Integrating behavioural immunity into substanceuse disorder growth-related research: Insights from a qualitative approach

Abstract

Substance use disorders (SUDs) have occupied the attention of scholars and practitioners for years and continue to do so, especially as the issues that pervade the literature are not only multiple but growing in complexity. However, one of the issues that requires mediating
survival and growth as part of the proactive and reactive responses is behavioural immunity  (BI), but it has not been explored beyond its traditional research context. In this research, we  used a qualitative approach to explore the concept within the context of treatment for SUDs  and related behaviour dynamics. We targeted people receiving treatment for SUDs, and  mental health workers providing the treatments in three rehabilitation facilities in Jos, the  capital of Plateau State, Central Nigeria. The data was analysed using QSR NVivo 20, based on  the thematic analysis technique. Key Vindings emerged, suggesting that BI is part of the  dynamics of certain avoidance behaviours and SUD-related depreciation and growth  outcomes, leading to four pointers: growth pointers, depreciation pointers, depreciationrelated growth, and growth-related depreciation. The Vindings contribute to the knowledge  base of pathogen avoidance psychology by extending BI research to the SUDs and traumarelated avoidance paradigm.