RESEARCH ON ADDICTION
Year:2016 | Volume:10 | Issue:39 |Papers Count:17

Objective: This study aimed to compare two groups of substance abusers and healthy people with each other in individual risk factors and to identify the most important individual risk factor that draws a distinction between the two groups.Method: A retrospective method was used in this study. Indeed, 120 substance abusers and 120 healthy subjects who were matched with each other in demographic characteristics. These particpants reosnded to the items of anxiety, stress and depression, impulsivity, aggression, attitude to substance, and status of substance use.Results: The results of this study showed that the patients with substance abuse obtained higher scores in individual risk factors in comparison with the control group. Impulsivity, aggression, depression, and positive attitude to drugs were respectively the most discriminant factors in distinguishing the two groups.Conclusion: The results show that internal defects in substance users make them susceptible to abuse drugs. Negative emotions, positive attitude to drugs, and the inability to control impulses lead them to use the variety of substances.

Objective: The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of social problem-solving in self-control, self-efficacy and impulsivity in students with addiction potential.Method: An experimental research design with pretest-posttest control group was employed for the conduct of this study. For this purpose, 50 high school students with addiction potential were identified from Meshkinshar high schools through Addiction Potential Scale and were randomly divided into control and experimental groups. Self-control, self-efficacy, and impulsivity scales were completed by students before and after social problem-solving training. The experimental group received eight training sessions of social problem-solving and the control group received no intervention.Results: The results showed that social problem-solving training leads to the increase of self-control and self-efficacy and the reduction of impulsivity in students with addiction potential.Conclusion: These results suggest the effectiveness of social problem-solving training in psychological variables among the individuals with addiction potential. Therefore, it is recommended that this training be used to prevent addiction in schools.

Objective: The aim of this research was to conduct a content analysis on addiction prevention educational packages related to Welfare Organization based on addiction prevention components.Method: A qualitative research method and content analysis based on Shannon entropy model were used for the conduct of this study. The statistical population of the study included all educational packages of addiction prevention belonging to Welfare Organization and the sample of the study consisted of Addiction Prevention Package, Life Skills (1), and Life Skills (2).Results: The results showed that self-awareness and empathy have received the highest attention and decision-making and problem-solving are ranked in the next places in the content of addiction prevention package. On the other hand, effective communication, creative and critical thinking, teaching about drugs, and coping with stress have received the minimum attention in the content of the package. In book of Life Skills (1), decision-making, problem-solving, effective communication, and teaching about drugs have been assigned the highest attention whereas coping with stress, emotions management, creative and critical thinking, self-awareness, and empathy have been given the lowest voice. In book of Life Skills (2), the highest attention has been paid to decision-making, problem-solving, self-awareness, empathy, and effective communication while the lowest attention has been given to creative and critical thinking, teaching about drugs, coping with stress, and emotions management.Conclusion: Given that some components of addiction prevention have not been given enough attention, their inclusion into educational packages will make an effective contribution to the improvement of knowledge in the target population.

Objective: One of the main tasks of education is to increase students' knowledge about the dangers of drug addiction. The present study seeks to investigate the content of drug addiction in book of Social Studies.Method: A mixed method was used in this study to identify the components of drug addiction via descriptive analysis and then to evaluate and analyze the social studies curriculum through content analysis. The content of the book of Social Studies in the eighth grade of junior high school published in 2014 was the statistical population of this study and the sampling was done in a purposive method. The Inventory of Textbook Content Analysis, Inventory of Activity Analysis, Worksheets, and Inventory of Picture Analysis Drafts were used as data collection tools. Following the study of theoretical foundations and legal framework, the proposal was developed and its validity was determined by Educational Sciences experts and other relevant experts. This book consists of 12 chapters and 190 pages and was analyzed based on the analysis unit of sentence. The sentences in the textbook, the text of activities, and also the images in the course books constituted the analysis units.Results: In total, 18%, 28%, 17%, and 36% of the content in Social Studies curriculum of the eighth grade pertain to concepts related to drugs, the variety of injuries, causes of tendency to drug use, and methods of drug use prevention, respectively.Conclusion: According to the results, less attention has been paid to the causes of tendency to use drug and the variety of narcotic drugs in this textbook and, thereby, it needs to be given more attention.

