"Shit happens, now we just have to adapt and survive" : Perceptions of residential drug rehabilitation workers on Covid-19 challenges

• Main Authors: Åberg, Emma, Riipinen, Tiina
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Högskolan i Gävle, Avdelningen för socialt arbete och kriminologi 2021
• Subjects: Residential Drug Rehabilitation; Social Work; Covid-19; Sweden; Drug Rehabilitation; Socialt arbete
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-36606

The aim of this thesis was to explore what challenges the Covid-19 pandemic has posed on residential drug rehabilitation practices in Sweden from the perceptions of the workers and how these challenges are managed. This was studied through three semi-structured qualitative interviews. The data collected from these interviews was analysed through thematic analysis and the theory of functionalism. The results found that recommendations such as social distancing could not be perfectly upheld within the residential familiar environments, but workers have found a way to adapt these recommendations to suit their clients and still minimize the spread of Covid-19 without risking the quality of the rehabilitative practices. This in addition to accepting the situation for what it is, helped to also minimize any fear of infection one may have had. The workers emphasised that the ways they manage challenges is more important than the challenges themselves.