Uimastisõltuvuse häirega naiste ja nende beebide abistamine spetsialistide kogemuste läbi Tallinna näitel
Date
2023
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Tartu Ülikool
Abstract
During pregnancy, drug use impairs foetal development and can cause complications during the pregnancy and delivery. In addition to the effects of maternal drug use on the foetus, the use of addictive substances also has an impact on the newborn baby, causing withdrawal symp-toms. Maternal substance use disorder also has a strong impact on the child's later life.
For the well-being of children, I felt that the measures to help them in such situations should be easier to find and more clearly spelt out. There is a lack of a clear overview of what services are available in Estonia for women with substance use disorders and their babies. Therefore, I wanted to investigate the different services that can be offered to women with substance use disorders and their babies, and also to find out what addiction treatment options are available in Estonia.
The aim of the thesis is to reflect on the support services available in Estonia aimed at assisting women with substance use disorders and their babies.
Based on the aim of the thesis, I set three research questions:
1. What is the work with pregnant women and mothers with substance use disorders and what services are provided?
2. How do professionals characterise the situation of women with a drug dependence disorder?
3. How do professionals assess the effectiveness of their work in assisting women with a drug dependence disorder and their babies?
The study found that methadone maintenance treatment is the main addiction treatment used in Estonia, and is offered in various treatment facilities. In addition to methadone treatment, coun-selling services are provided as needed, combined with different therapies and a client-centred approach. Addiction treatment in Estonia is also voluntary.
The study has resulted in a reflection on the support services available in Tallinn and a vision, based on the experience of professionals, of what could be done to improve the effectiveness of the support provided at institutional level.