Exploring the role of external locus of control in the use of nyaope: a qualitative enquiry

Abstract

Nyaope is a novel psychoactive product commonly abused in South Africa whose unprecedented dependency is not fully understood. Due to dearth of studies on nyaope, the purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of users in three provinces, using both in-depth interviews and focus group discussions to collect data from both male and female nyaope users. Qualitative data analysis yielded several themes, among which was external locus of control (external LOC), which is a belief that smoking nyaope is controlled by factors external to themselves. The addictive nature of this mixture of drugs, the influence of friends and associates, drug dealers who avail and sell nyaope as well as failure of the police to arrest the dealers were viewed as elements of external LOC. It is recommended that rehabilitation programs for nyaope (which are currently non-existent) should include elements to increase internal locus of control.