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

Abstract

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.