Que signifie être parent d’un adolescent qui consomme des substances psychoactives ? Étude phénoménologique interprétative transculturelle

Abstract

This study focuses on the theme of the influence of adolescents on parents, from a transcultural perspective considering the socio-cultural contexts of Belgium and Togo. The research question is: “How do parents experience the influence of their teenagers who is using the psychoactive substances?”. Through an inductive qualitative approach, the study highlighted, not the incidence of this phenomenon, but its existence and meaning, by the method of the interpretative phenomenological analysis. In order to reinforce the validity of the results, triangulations were made: triangulation of data sources (differences and diversity of participant characteristics), environmental triangulation (data collection from indigenous people in Belgium and Togo) and triangulation of investigators (involvement of co-authors at all stages: choice of methods, data collection and analysis). The analysis of the data collected from participants of Belgium brought out the following themes: (1) it is difficult for a parent to set limits on his child who is using the substances, (2) the substance use has benefits as well, (3) massive upset the parents’ emotions, (4) the society doesn’t offer enough protection against marginality, (5) it is necessary to protect oneself from society's accusing gaze. The themes that emerged from the analysis of data from participants of Togo are: (1) I cannot get respect in my own home, (2) exacerbation of parents’ vulnerabilities, (3) beware that society's judgment is humiliating, (4) the chronic disorders have a religious explanation, (5) the relationship with the adolescent is complex and ambivalent. The results of this study thus show that where some participants refer to the difficult character of the adolescent to explain their educational failure, others may suspect, in addition, the intervention of mystical forces. They also suggest that the influence of substance-using teenager has essentially negative meanings and is a powerful factor of the parents’ feelings and their educational practices that must be considered in psychotherapy.