogen drug-abusing adolescent

Abstract

Substance abuse reaches the youth market (adolescents) even further in these past years. Impact of drug abuse covers wide aspects, particularly from stimulant and hallucinogen type of drugs. The role of parents, especially mother, is pivotal in caregiving for substance-abusing adolescents. Mothers are the closest people to their children, so the role of caregiving is particularly associated with them. The mother's experience has not been explored in-depth, so this study aimed to identify the description of a mother's experience in providing care for stimulant and hallucinogen drug-abusing adolescent. The study design was qualitative with a phenomenological approach involving eight participants. Data were collected by in-depth interview and analyzed using Colaizzi method. The study result identified six themes, including grieving response of mother of drug abusing adolescent, closest person's support provides motivation and strength for mother, seeking and maintaining recovery as mother's effort in providing care for substance-abusing adolescent, adolescent's behavior cause drug abuse becomes mothers' burden, adolescent's behavior as the effect of drug abuse influences mothers' psychological condition, and burden perceived by mother as a result of drug abuse by adolescents. The study result recommended that mother, as the closest person, plays a crucial role in seeking and maintaining recuperation of drug-abusing adolescent and as main focus of intervention due to substance abuse by the adolescent.