Objective: The present study aimed to examine the relationship of spiritual health and self-efficacy with addiction potential among addicts and non-addicts in Jiroft.Method: The method of the present study was correlational. The statistical population of this study included all male addicts who had referred to drug rehab centers and male non-addicts of Jiroft in 2015. From among the population, 136 addicts and 147 non-addicts were selected as the sample via simple random and convenience sampling methods, respectively.Results: The results of logistic regression analysis indicated that all the three variables of spiritual health (P<.0.04), self-efficacy (P<.001), and addiction potential (P<.0.03) could significantly discriminate the two groups from each other.Conclusion: Therefore, training spiritual health and religiosity as well as training self-efficacy to clients, especially to people with addiction potential can play a crucial role in decreasing their dependence on drugs in addition to conventional withdrawal methods.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the outcome of the Matrix Model of therapy on quality of life in methamphetamine abusers.Method: In a quasi-experimental research design, 15 participants were selected as the experimental group and15 participants were selected as the control group from among the 30 individuals of methamphetamine abusers who were under medical treatment. The experimental group received 24 one-hour sessions of the Matrix Model of therapy whereas the control group did not receive any intervention.The experimental and control groups completed the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF) at the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up stages.Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference in the mean scores of quality of life between the two groups in the post-test stage while there was no such significant difference between the two groups at the follow-up stage.Conclusion: Group sessions of Matrix Model of therapy have improved the short-term quality of life in methamphetamine abusers, but not their long-term quality of life.

Objective: This study was aimed at predicting tendency to drug use based on behavioral activation and inhibition systems, cognitive flexibility, and distress tolerance among students.Method: The research method used in this study was descriptive and correlational. The statistical population of this study included all high school students in Ardabil in the academic year of 2015-2016. From among the population, 255 students were chosen via cluster random sampling method as the aprticipants, but the total of 230 questionnaires was analyzed at the end. For data collection, Zargar et al.' s Addiction Potential Scale (2006), Gray-Wilson Personality Questionnaire (1989), Dennis and Vander Wal Cognitive Flexibility Questionnaire (2010), and Simons and Gaher’s Distress Tolerance Questionnaire (2005) were used.Results: The results indicated that behavioral activation system has a significant positive relationship with tendency to drug use in students. In addition, it was found that behavioral inhibition system, cognitive flexibility, and distress tolerance were significantly correlated with tendency to drug use in students.In addition, regression analysis revealed that almost 45% of the total variance in students' tendency to drug use was predicted by behavioral activation and inhibition systems, cognitive flexibility, and distress tolerance.Conclusion: It can be concluded that behavioral activation and inhibition systems, cognitive flexibility, and distress tolerance are the variables interrelated with tendency to drug use in students. Therefore, these variables should be taken inrto account in addiction prevetion and treatment programs.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of hope-oriented psychotherapy in motivation for treatment among drug dependent individuals.Method: A quasi-experimental research design along with pretest-posttest and control group was employed in this study. All drug dependent individuals who had referred to addiction rehabilitation centers and clinics of districts 9, 10, and 11 in Mashhad city constituted the statistical population of this study. The number of 40 volunteers was selected as the sample from among this population. Then, the participants were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups, each group containing 20 subjects. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of hope–oriented group psychotherapy and the control group received no intervention. Both groups completed Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale as the pre-test and post-test.Results: The results demonstrated that hope-oriented psychotherapy has a significant effect on increasing motivation for treatment, recognition, ambivalence, and taking steps among the drug dependent individuals in the experimental group.Conclusion: The utilization of the principles of hope–oriented psychotherapy has an important role in increasing motivation for treatment in drug dependent individuals and can lead to the success of therapeutic programs and other positive treatment outcomes.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare sustained attention between three groups of methamphetamine addicts, heroin addicts, and normal people.Method: In this causal-comparative study, 30 methamphetamine dependent participants and 30 heroin dependent participants were selected using purposive sampling from among the men who referred to RIBIRTH Center for Addiction of the city of Tabriz. In addition, 30 normal individuals were selected for the control group. These three groups had been matched in terms of age, gender, education, marital status, and socioeconomic status. All three groups were evaluated by means of demographic questionnaire and continuous performance test.Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference between methamphetamine and heroin groups and between methamphetamine users and normal people in terms of the reaction time of CPT, as a measure of sustained attention; indeed, the methamphetamine group gained higher mean scores in that regard (P<.0.01). In other indicators of sustained attention, i.e. errors of commission and errors of omission, the difference between the normal group and heroin users was obtained significant (P<.0.01).Conclusion: Therefore, it can be argued that the application of sustained attention tasks is lower in methamphetamine and heroin users than that in normal people. In addition to the more accurate understanding of the problem, the better identification and recognition of these factors can pave the way for the higher effectiveness of the current treatment methods and also for the provision of new therapeutic strategies.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of group training of the concepts of Choice Theory in addicts' quality of life.Method: A quasi-experimental research design along with pre-test and post-test and follow-up and control group was employed for the conduct of this study. The population of this study consisted of the addicted men who referred to addiction treatment centers in Ahvaz in 2015. From among these addicts, 50 subjects were randomly selected using purposive sampling and were randomly assigned to two groups. The participants completed Quality of Life Questionnaire in three stages (pre-test, post-test and follow-up after 60 days). The experimental group received ten 90-minute sessions of group training on the concepts of Choice Theory (once a week).Results: The results showed that group training of the Choice Theory concepts leads to enhanced quality of life in physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains in addicted people.Conclusion: Group training of Choice Theory concepts can enhance the quality of life in addicts.

