Today's methadone patients differ from those of the past due to increases in polydrug use, mental health issues, and medical needs. Patients requiring methadone treatment for their opiate addiction are now older than those who initially presented for treatment when methadone treatment first started. The number of older opiate users will continue to grow as the population continues to age. Although previous studies on opiate addiction focused on using methadone in treatment of younger adults, this study used phenomenological methodology to explore the lived experiences of opiate addicted methadone users between the ages of 50 to 55, an understudied population. A sample of 8 older addicts from the Midwest, using methadone in their treatment, provided data collected in face-to-face interviews for this study. Content analysis of the data was conducted with the assistance of NVivo 11 to code and identify categories and themes. Emergent themes included: the impact of methadone use on participants' relationship with others, participants' attitude of being an older methadone user, mental health stressors related to being an older methadone user, struggles in attending the methadone clinic daily, and needing other treatment besides treatment for methadone use. The study impacts social change by informing addiction professionals who may want to develop appropriate treatment interventions for this population.

India has reported higher alcohol per capita consumption and problem use in the past. Per the 2005-06 NFHS-3, problem use has been disproportionately high among men, less educated people, those living in rural areas and lower socioeconomic groups. Despite the growing problem, the data available on the effectiveness alcohol treatment services is very limited. The proposed study intends to address this gap by analyzing the treatment outcome (i.e., complete abstinence) among adult users participating in de-addiction camps and the impact of various individual and environmental factors on alcohol use and treatment outcome. Data (N=176) was collected on adult alcohol users participating in treatment camps conducted in Manjakkudi village of Tamil Nadu between 2004 and 2009 by the T.T. Ranganathan Clinical Research Foundation (TTK center), a renowned non-profit organization. Treatment outcome and impact of various factors (AOI, ACEs, religiosity, family h/o addiction, other drug use, and relationship with family members) on the baseline alcohol use and outcome was analyzed using the advanced statistical methods of Structural Equation Modeling. As expected, heavy alcohol use was common among the sample. Almost 44% of the sample reported consuming 12 standard drinks per day. In addition, 83% of the patients scored high on the SADD scale indicating high alcohol dependence. Nearly, half (49%) of the population had a positive history of family addiction and more than half of the sample (66%) reported one or more ACEs. Nearly, 68% of the patients reported being sober at the end of 12 months’ post treatment. A total number of ACEs and supportive relationships with family members were found to influence the treatment outcome. Consistent with the literature, AOI was found to be associated with baseline alcohol use. By contrast, alcohol use was found to be higher among those who reported no tobacco use. Findings of this study indicate that trends of substance abuse are shifting in India and it is important to tailor the education and preventive efforts towards a younger population. In addition to patients, treatment providers should consider educating friends and family members to increase the support during the treatment process and guarantee long-lasting treatment effects

There is growing research evidence and public concern over the burgeoning of disorders which share common features with substance addictions. In order to investigate the presence and role of addiction features in disorders outside of substance addictions, symptoms of addiction were explored within three addiction groups: alcohol dependence (AD), an established addiction (n = 24); pathological gambling (PG) a disorder with growing empirical support as an addiction (n = 20); and compulsive shopping (CS), a proposed 'novel' addiction(n = 20). Participants were recruited from either the general population, or from the Auckland Salvation Army Bridge residential alcohol and drug treatment programme; Salvation Army Oasis Gambling Service; Pacific Peoples Addiction Service Incorporated; or Te Kahui Hauora O Ngati Koata Trust. Participants completed a battery of self-report measures comprising a demographics questionnaire; Addictive Disorder Questionnaire (ADQ); anxiety and depression subscales of the Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (SCL-90R); Barratt Impulsivity Scale II-r; and substance specific adaptations of the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). Three general categories of addiction symptoms: physiological, salience and dyscontrol, were identified as broad aspects of addiction, common across all three groups. Measurable aspects of addiction, including impulsivity, obsessions, anxiety and depression were found to be endorsed similarly across the three addictions, irrespective of the severity of their addiction. Compulsions were found to be higher in the AD group. Higher anxiety was found to be correlated with higher addiction in the behavioural addictions (CS and PG), whereas depression and anxiety were associated with higher addiction severity in the AD group. The results provide support for broadening addiction diagnostic definitions, to be more encompassing of the psychological and physiological experiences of each symptom; and developing different diagnostic categories for non-substance addictions that reflect the severity of the addiction. Results also provide evidence for developmental phases of addiction, from an early 'hedonistic' impulsive phase, to a compulsive phase, in which increased dyscontrol, mood and anxiety, marks the severity of the addiction.

