ABSTRACT
This study asked, "What are the psychological characteristics of Vietnam combat veterans who claim Agent Orange exposure when compared with combat-experienced cohorts who do not report such contamination?" The question was researched among 153 heroin addicts, polydrug abusers, and chronic alcoholics who were seeking treatment: 58 reported moderate to high defoliant exposure while in combat; 95 reported minimal to no exposure while in Vietnam. The null hypothesis was accepted for measures of childhood and present family social climate, premilitary backgrounds, reasons for seeking treatment, patterns and types of illicit drug and alcohol use, interpersonal problems, intellectual functioning, and short-term memory. The null hypothesis was rejected for personality differences, however, those who self-reported high Agent Orange exposure scored significantly higher on MMPI scales F, Hypochondriasis, Depression, Paranoia, Psychasthenia, Schizophrenia, Mania, and Social interoversion. The results suggest that clinicians carefully assess attributional processing of those who report traumatic experience.
Subject(s)
2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic Acid/poisoning , 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid/poisoning , Carcinogens, Environmental , Combat Disorders/psychology , Dioxins/poisoning , Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins/poisoning , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Substance-Related Disorders/psychology , Teratogens , Veterans/psychology , Adaptation, Psychological , Agent Orange , Humans , MMPI , Male , Risk Factors , Sick Role , VietnamABSTRACT
Used MMPI Content Scale scores (Wiggins, 1966) to assess personality differences among black, white, and Hispanic-American heroin addicts. Ss were 423 male veterans who volunteered for the first time for treatment between 1972 and 1979 to an inpatient Drug Dependence Treatment Program (DDTP) of a Veterans Administration Medical Center. Two hypotheses were tested: First, that minority group heroin addicts (blacks and Hispanics) will show better adjustment than majority group (white) heroin addicts; second, that Hispanic-American heroin addicts will evidence personality characteristics unlike those of either whites or blacks. Both hypotheses were confirmed. Results were interpreted as supporting cultural theories of substance abuse and providing implications for diagnosis and treatment of substance abuse disorders among minority ethnic groups.
