lorestan university
Abstract: (23 Views)
Objective: Substance use disorders are associated with high relapse rates; however, the process of relapse pathway formation from the perspective of individuals' lived experiences, particularly within the cultural context of Iran, has remained underexplored. This study aimed to qualitatively analyze the formation of the relapse pathway through the lived experiences of men during the abstinence period. Method: This qualitative study employed an interpretative phenomenological approach. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 11 men residing in Tehran who had experienced relapse following at least a three-month abstinence period within the past year. Participants were recruited through purposive maximum variation sampling combined with snowball sampling. Data analysis was conducted following the six-step interpretative phenomenological analysis framework proposed by Smith, Flowers, and Larkin (20222). Findings: Data analysis yielded four main themes: 1) dysfunction of the self-regulation system; 2) lack of interpersonal support and an adverse relational network; 3) structural barriers and failure of formal support systems; and 4) identity crisis and the collapse of the self-reconstruction project. Conclusion: The findings indicated that relapse occurs when individuals simultaneously face uncontrollable emotional outbursts, rejection by family and society, closed employment opportunities, and an inability to redefine a new identity for themselves. These results highlight the necessity of designing coordinated and multidimensional supportive programs to transform the abstinence pathway from an accumulation of deprivations into a supported trajectory.
Keywords: Substance use relapse, abstinence period, interpretative phenomenological analysis, lived experience of men
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