Browsing by Author "Sussman, Steve"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Narcotics anonymous attendees’ perceptions and experiences of substitute behaviors in the Western Cape, South Africa
    (BioMed Central, 2023) Sinclair, Deborah Louise; Sussman, Steve; Savahl, Shazly
    Much remains unknown about the dynamics of substitute behaviors during addiction recovery among persons attending recovery support groups. Insight into the nature, motives for, and course of substitute behaviors could help to shape recovery support and harm reduction services. Twenty-three semi-structured in-depth interviews (n = 14 males and n = 9 females) were conducted with a convenience sample of Narcotics Anonymous attendees from a number of groups in the Western Cape, South Africa. Participants ranged in age from 22—55 years (M = 39.3, SD = 9.35).
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    Service providers’ perceptions of substitute addictions in the Western Cape, South Africa
    (SAGE Publications, 2023) Sinclair, Deborah Louise; Sussman, Steve; Vantomme, Lize
    Globally little is known regarding substance use service providers’ perceptions of substitute behaviours and this significant gap could hinder service provision and recovery outcomes. Semistructured focus group discussions (including 22 service providers across five sites) were conducted in residential treatment facilities in the Western Cape, South Africa. Service providers recognised substances (e.g. cigarettes and caffeine) and behaviours (e.g. gambling, eating, love, sex, shopping, exercise, and gaming) as potential substitutes. Identified substitute motives included managing cravings; self-medication; filling the experiential void of the primary substance, and time-spending. Concurrent behaviours and addictions were believed to be a key mechanism underlying substitution however, service providers did not uniformly screen for co-occurring behavioural addictions. Substitute behaviours were primarily considered a pathway to relapse and service providers emphasised prevention, detection and family education. To suitably intervene, screening for co-occurring behaviours should be an integral part of the assessment of those presenting for substance use treatment.
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    Substitute behaviors following residential substance use treatment in the Western Cape, South Africa
    (MPDI, 2021) Sinclair, Deborah Louise; Sussman, Steve; De Schryver, Maarten
    The dynamics of substitute behaviors and associated factors remain poorly understood globally, and particularly in low- and middle-income contexts. This prospective study describes the prevalence and types of substitute behaviors as well as predictors, correlates, and motivations associated with substitution in persons (n = 137) admitted to residential substance use treatment in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The brief assessment of recovery capital, overall life satisfaction scale, and an adapted version of the addiction matrix self-report measure were completed during and post-treatment. Results indicate that substitutes were employed consciously for anticipated appetitive effects, for time-spending, (re)connecting with others, and enjoyment. At follow-up, 36% of service users had substituted their primary substance(s) with another substance or behavior; 23% had relapsed and 40% had maintained abstinence. While some service users may be especially vulnerable to developing substitute behaviors, targeted prevention and intervention efforts can reduce this risk.