Interventions Undertaken by the Parents in Managing their Youth Abusing Substances in Selected Hospitals, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

Background: Parents have a significant influence on managing and reducing the risk of substance abuse in the youth. Parents’ support and responsiveness to substance abuse progressively produce positive outcomes. They are driven by their parental instincts to help and protect their youth. Thus, when their youth abuse substances, they would do all they can to prevent the use of substances by their youth. They may use different methods to manage their youth before considering going to the hospital for help. This study investigated the interventions the parents use in managing their youth at home to make sure that they do not use the substances. Methods: A qualitative approach with the phenomenological design was adopted to explore parents’ intervention for youth abusing substances. Parents were purposively selected to participate in the study parents. Data collected through semi-structured interviews were analyzed using Tesch’s steps for qualitative data analysis. Results: Parents implemented various interventions to reduce and manage substance abuse in their youth. Some of the interventions included consultations with agents to assist their youth and raise awareness regarding substance abuse's dangers to their youth. Conclusion: The study findings have indicated that parents use various methods to ensure that their youth do not use substances. There is a need for regular meetings between parents and health care providers. It is recommended that parents consult with the health care providers on managing their youth abusing substances.