This descriptive study was designed to determine whether substance abusers could be differentially characterized by past involvement in crimes and, further, whether there is a relationship between the type of substance abused and the degree of violence of the crimes committed. By comparing the socio-demographic characteristics, substance-use, and strain-inducing events reported by 598 residential and outpatient treatment seekers in the Kentucky Treatment Outcome and Performance Pilot Studies Enhancement Project, this study provides further understanding of the crime-substance relationship. This study utilized Robert Agnew's 1992 general strain theory. Results suggest that substance addicts and substance users can be characterized in terms of their previous involvement in crime and their perceptions of personal strain. However, further differentiation between nonviolent and violent criminal offenders and type of substance used is not substantiated by findings presented in this study.

This study examines the sociodemographics, drug use, criminal, and treatment histories of 598 residential and outpatient legally coerced drug treatment seekers in the Kentucky Treatment Outcome and Performance Pilot Studies Enhancement Project. Analyses examined whether users/addicts entering chemical dependency treatment under legal coercion differed from nonlegally coerced treatment seekers. Stanley Cohen's theoretical model of social control provided the theoretical framework for the study. Results showed demographic and behavioral differences were noted between respondents under no coercion and those under legal coercion on gender, age, educational status, pretreatment criminality and current treatment modality. In addition, differences between the legally coerced and not legally coerced clients varied across geographic regions.

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of substance use (alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs) among members of the lesbian community. Additionally, the investigator attempted to determine if there was a relationship between negative social identity and low selfesteem that is reflected in higher rates of substance abuse. The data collection method employed in this study was a type of nonprobability sampling procedure referred to as a purposive sample. The questionnaire was derived from instruments used by other researchers and validated by an expert panel. In order to select respondents from the lesbian population to be included in the sample, the survey was placed on a web page and posted on the Internet. Data were collected on 76 lesbian and bisexual female respondents during a seven-month period. Results from a Pearsons Correlation, one-tailed test of significance determined that there was a significant, positive relationship (pc.0001) between social identity and selfesteem. Though no significant relationship existed between social identity and substance abuse, respondents with higher levels of self-esteem reported significant uses of sedatives (pc.05), tranquilizers (p<.05), speed (pc.Ol), and inhalants (p<.05).

This thesis is a hermeneutic phenomenological investigation of the phenomenon of addiction, particularly alcohol addiction. My thesis draws heavily from the phenomenological school of hermeneutic phenomenology, in particular Max Van Manen’s (2006) text, Researching Lived Experience: Human Science for an Action Sensitive Pedagogy as a frame of reference for my inquiry into and analysis of the lived experience of addiction and recovery. The Van Manen text is used as a research handbook, guiding my approach, my analysis, and the project more generally. My thesis found that, using the existential of lived time, temporality, in recovery the present is essentially different than the past, and that recovering addicts necessarily rethink and reorient themselves to the past to heal.

This study explores how middle-aged homeless persons in Atlanta, GA, who have harmful, self-identified addictive behaviors come to make positive material and psychological changes, while constrained by urban poverty and structural violence. This study is divided into two parts. In part one, I examine the interaction between individual, social, and material factors that promote recovery from addiction in a poor, urban context. I argue that recovery occurs through a process, initiated by a decision and realized through practice. Recovery is enhanced by a stable community and consistent material access. In part two, I examine how pain associated with homelessness can create a strong drive to intensify substance usage as a means to seek relief. I then describe how alienation, pain and corresponding addictive behaviors among homeless persons can be lessened through intentioned, empowering acts, which I call “symbolic love”. Finally, I offer policy recommendations based on my findings.

This thesis is a hermeneutic phenomenological investigation of the phenomenon of addiction, particularly alcohol addiction. My thesis draws heavily from the phenomenological school of hermeneutic phenomenology, in particular Max Van Manen’s (2006) text, Researching Lived Experience: Human Science for an Action Sensitive Pedagogy as a frame of reference for my inquiry into and analysis of the lived experience of addiction and recovery. The Van Manen text is used as a research handbook, guiding my approach, my analysis, and the project more generally. My thesis found that, using the existential of lived time, temporality, in recovery the present is essentially different than the past, and that recovering addicts necessarily rethink and reorient themselves to the past to heal.

This study aimed to investigate the reasons that players play the online game of Happy Farm(HF) on facebook, and to investigate the relationship among disinhibition, conformity and Internet addiction of HF¡¦s players. Data was collected from a sample of 298 players who played on HF. Instruments include three types of measures, HF Disinhibition Scale, HF Conformity Scale and HF Internet Addiction Scale. Data analysis methods included Descriptive statistics, Independent-Samples T Test, One-way ANOVA, MANOVA, Pearson correlation, and Multiple Regression Analysis. The findings from the study were summarized as follows: (a)There were more female players are more than male players on HF. (b)The main reason for the players to play HF is to kill time. (c) Players of HF did not show a tendency of disinhibition, conformity and Internet addiction .(d)There was a significantly positive correlation between disinhibition and Internet addiction on HF. (e) There was a significantly positive correlation between conformity and Internet addiction on HF. (f) Self-disclosure and compliance were the most significant predictor to predict Internet addiction on HF.