Exploring the Knowledge and Needs of Parents With Young Persons Misusing Substances

Substance misuse amongst young people continues to increase alarmingly. Sadly, parents are expected to rescue the situation and provide support to the young person. This article seeks to explore the knowledge and needs of parents with young persons misusing substances. The study was conducted at the 10 service points of the Gauteng Department of Social Development (DSD), in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM). A qualitative research approach with non-probability purposive sampling was used to select 10 parents of young persons misusing substances. Face-to-face individual semi-structured interviews based on an interview guide were employed to collect the data. The data were analysed by using Tesch’s eight-step process of analysing factual data. Two themes with associated sub-themes emerged. A need was identified for parents to be better equipped and informed about substance misuse and how to deal with it to enable them to provide appropriate support to young persons. Keywords: knowledge, parents, needs, substance, substance misuse, young persons

Developmental psychology · Environmental health · Early Childhood Education and Development · Medicine · Parental Involvement in Education · Psychology · Youth Substance Use and School Attendance