Resilience in young and adult drug users in Chile, Ecuador and Colombia:

A comparative study

Abstract

The objective of this study, which is descriptive-comparative, was to establish a profile of resilience in young people and adults who are drug users in the process of rehabilitation, from Chile, Ecuador and Colombia. The sample consisted of 65 subjects, between 15 and 32 years old, who attended a rehabilitation center, men and women, and who voluntarily agreed to participate in this research. The subjects were evaluated with the SV-RES scale during the 2017 period. The scale allowed to obtain general levels of resilience as well as scores in twelve dimensions at the base of this variable. The data were subjected to analysis of measures of central tendency, dispersion and comparison of groups. Among the most relevant results, there is the high level of resilience exhibited by the Colombian group, an intermediate level in the Ecuadorian case and a low general level of resilience in the Chilean sample. Around the profiles described, the “Satisfaction” and the “Affectivity” stand out as weakened areas, while the more developed areas are concentrated in the “Models” and the “Generativity”. This can guide the design of intervention strategies that highlight the use of non-consumer peers as models, analysis of practical coping experiences, while strengthening the area of ​​emotional expression, emotional recognition and the generation of support networks.