Social supports for methamphetamine users treated as in- patients at Thanyarak Institute.

Abstract

Background : The wide spread of methamphetamine or ya-ba causes problems with increasing number of methamphetamine users every year. Most methamphetamine users usually have family and social problems.

Objectives : To study social supports and associated factors of methamphetamine users who are receiving treatments as in-patients.

Setting : Thanyarak Institute.

Design : A cross - sectional descriptive study.

Materials and Method : Data were collected from 249 in-patients of the residential treatment at Thanyarak Institute in March 2012. The research instruments consisted of the demographic questionnaire, The Personal Resource Questionnaire: PRQ Part 2. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and Chi-square test.

Results : Averaged social support score in methamphetamine users were 60.63 out of 100 (Mean ± SD = 60.63 ± 12.52). When divided sample into three groups including high, moderate, and low social support by using the mean scores and standard deviations, we found that frequency of methamphetamine use at period of heaviest use and amount of methamphetamine use in the last 3 months prior to admission were associated with high social support. In contrast, experiencing family problems due to using methamphetamine was associated with low social support.

Conclusion : The initial results revealed that severity of methamphetamine use was unexpectedly associated with high level of social support. Family members of severe methamphetamine users might use more efforts to help the persons than those of less severe methamphetamine users. However, causal relationship between social support and severity of methamphetamine use would not be obtained form this study.