Communal invalidation of young adults with co-occurring substance abuse and mental health issues |
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Authors: | Randi Semb Aksel Tjora Marit Borg |
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Affiliation: | 1. Centre for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, University of South-Eastern Norway, Kongsberg, Norway;2. Department of Sociology and Political Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway |
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Abstract: | This study explores how young adults with co-occurring substance abuse and mental health issues experience the challenges of belonging to their local communities. The data were generated through qualitative in-depth interviews with seven young adult service users, six of whom were interviewed twice. The qualitative data analysis resulted in three overarching themes: the need to accept one’s own life and the structures surrounding it; being caught between conflicting social worlds; and moral fumbling in choices and actions. Using an empirical study, we suggest that a process of ‘communal invalidation’ operates through which young adults in the community are socially defined as inadequate. This invalidation serves as a formidable barrier to their recovery. |
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Keywords: | Belonging community social model substance abuse mental health in-depth interviews |
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