Objective: The comorbidity of substance abuse and mood and anxiety disorders have been proven in various studies and have led to a lot of clinical implications. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness-based relapse prevention and common treatment in substance abuse and symptoms of depression and anxiety among addicts.Method: This study was conducted within the framework of a quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control group and follow-up. Based on the Structured Clinical Interview and the acquisition of inclusion criteria, the number of sixty-three participants was selected via purposive sampling from among the men suffering from substance abuse, anxiety, and depression. Thereafter, the participants were divided into two groups, mindfulness-based relapse prevention group and conventional treatment group. Pennsylvania Alcohol Craving Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory were used for data collection.Results: The results showed that mindfulness-based relapse prevention interventions were effective in reducing cravings and symptoms of depression and anxiety.Conclusion: Due to the effectiveness of mindfulness-based relapse prevention interventions in the decrease of cravings and symptoms of depression and anxiety in addicts, these results can have good practical implications for clinicians working in addiction centers.

Objective: This study aimed to identify the factors influencing drug abuse from the perspective of people who are involved in addiction treatment.Method: Due to the complex and ambiguous structure of the effective factors in youth addiction, fuzzy cognitive maps were used for data collection and analysis. The participants consisted of 16 physicians and psychologists working in Urmia medical and psychological treatment centers.Results: The results showed that the following variables had the highest effect on addiction from the perspective of specialists and experts: addiction of family members with the out degree of 1.54, unemployment with the out degree of 1.32, and deviant peers with the out degree of.88. In addition, these experts believe that addiction reduces one's ability to cope with life's problems and, thereby, inability to solve problems increases the person' s sense of isolation. At the end, the whole process results in the severity of addiction.Conclusion: These results have practical implications.

Objective: The increasing tendency to drug use is one of the major social problems particularly because the age of drug users has reduced and it has been spread among youth. In this regard, many efforts have been made to investigate the relationship between substance abuse and personality-related constructs. This study aimed to investigate the relationship of personality traits and coping strategies with drug abstinence self-efficacy in addicted youth at Marvdasht.Method: This research was a descriptive-correlation study and the addicts under treatment at 7 Addiction treatment centers of Marvdasht city constituted its statistical population. From among this population, 116 participants were chosen by convenience sampling and in a voluntary fashion. These participants were evaluated in terms of the research variables by means of NEO Personality Inventory, Drug Abstinence Self-efficacy Scale, and Lazarus Ways of Coping Questionnaire.Results: The results showed that drug abstinence self-efficacy was negatively correlated with neuroticism (one of the dimensions of personality) and positively correlated with the dimension o resiliency. Problem-focused coping strategies are positively associated with the personality dimension o resiliency and emotion-focused coping strategies are negatively correlated with neuroticism dimension. In addition, drug abstinence self-efficacy has a positive relationship with problem-focused coping strategies.Conclusion: Different personality dimensions, different levels of self-efficacy, and choice of coping styles and model are among the effective factors in tendency or lack of tendency to drug use and addiction.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare dysfunctional attitudes, cognitive distortions, and difficulty in emotion regulation between people with substance abuse and normal people.Method: The research method of this study was descriptive and causal-comparative. The population of this study consisted of the men with substance abuse (opium and opium sap) who had referred to one of the rehabilitation camps of Mahneshan city. In addition, the normal people of this city constituted the population of the control group in this study. The number of 90 subjects with substance abuse was selected as the sample units via purposive sampling according to the inclusion criteria of this study. Similarly, the number of 90 normal subjects was selected as the sample units of the comparison group via convenience sampling method. The subjects of both groups had been matched together in terms of age and education level. Then, Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS-40), Cognitive Distortions Scale, and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale were administered to both groups.Results: The results showed that there were significant differences between the two groups in all three variables and drug abusers gained higher scores in dysfunctional beliefs, emotional regulation difficulties, and cognitive distortions.Conclusion: These differences are important in the design of clinical interventions for treatment.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of sexual health behaviors training on sexual dysfunction of addicted women.Methods: A semi-experimental research method with pre-posttest with witness group design was used. The research population included all women were recovering addict in rehab centers of Attar, Sepahan, Pake Mehre and Conger 60 in 2015 in Isfahan. To select a sample, voluntary method was used and administering of the questionnaires, from 100 volunteers, 30 patients were selected and assigned randomly in two groups (n=15) and witness (n=15). Experimental group was under 8 training sessions, each one 90 minutes. The witness group did not receive any intervention.Results: The results showed that sexual health behaviors training have a significant effect on sexual dysfunction of addicted women and its components.Conclusion: It can be concluded, sexual health behaviors training education can reduce sexual dysfunction of addicted women. So this method can be used in addiction treatment centers for women.