Abstract
This paper seeks to improve understanding of how romantic relationships and parenting influence illegal drug using trajectories, and, conversely, how illegal drug use impacts on romantic relationships and parenting. This analysis is part of the first life course-based qualitative study of former methamphetamine users in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Laub and Sampson’s “age-graded theory of informal social control” is applied to data from in-depth semi-structured interviews with 35 former methamphetamine users. Analysis shows that support for the theory is relatively weak in regards to relationships (especially females), yet strong for parenting. Compared to romantic relationships, parenting is less likely to increase illegal drug use and much more likely to decrease illegal drug use. Methamphetamine exerted the most negative influence on romantic relationships and parenting. Additionally, female interviewees encountered much greater adversity in their relationships and parenting. Overall, the male partner was more likely to influence increased drug use among the female partner, whereas the female partner was more likely to influence decreased drug use among the male partner.
Highlights
According to the “Harvard Study of Adult Development”, one of the world’s longest studies of adult life, happiness and a flourishing life rest on two main pillars
While government policy needs to be guided by evidence, at present there is a serious lack of research on methamphetamine users in New Zealand
According to Laub and Sampson’s theory, marital stability and parental attachment should be significantly related to changes in illegal drug use
Summary
According to the “Harvard Study of Adult Development”, one of the world’s longest studies of adult life, happiness and a flourishing life rest on two main pillars. While government policy needs to be guided by evidence, at present there is a serious lack of research on methamphetamine users in New Zealand This IRB-approved research is a direct response to that call by providing the first life course-based qualitative study of frequent methamphetamine users in Aotearoa/New Zealand. While this government inquiry is correct to promote wellbeing early in life to tackle the social determinants of mental. T. Bax health and substance use challenges, better understanding is required regarding stability and change in drug use patterns over the whole life course. With greater knowledge of the social processes underlying methamphetamine use over the life-course, this research has the potential to help improve prevention, intervention, and treatment programs for Aotearoa/New Zealand’s methamphetamine users
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