Abstract:
South Africa like many countries across the globe is faced with a high prevalence of substance
dependence among the youth. Drug treatment is a widely and generally accepted approach to
curb substance dependence. Among users who are considered for treatment, the majority are
treated on an involuntary basis, however, they relapse. This paper discusses the causes of
relapse among in-patient and out-patient involuntary youth service users. The findings emanate
from a qualitative study that was conducted in Uthungulu district, in KwaZulu Natal, South
Africa. Findings revealed lack of personal motivation for behaviour change, stigmatisation and
lack of reintegration of users, lack of aftercare programmes, socioeconomic conditions, poor
social support, dual addiction implications and psychological factors as causes of relapse. The
paper concludes that lack of effective aftercare programmes opened gaps through which socioeconomic challenges and poor social support enabled post-treatment relapse. It is
recommended that the social development sector must develop guidelines and treatment
programmes designed for the treatment of involuntary service users in both in-patient and outpatient settings.
