Taiwan/China Heroin Recovery Project
An-Pyng Sun, PhD and Flavio F. Marsiglia, PhD
In partnership with the University of Nevada Las Vegas and Bali Psychiatric Center, Taipei, Taiwan, this project aims at gathering information about the recovery process and associate experiences of Chinese heroin addicts in recovery in Taiwan and in mainland China.
Primary Health Outcome
Trauma, heroin use, recovery resources
Approach
Interviews with adults (20 years or older) with heroin use disorders, recruited at substance abuse treatment centers.
Key Findings
The results showed that the recovering Chinese experience traumas prior to heroin-use onset and throughout their heroin-use career. Themes related to the traumas include the historical economic transition, the value of family orientation, an emphasis on scholarly pursuits, the shame orientation, and a scarcity of resources conducive to recovery.