MELO, Paulo de Tarso    SANTANA, Suely de Melo. Crack consumer: family beliefs influence in treatment. Pesqui. prát. psicossociais []. 2020, 15, 1, pp.1-16. ISSN 1809-8908.

According to the literature, there is a set of values, beliefs, and family practices that form a family's cultural frame of reference and may even interfere in the participation of the family in the treatment of crack users - and users of other types of substances. The goal study is to explore family beliefs regarding the use of crack and its correlation with the family's involvement in the treatment of its members. Ten family members of crack users, all of whom were receiving treatment at one of the recovery centers known as Therapeutic Communities, and a representative of this institution took part in the study. The following tools were used: a scale to evaluate the socioeconomic status, a shortened version of the questionnaire developed by Cebrid (the "Brazilian Center of Information on Psychotropic Drugs") and Samsha (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), in order to evaluate the perception of the risks involved in the use of psychoactive substances, and two semi-structured interview scripts. Two versions of the script were elaborated: one for the family and another for the Therapeutic Community representative. The family members stated that using crack is dangerous from the very beginning, particularly when compared to using other substances. Beliefs related to the use of the drug were analyzed, especially concerning the influence of friends, substance abuse, the relationship between the drug user and the traffic, and other factors. The family members believe in the importance of their participation. The results provided a better understanding of family beliefs regarding the use of crack, which helped to create an intervention that may emphasize more the family's participation in the treatment.

: Drugs; Treatment; Family.

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