FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO DRUG USE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE IN KAZAKHSTAN: QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS BASED ON IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS

Abstract

Drug addiction remains one of the most pressing issues in modern society, requiring a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of psychoactive substance use and pathways to recovery. The aim of this study is to identify the key factors contributing to the onset of psychoactive substance use among young people, as well as the systemic barriers preventing them from receiving effective support. The study was conducted using a qualitative approach based on in-depth semi-structured interviews with ten adult men aged 25-36 years who had personal experience of drug dependence and were at various stages of recovery in Astana, Kazakhstan. Particular attention is paid to the role of digital technologies in increasing access to drugs and the influence of the family environment on the development of vulnerability to addiction. These two dimensions were not predetermined at the outset of the study but emerged inductively from the thematic analysis as the most analytically distinctive findings of this sample within the Kazakhstani context. The results demonstrate the multifactorial nature of drug use. The dominant factor is peer pressure, particularly from trusted individuals such as older siblings or close friends. The main barriers to seeking help are the fear of stigma, a compulsory registration system, the financial inaccessibility of effective individual rehabilitation, and an acute shortage of qualified addiction treatment specialists. The phenomenon of comorbid addiction, in which gambling and drug use reinforce one another, requires particular attention when developing support programmes. The practical significance of this work lies in the formulation of specific recommendations for government bodies aimed at reforming the support system for people with drug addiction.