Experiências de internação não voluntária para usuários de drogas e seus familiares

Abstract

Objective: to know experiences of non-voluntary hospitalization of drug users and their relatives. Method: ethnographic study. The sample comprised 20 relatives of the collaborating patients and eight people with problems related to the use of drugs for more than ten years, with or without diagnosis for chemical dependence and who had experience of involuntary or compulsory hospitalization. The interviews were recorded and later transcribed. The data were tabulated using the software of analysis of texts, videos, audios and Web images Qualitative Data Analysis (WebQDA), then analyzed through the technique of Content analysis. Results: three categories were identified: 1. Suffering, social and governmental helplessness; 2. Inpatient experiences and violation of rights; 3. Difficulties and possibilities after hospitalization. Conclusion: non-voluntary hospitalization calls into question the autonomy and rights of drug users; the relatives in front of him seek hospitalization as a way to save the life of the drug user. Research in the area is needed to assess the impact of this issue on the lives of the people, institutions and public policies involved.