Addiction to drugs is a widely acknowledged problem in South Africa. Newer developments in
the study of addiction include behaviours such as gambling and sex as part of a broader
syndrome. International research has established that most people with one addiction are at risk
for co-occurring addictions which are frequently undiagnosed and untreated. Multiple addictions
(MA) have been shown to combine in specific patterns to produce addiction interaction disorder
(AID) resulting in a more complex, treatment- resistant illness.
This was the first study South Africa to investigate if people with substance use disorders had
other addictions. The research had three aims: to establish if in-patients admitted to three drug
rehabilitation centres had other addictions, to investigate the extent of the MA and AID and to
determine whether the treatment programmes managed them appropriately. The study employed
the mixed methods research design and was located at three in-patient facilities in Durban,
KwaZulu-Natal. During the first phase, discussion groups were held with professionals that
explored their perceptions of MA, AID and current treatment programmes. The second phase
involved a survey of 123 participants screened for poly-substance abuse, sex (including internet)
addiction and problem gambling. The third phase utilised in-depth interviews with 25 participants
displaying MA to understand the development of addiction, AID and treatment received. The
data were analysed utilising descriptive and statistical analysis for the survey data, and thematic
analysis for the in-depth interviews and discussion groups.
The study found a high incidence of MA within the survey population of 54%; 37% of
participants tested positive or at risk for problem gambling and 41% tested positive for sex
addiction with 24% of the participants being positive for both. In-depth interviews revealed high
rates of trauma, especially for the female participants and demonstrated the complex
interrelationship between addictions. AID was identified in all 25 participants. In KwaZulu-
Natal, it appears that MA and AID are currently not being assessed or treated. The study
highlights the need for a broader conceptualisation of addiction which would improve current
assessment and treatment and has implications for further training of professionals and addiction
policy in South Africa. / Ph.D. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2013.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/11182 |
| Date | 12 September 2014 |
| Creators | Keen, Helen. |
| Contributors | Sathiparsad, Reshma., Taylor, Myra M. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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