Group reality therapy in addicts rehabilitation process to reduce depression, anxiety and stress

Substance abuse is one of the most outstanding socio-psychological hazards that can easily wreck one's personal, family and social life. Reality Therapy is a type of Cognitive rehabilitation [known as psychosocial rehabilitation method], and the application of this method in the treatment of different disorders has recently been the topic of research. The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of group reality therapy on the reduction of stress, anxiety and depression in addicts. A quasi-experimental study of pretest-posttest design, with a control group was conducted. The study population consisted of all addicts attending Tehran's 'Neda' Rehab Clinic. First, the DASS-21 questionnaire was administered and then 40 people were selected from those who had scored average and higher. They were randomly assigned to two test and control groups of 20 each. Analysis of co-variance was used to analyze the data, with which pretest scores were controlled, and the effect of the independent variable on posttest scores was evaluated. Following the intervention, there were significant decreases in the mean scores of all three variables, i.e. stress, anxiety and depression in the test group. Psychosocial rehabilitation based on reality therapy can be considered as an effective method for reducing stress, anxiety and depression in addicts and also as an adjunctive therapy in treating other ailments

Dysfunctional attitudes and coping strategies in substance dependent and healthy individuals

From the psychological point of view, coping strategies and attitudes have considerable effects on people's tendency towards risky behavior, including opioid substance abuse. Dysfunctional attitudes are attitudes and beliefs that predispose the individual toward depression and psychological disorder, generally speaking. Usually, people use three types of coping strategies when confronting stressful situations; problem-focused, emotion-focused and avoidance strategies. This study therefore aimed to compare dysfunctional attitudes and coping strategies in substance-dependent and healthy individuals. A causal-comparative study was conducted. The population under study consisted of 100 addicts attending Robat-Karim's addiction rehabilitation centers who were selected through simple random sampling. Another 100 ordinary individuals were matched with the addicts. The dysfunctional attitudes scale and the coping strategies questionnaire was used to collect data. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to analyze data. The two groups differed significantly in their dysfunctional attitudes and problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies. Substance-dependent individuals applied emotion-focused coping more and had greater dysfunctional attitudes than the healthy ones, and the latter applied problem-focused strategies more. Based on our results, addicts have greater dysfunctional attitudes than non-addicts. Therefore, better treatment and rehabilitation results may be obtained by preparing grounds for appropriate psychological interventions and coping strategies in substance-dependent individuals

Personality traits and psychopathology in nicotine and opiate dependents using the gateway drug theory

According to the gateway drug theory, tobacco use is a predisposing factor for future substance abuse. This study was conducted to compare nicotine and opiate dependents to identify the differences between their personality traits and psychopathology that makes them turn to other substances after cigarette smoking. A causal-comparative study was conducted. Three groups were randomly selected: nicotine dependents, opiate dependents and ordinary individuals [non-dependent population]. Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised, the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence, Maudsley Addiction Profile, the Beck Depression Inventory, and Beck Anxiety Inventory were used to collect data. Analysis of variance was used to analyze data. Opiate dependents had higher 'novelty seeking' and lower 'cooperativeness' scores as compared to the other two groups. They also had higher anxiety and depression scores than the other two groups. Higher 'novelty seeking' and lower 'cooperativeness' scores are important personality traits predicting future substance abuse

Early maladaptive schemas in opiate and stimulant users

Objective: Early maladaptive schemas are valid representations of unpleasant childhood experiences that shape a person's viewpoints of the world, and lead to clinical symptoms such as depression, personality disorders, and substance abuse. Given the importance of this matter, we conducted a research on early maladaptive schemas in substance-abusers, to allow more appropriate preventive measures to be taken with a better understanding of the issue

Methods: For this descriptive-comparative study, 115 patients [91 opiate users and 24 stimulant users] visiting drug addiction treatment centers were selected through convenience sampling from persons who were admitted to substance abuse treatment centers [Methadone Maintenance therapy centers], addiction treatment camps and self-help groups and Narcotics Anonymous [NA] of Yasuj. Data were collected using a Demographic Information Questionnaire and Young's Schema Questionnaire-Short Form [SQSF]. Data analysis was done with ANOVA and t-tests

