“Turning Points” in the Lives of Men Dealing with Homelessness and Substance Use Disorder

• In Event: Theoretical Predictors of Substance Use

Abstract

Researchers of substance use disorder have called for the application of life course theory, as advanced by developmental criminologists (e.g. Sampson & Laub, 1993), to provide a deeper understanding of how, when, and why individuals shift toward and away from substance use over time (Hser, Longshore, & Anglin, 2007; Teruya & Hser, 2010). The current study is a preliminary attempt to respond to that call with an exploratory qualitative analysis of in-depth, semi-structured interview data collected from eleven men living in a faith-based transitional housing facility while dealing with a substance use disorder. Framing research questions for the analysis include: How do community context and social identity shape the men’s experiences and (self-) perceptions? What “turning points” define the men’s substance use as it has developed over their lives? Findings suggest that social isolation, negative peer and family influences, and trauma characterize many of the men’s lives, and that precipitating events such as the dissolution of relationships, involvement with the criminal justice system, and struggles with mental and physical health in part shaped their path to the facility.

Author

• Heather Pruss, Bellarmine University