“To Survive in This Society like a Normal Person”: Social Reintegration Challenges of Young People Who Use Drugs During Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation in China

Youth drug abuse is a persistent public health concern in China. Community-based drug rehabilitation (CBDR), the final three-year stage of China’s official rehabilitation system, aims to help people who use drugs (PWUD) reintegrate into society, but reintegration remains limited, particularly among young PWUD. This study explores the social reintegration challenges faced by young PWUD aged 18 to 35 during the CBDR stage in Guangzhou, China. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 participants and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis (RTA). Three themes were identified: stigma and relational struggles, socioeconomic marginalization and daily life disruption, and limitations of the CBDR service model. These challenges were not separate but reinforced one another, with difficulties in one domain spilling into others and narrowing the space in which reintegration could occur. These findings suggest that addressing the reinforcing linkages between stigma, economic hardship, and service limitations requires a more coordinated approach to CBDR service provision, one that integrates vocational support into relapse prevention, builds flexibility into surveillance procedures, and provides participants and their families with realistic, evidence-based information about the prospects of recovery.