Results: The results showed a significant difference [P<0.05] between users of opiates and stimulants in terms of vulnerability to harm or illness, enmeshment, subjugation, emotional inhibition, entitlement, insufficient self-control/self-discipline, emotional deprivation, social isolation, defectiveness, failure/shame, and dependence. The average score of the stimulant-users was higher than that of opiateusers in all the schemas except for the dimensions of abandonment, mistrust, and unrelenting standards

Discussion: Stimulant users have more early maladaptive schemas and are at a greater risk of psychological vulnerability. Early maladaptive schemas can be used by clinicians and researchers as a psychopathology and treatment method for substance dependence disorder

Association between Emotional Expressiveness Style and Addiction Potential in Male High School Students

Objectives: Adolescents are the most vulnerable group of the society when it comes to risky behaviors. As a consequence of their volatile behavior during adolescence they are more likely to behave in ways that threatens their ongoing physical and psychological health and their future. The current study was designed to examine the association between the emotional expressiveness style and addiction potential among male high school students.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 180 male high school students that had been selected through multi-stage random sampling from Karaj city's at-risk high schools. The research tools consisted of: a] the researcher-made demographic questionnaire, b] addiction potential scale, c] emotional expressiveness questionnaire. Pearson's correlation coefficient and multivariate analysis of variance [MANOVA] were used for data analyzing.

Results: Based on the results, emotional expressiveness and its components were negatively and significantly associated with addiction: ‘expression of positive emotion' [p=0.001], ‘expression of negative emotion' [p=0.001], and ‘expression of intimacy' [p=0.001]. ‘Expression of positive emotion' plays a more significant role in predicting addiction potential. Addiction potential was significantly associated with familial economic status [p=0.024].

Discussion: On the whole, our results underscore the significance of emotions and emotional expressiveness in predicting addiction potential in adolescents. Therefore, it is essential to educate adolescents during their schooling years to prevent this phenomenon.

Social Work Guidelines for Street Children with Substance Use Disorders

This study was designed with the purpose of providing organized instructions on how to improve the psychological, medical, and social circumstances of street children with concurrent substance use disorders. Due to the special vulnerabilities of these children, customized guidelines are required in order to maximize the treatment outcomes. Systemic review of literature was applied on a large number of national and international journal articles available on the phenomenon of substance use among street children. The literature review was followed by a qualitative study using in-depth interviews in order to record and analyze the experience of experts working in this field. The preliminary draft was reviewed by the experts and final modifications were applied. The ultimate guideline presents practical recommendations for different stages of providing service for the target population including case finding, motivational interventions, assessment, care and intervention planning, and follow-ups. Street children face various physical, psychological, and social complications. Substance use disorders can exacerbate their circumstances and add to the complexity of their problems. The current guideline is an initial step to better understanding and treating street children who use drugs. Further research is required to investigate the effectiveness and long term results of this guideline .considering the fact that Iran is one of the many countries dealing with this phenomenon, adjustments should be made for application in different cultures.

Psychometric properties of physical well-being, health and motor development inventory for assessing school readiness

The objective of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the 'physical wellbeing, health and motor development inventory' used to assess school readiness in ordinary and mentally retarded pre-school children. A descriptive study examining validity was conducted using random sampling. Two hundred students [160 ordinary and 40 mentally retarded children] were randomly selected from the city of Tehran. In investigating the validity of the inventory, evidence related to content validity and construct validity were used. The evidence related to content validity showed that the questions related to the domain elements of gross motor skills, fine motor skills, nutrition and safety exercises all had high correlation coefficients with the overall elements. Some of the questions related to the domain elements of sensorimotor skills, physical fitness and activities of daily living did not have acceptable correlation coefficients. However, after removing the outliers the overall validity coefficient and subsequently that of the overall test increased. The t computed for construct-related evidence was significant too. Eventually, the validity coefficients were estimated at 0.859, 0.832, 0.671, 0.585, 0.725, 0.719 and 0.719 for gross motor skills, fine motor skills, sensorimotor skills, physical fitness, activities of daily living, nutrition and safety exercises, respectively. The results indicate that the overall inventory and its elements have good validity for assessing preschool children's readiness in the domains of physical well-being, health and motor development