The staged addiction: impressions management strategies during the application process to addiction services

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Titel: The staged addiction: impressions management strategies during the application process to addiction services
Autoren: Francesco Sdrubolini, Elena Faccio, Diego Romaioli, Michele Rocelli
Quelle: Addiction Research & Theory. :1-12
Verlagsinformationen: Informa UK Limited, 2025.
Publikationsjahr: 2025
Schlagwörter: Addiction services, consumer participation, doctor-patient relationship, drugs, goffman, involvement, thematic analysis
Beschreibung: Background: This study is situated within the growing emphasis on user participation in healthcare services, including those for individuals living with substance use disorders, where power dynamics and mutual distrust between users and professionals can hinder dialogue and collaboration. Using Goffman’s dramaturgical theory, this research explores how young adults manage their identity and self-presentation in relation to the context when accessing addiction services. Method: Four focus groups were conducted with 20 participants who had accessed addiction services. Through thematic analysis, the study explored the self-presentation strategies employed by users to manage their interactions with professionals and the service context. Results: The analysis identified four main self-presentation strategies: ‘Everything was going well’, ‘I wanted to quit drugs’, ‘I was a troubled person’ and ‘the right symptoms’. These strategies are closely linked to backstage interactions, where individuals accessing these services construct beliefs that discourage collaboration with professionals and share practical advice on how to navigate the services. Conclusion: The self-presentation strategies reflect a complex dynamic of personal goals, adaptation to the expectations of professionals, and the symbolic context in which they take place. The strategic management of narratives and the influence of shared beliefs about professionals highlight the complexity of interaction in addiction services, suggesting the need to rethink the therapeutic relationship and clinical practices to offer users the opportunity to collaborate authentically.
Publikationsart: Article
Sprache: English
ISSN: 1476-7392
1606-6359
DOI: 10.1080/16066359.2025.2514208
Zugangs-URL: https://hdl.handle.net/11577/3561044
https://doi.org/10.1080/16066359.2025.2514208
Dokumentencode: edsair.doi.dedup.....0b6198c00336d70fbdcac588e9b92d9a
Datenbank: OpenAIRE
Beschreibung
Abstract:Background: This study is situated within the growing emphasis on user participation in healthcare services, including those for individuals living with substance use disorders, where power dynamics and mutual distrust between users and professionals can hinder dialogue and collaboration. Using Goffman’s dramaturgical theory, this research explores how young adults manage their identity and self-presentation in relation to the context when accessing addiction services. Method: Four focus groups were conducted with 20 participants who had accessed addiction services. Through thematic analysis, the study explored the self-presentation strategies employed by users to manage their interactions with professionals and the service context. Results: The analysis identified four main self-presentation strategies: ‘Everything was going well’, ‘I wanted to quit drugs’, ‘I was a troubled person’ and ‘the right symptoms’. These strategies are closely linked to backstage interactions, where individuals accessing these services construct beliefs that discourage collaboration with professionals and share practical advice on how to navigate the services. Conclusion: The self-presentation strategies reflect a complex dynamic of personal goals, adaptation to the expectations of professionals, and the symbolic context in which they take place. The strategic management of narratives and the influence of shared beliefs about professionals highlight the complexity of interaction in addiction services, suggesting the need to rethink the therapeutic relationship and clinical practices to offer users the opportunity to collaborate authentically.
ISSN:14767392
16066359
DOI:10.1080/16066359.2025.2514208