The experience of adolescent addicts in treatment who exhibit suicidal behaviours
Suicidal behaviours are rarely taken into consideration in adolescent addiction treatment. Knowledge is very limited concerning the particularities of youths’ recovery trajectories and their perceptions of services received, yet it is needed if we are to offer services that are better adapted to their reality. This study concerns youths who exhibit suicidal behaviours when entering addiction treatment and aims to explore their personal experience and perceptions regarding their recovery trajectory. A secondary objective of the study is to better understand the particularities of these adolescents’ experience by contrasting it with the experience of those who do not report such behaviours. Semi structured interviews were conducted with 27 youths six months after they entered an addiction treatment centre. Among them, eight recalled instances of suicidal behaviour during their recovery or exhibited such behaviours when entering treatment. Thematic analyses were conducted. In youths exhibiting suicidal behaviours, there are more reports of the influence of a role model on the choice to begin treatment and reduce their substance use. They also report some difficulty in establishing a therapeutic alliance or breaking ties with fellow users. The suicidal behaviours they describe appear to be linked to difficult events or persistent psychological distress. These results highlight certain therapeutic guidelines to tailor services to the needs of adolescents who exhibit addiction problems along with suicidal behaviours.