Therapeutic Environments in Drug Treatment: From Stigmatising Spaces to Enabling Places. A Theory-Based Qualitative Analysis

TY - JOUR

T1 - Therapeutic Environments in Drug Treatment

T2 - From Stigmatising Spaces to Enabling Places. A Theory-Based Qualitative Analysis

AU - Bank, Mads

AU - Roessler, Kirsten K.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

PY - 2022/5/1

Y1 - 2022/5/1

N2 - Investigating therapeutic environments for young drug users is needed to avoid a high dropout rate due to a potential stigmatising effect of the structure of the space. In this article, we draw from three semi-structured interviews with young drug users. The interviews focused broadly on their experiences being on drug treatment and on how they experienced counselling and treatment in different spaces. The findings show that therapeutic spaces that were viewed as clinical and sterile were experienced as stigmatising, which discouraged young drug users from engaging in treatment and therapeutic processes. In contrast, therapeutic places with a homely atmosphere reduced the experience of stigmatisation, facilitated participation in treatment and helped users to relax and feel part of a community. In the analysis, we show how enabling therapeutic places with a homely atmosphere can be produced through materials, activities, and sensory processes.

AB - Investigating therapeutic environments for young drug users is needed to avoid a high dropout rate due to a potential stigmatising effect of the structure of the space. In this article, we draw from three semi-structured interviews with young drug users. The interviews focused broadly on their experiences being on drug treatment and on how they experienced counselling and treatment in different spaces. The findings show that therapeutic spaces that were viewed as clinical and sterile were experienced as stigmatising, which discouraged young drug users from engaging in treatment and therapeutic processes. In contrast, therapeutic places with a homely atmosphere reduced the experience of stigmatisation, facilitated participation in treatment and helped users to relax and feel part of a community. In the analysis, we show how enabling therapeutic places with a homely atmosphere can be produced through materials, activities, and sensory processes.

U2 - 10.3390/ijerph19095005

DO - 10.3390/ijerph19095005

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 35564411

AN - SCOPUS:85128395164

SN - 1661-7827

VL - 19

JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

IS - 9

M1 - 5005

ER -