Effective Factors in First Drug Use Experience Among Male and Female Addicts: A Qualitative Study

Background: Addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder and there are several factors influencing its commencement and continuance. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to examine the effective factors in first drug use experience among male and female addicts in recovery. Methods: Interviews were performed with 40 individuals (20 females and 20 males) at addiction treatment centers across the city of Kerman, using criterion sampling. Transcripts were analyzed for themes, which represented the shared consensus of the research participants and the utilization of MAXQDA12 software helped in the analysis of data. Results: Participants of the present study reported four factors, including family (addiction of a family member, family’s positive attitude towards drug use, family’s belief that drugs are curative, and selling drugs by a family member), friends (having addict friends at school, military service, marital life, and blindly following friends’ opinion towards addiction), partner (addiction of a spouse and their compulsions), and stress (stress as a result of loss or bereavement and physical pain) as the most effective factors paving the way for their first drug use experience. Three factors of family, friends, and stress were common for both males and females yet, interestingly, partner’s addiction was only referred to by females as the main reason for their first drug use experience. Conclusions: The findings of the present study stress the need to focus on the role of family in preventive addiction programs, as well as educating individuals to learn better partner-seeking and friendship skills, and stress management.