Understanding recovery in women with substance use disorder through interpretative phenomenological analysis

Abstract Aims There has been a rise in the number of women who engage in risky use of substances. Although research explaining the difference between substance use practices of men and women exist, research understanding substance usage and recovery in women has not been conducted in Pakistan. Hence, the aim of the present study was to understand the experience of women who engage in risky use of substances, specifically the reasons they seek recovery. Design For this purpose, semi-structured interviews in the native language of the participants (i.e. Urdu) were conducted with five participants. The average time of the initial interview conducted was 32 min. A Purposive Sampling technique was used within the social constructivism framework. The interviews were transcribed in Urdu and translated into English by the primary researcher. The results were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The themes were first elicited manually and then further analyzed using the software Taguette. Participants The study was conducted on five participants recruited from a private sector rehabilitation centre. Results There were four themes elicited related to the reasons women seek recovery: wanting to care for their children, desiring a greater sense of self-worth, religion, and concerns for the impact on their family of origin. Findings Family, religion, children, and perception about self were leading factors that motivated women to seek recovery. Previous research has not investigated these factors, but this study has highlighted the importance of these factors in women’s recovery journey. Conclusion A single theme cannot be highlighted as the main factor for recovery. Instead, understanding the themes as a whole including the context is important to understand the process of recovery. The results of this study can help in raising awareness among the society and designing therapy protocols for women that take into account their reasons for moving toward recovery.