Occupational performance of adolescents drug users

Introduction: Adolescence is a phase in which individuals could be exposed to situations of vulnerability, such as drug use. These substances alter behavior and cognition, compromising their occupational performance. Objective: To describe and analyze the occupational performance of female adolescents in the periods before, during and after the interruption of drug use. Method: An exploratory qualitative study carried out in an institution for the care of female adolescents who used drugs abusively, located in the interior of Minas Gerais. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview elaborated by the authors with questions related to occupational performance in the various occupations, before and during drug use, during rehabilitation follow-up, risk factors for use, age of onset of use, and factors associated with rehabilitation. We used thematic-categorial content analysis. Results: Eight female adolescents, aged between thirteen and eighteen, participated in the study. The data indicated that the use of drugs compromises the occupational performance of adolescents in all occupations, with emphasis on activities typical of this age group, such as education, leisure, and activities of daily living. Conclusion: This study may contribute as a subsidy to professionals who work with adolescent drug users since they can detect the impairments in occupational performance due to such use and thus intervene with this population.