Jordanian University Students' Lived Experience of Misusing Amphetamine (Captagon): A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Substance misuse is a growing problem among Jordanian university students. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of university students who misuse Captagon (amphetamines). METHODS: The interpretative phenomenological analysis methodology was used. In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with 10 Jordanian university students, aged 17-22 years, who were using Captagon (amphetamines) for the last 6 months. RESULTS: Three major themes detailed participants' experiences with Captagon: (a) causes for use, (b) effects of taking amphetamines, and (c) seeking help behaviors and support. Participants who experienced academic and personal stress sought help from friends, who provided them with Captagon pills as a way to overcome their life challenges. Initially, taking Captagon provided participants with a sense of control, but it did not solve their problems. Later or as the days passed by, they experienced increased level of stress, felt disorganized in a way that they missed classes, and were being socially isolated. Participants finally sought community help for their problem, but this was difficult because of stigmatizing attitudes in their community toward substance misuse. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing university students' knowledge about the negative consequences of substance misuse and raising awareness of strategies to address the problem will help young people to make more informed choices, because today's young generation are tomorrow's citizens.

The Lived Experiences of Mothers Who Are Parenting Children With Leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Mothers parenting children with leukemia face innumerable challenges in meeting their own personal needs, as well as the needs of their ill child. OBJECTIVE: To explore the lived experiences of Omani mothers who are parenting children with leukemia, using interpretative phenomenological analysis design. METHODS: Data were collected from 10 mothers who were parenting children with leukemia who shared their experiences through a face-to-face recorded interview. Data were analyzed using the interpretative phenomenological analysis approach methods. RESULTS: Three main themes emerged from the mothers' experiences: (1) unexpected shocking diagnosis; (2) life is not the same anymore; and (3) viable support systems. Mothers found their child's diagnosis to be shocking and terrifying. The diagnosis and treatment cast a shadow on the mothers' lives. Mothers abandoned their work and left their healthy children to their spouses. Mothers relied on other mothers also parenting children with cancer and on the support of the extended family and health team members to cope and prayed to God to help them overcome the calamity. CONCLUSION: The mothers perceived their life as changing immediately upon hearing their child's cancer diagnosis as they experienced a plethora of emotions. They sought support at various points during their child's illness to cope and overcome the challenges during the cancer treatment journey. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Pediatric oncology nurses can support mothers during their transition to caring for a child with leukemia and can provide the needed support to reduce maternal distress and increase effective coping with the challenges.