Drug Addiction in the Context of Quantitative and Qualitative Data

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Description of drug addiction

Drug addiction is described as a condition that is characterized by an intense and overwhelming desire to continue using a drug to which an individual has become habituated as a result of repeated consumption because its use produces a particular effect, typically an alteration of mental status. Usually addiction is accompanied by a compulsion to get hold of the drug, a physical or psychological dependence, a tendency to increase dosage, and detrimental effects on the individual as well as the society. The most common addictive drugs include alcohol, morphine, barbiturates and other opioids, particularly heroin, which has greater euphorigenic properties compared to other opium derivatives.

How Data analysis of this issue may differ when you use quantitative approach and qualitative approach

Qualitative research seeks to obtain an in-depth understanding of underlying reasons, motives and opinions concerning the issue under investigation. Data obtained using qualitative methods provide insights into the setting of the problem (Creswel, 2013). Qualitative data analysis may provide a way of understanding the lived experiences as well as meanings of drug use from the point of view of the drug users themselves. In addition, since qualitative research seeks to provide a way of understanding action as socially organized, its use may enable understanding of how the lived experiences and meanings regarding drug use are influenced by different cultural, economic and social contexts (Creswel, 2013). Qualitative data analysis will describe nature of drug use in its natural context as well as the meanings that this behavior is perceived to have.

Quantitative data analysis on the other hand is the most often used approach in psychological studies and mainly seeks to quantify data and collects data in numerical form (Borrego et al., 2009). Usually this type of data seeks to test hypotheses or to explain cause-and-effect relationships. In this study, this type of analysis may be used to describe the cause of drug addiction and its effect. It may also be used to determine the relationship between a certain behavior (independent variable) and the drug addiction (dependent variable). It will also be used to describe relationships between behaviors and events. Findings of quantitative data analysis will be more genaralisable because of the larger sample sizes that will be used compared to qualitative data which does not involve large sample sizes (Salkind, 2006). Quantitative data analysis will enable us to understand the perceptions, beliefs and opinions regarding drug addiction that are genuine reflections of t he population being studied and which ones are merely chance occurrences.

Which approach to data analysis may be most effective for drug addiction?

While quantitative has been the dominant methodological approach in contemporary drugs research, qualitative methods have in the recent past received an increasing receptivity as a means of obtaining a deep understanding drug use and responding to it. This is the case particularly with regard to informing the development of community interventions as well as policy. In my view, qualitative approach is better as it will provide findings that provide rich analyses that will enhance understanding of the causes of drug addiction and therefore provide basis for development of interventions to prevent it.

References

Borrego, M., Douglas, E. P., & Amelink, C. T. (2009). Quantitative, qualitative and mixed research methods in engineering education,” Journal of Engineering Education, 53-66.

Creswel J. W. (2013). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing among Five approaches (3rd ed. Chapter 7). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications

Salkind, N. J. (2006). Exploring Research. 7th Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson-

Prentice Hall.