Att göra nya val - om nätverkets delaktighet i ungdomars väg ut ur ett missbruk

Sammanfattning:  The aim of this study was to examine how young people, who have been treated for their misuse and/or to learn to handle a parent's misuse, portrayed the network's implication in their wishes about improving their lives, to make new choices. The network included members of nuclear family, relatives, important persons at school/work and friends. The “professional network” (therapists and social workers) also became a part in the young people's life during a period. The main issues of this study concerned differences in their experiences of the young persons´ network relationships in before, during and after completed treatment. And also what has been important in the treatment. The most important result of the study shows that despite that all the young people have had experiences of difficult problems and life relations nevertheless came to improve their life conditions. The process of change, for several of the young people, took place during a long period of time, sometimes several years. The most important aspect in this process was the own will to change. The study shows a significant change in the composition of the network. From the time of drug abuse friends of the same age were the most important persons in the network. But the relationships with the family network did improve and was experienced as important after the completion of the drug abuse, also when the youth was over 18 years of age. When the treatment was connected to a network perspective the youths´ social networks came to play a more important role after completed treatment. And thus, when there was no network approach the youth often stood entirely alone, lacking support from both family and “the professional network”. Other important factors in the treatment concerned the relationship between the youth and the professional, where private consultations played an important role. It was likewise important that the professional made it possible for the youth and other members of the family network to start a dialogue about problems in the life situation of the youth. The fact, furthermore, that other related persons outside the core family has been invited to conversations, did also contribute to a positive outcome of the process.