School of Medicine, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick, Ireland.
Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick, Ireland.
BMC Psychol. 2024 Oct 7;12(1):537. doi: 10.1186/s40359-024-02032-w.
Research has identified a strong link between stress and drug use behaviours. Also, it has been established that the prolonged use of crack cocaine stimulates emotional, cognitive, neurological and social changes. This paper explores the psychological stressors that occur from crack cocaine use and the coping mechanisms used to mitigate them. This will provide an understanding of the intricate relationship between substance use and psychological well-being.
The study is qualitative and uses a descriptive phenomenological approach. The coping circumplex model is the theoretical model that underpins the study. Data was collected through 26 face-to-face in-depth semi-structured interviews with people who use crack cocaine. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Participants consisted of 15 males and 11 females between the ages of 24-57 years, guaranteeing multiplicity within the study sample.
Cravings, financial burdens, relationship breakdown and emotional /cognitive stimulation were revealed as psychological stressors. Maladaptive coping which includes self-harm, isolation, not speaking about/not dealing with emotions and using substances were adopted by study participants. Also, positive coping such as seeking help and keeping busy were adopted by study participants. Social and environmental factors such as stigma, easy accessibility of crack and flashbacks served as barriers to positive coping. Positive coping was linked to the availability and easy accessibility to social support and strong family bonds, underlining the importance of accessible support systems in managing the challenges linked with crack cocaine use.
The challenges faced by study participants in coping with the psychological stressors linked to their crack cocaine use highlight the importance of adopting personalised and comprehensive strategies to tackle the intricate dynamics between psychological stress, coping and crack cocaine use.
研究已经确定了压力与药物使用行为之间存在很强的关联。此外，已经证实，长期使用可卡因会刺激情绪、认知、神经和社会变化。本文探讨了与可卡因使用相关的心理压力源，以及用于减轻这些压力源的应对机制。这将有助于理解物质使用与心理健康之间的复杂关系。
该研究是定性的，采用描述性现象学方法。应对环模型是支撑该研究的理论模型。通过对 26 名使用可卡因的人进行 26 次面对面深入半结构化访谈收集数据。使用主题分析进行数据分析。参与者包括 15 名男性和 11 名女性，年龄在 24-57 岁之间，保证了研究样本的多样性。
研究揭示了成瘾、经济负担、人际关系破裂和情感/认知刺激等心理压力源。研究参与者采用了适应不良的应对方式，包括自我伤害、孤立、不谈论/不处理情绪和使用物质。此外，研究参与者还采用了积极的应对方式，如寻求帮助和保持忙碌。社会和环境因素，如污名化、可卡因的易获得性和闪回，是积极应对的障碍。积极的应对方式与社会支持和强大家庭关系的可用性和易获得性有关，强调了在管理与可卡因使用相关的挑战时，建立可获得的支持系统的重要性。
研究参与者在应对与可卡因使用相关的心理压力源时所面临的挑战，突出了采用个性化和综合策略来应对心理压力、应对方式和可卡因使用之间复杂动态的重要性。
