Ho-Yee Ng. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 597-642). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

Substance abusing women with children are a diverse group, but some of them are among the most disadvantaged individuals in the United States. These women are in dire need of effective treatment modalities in order to sustain sobriety. Using a quantitative research design, this study examines the perception of motivation in the recovery process among African American women with children. Through research surveys these women identify the motivating factors necessary for successful treatment outcomes. Scales were created to measure extrinsic motivators, intrinsic motivators, and barriers to treatment. Factors examined included attendance at twelve step meetings, church attendance, court mandates, family support, assistance from Children's Services Workers, participation in residential and outpatient treatment programs, training in life skills such as assertivenesss, stress management, effective communication, vocational skills, and parenting, and intrinsic spiritual beliefs. The study also examined barriers to treatment such as lack of transporation, child care, employment, housing and money.

ABSTRACT The aim of this thesis is to explore the impact of treatment on male addicts who attend Narcotic Anonymous (NA) meeting between the ages of 45 to 60 years that have been free from drug addiction without relapse in 10 years. The interest is to really understand how the addicts have been impacted and what factors have contributed to their being able to remain free from drug abuse without relapse. The research is a qualitative study. Semi structured interviews based on interview guide that are made up of six open ended questions was used to generate information (Primary data) from eight interviewees. The data generated was analyzed using qualitative content analysis in hermeneutic perspective. Also, Maslow’s need hierarchy theory and early research was used to analyze the data that were generated. It was found that the former addicts experienced improvement in their psychological health identity and social situation. Furthermore, they were impacted by different treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy, environmental therapy and the NA 12-step program. The findings of the study also indicates that the interviewees gained job, education and driving license because of the drug abuse treatment they have undergone. In addition, having a partner, stable family and regular attendance of NA meeting have helped the interviewees to remain free from drug use in 10 years. Furthermore, from the findings, improved psychological health, improved changes in identity and social situation are themes found from the coding and categorization from qualitative content analysis method. The main theme found is getting new ways of gaining control of addiction in relation to improved psychological health, improved changes in identity and improved social situation.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

While research investigating the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs for adolescent substance use has increased in recent years, few studies have explored predictors of differential response to these rehabilitation programs. Delay of gratification (DG), which refers to the tendency to forego strong immediate satisfaction in the pursuit of larger long-term rewards, is one factor potentially relevant to all rehabilitation programs, as substance use can be characterized as a choice between short-lasting satisfaction from drug consumption and long-term benefits from abstinence. This study aims at investigating the changes of delay of gratification and the relationship between delay of gratification, future orientation and drug avoidance throughout a drug rehabilitation programme. A sample of one hundred and eleven students in Christian Zheng Sheng College was recruited to participate in this longitudinal study with four waves of data collection. The findings of the present study contribute to the literature of risky behavior by demonstrating the relationship between delay of gratification and drug avoidance, as well as the finding that delay of gratification is a changeable trait which can be strengthened through interventions. Further study will be required to examine the mechanism of change in delay of gratification and drug avoidance, as well as the influences of future orientation on delay of gratification and drug avoidance. / published_or_final_version / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo sobre a representação da família, em um grupo de adolescentes dependentes de drogas e residentes na cidade de São Paulo. O objetivo do trabalho é fornecer subsídios a uma proposta de programa para o atendimento à família, na área de educação em saúde pública. Foram entrevistados 12 adolescentes do sexo masculino, com idade de 14 a 21 anos, internados em clínica de tratamento para dependentes de droga. Os dados obtidos são mostrados num esquema de representação da família, que emprega o conceito \"união-fratura\" do grupo familiar como eixo semântico para uma compreensão do problema. É sugerido um programa de educação para prevenção das toxicomanias, com enfoque no ambiente familiar, nas dificuldades relacionais e no apoio aos pais em suas adaptações aos papéis e funções familiares / It is about a qualitative study of family representation, in a teenager drug addicted group, residents in São Paulo city. The purpose of the study is to provide subsidies to a proposal of a program which attends families, in public education health. Twelve male teenagers, aged between 14 to 21 and living in a clinic for drug addicts, have been interviewed. The data obtained are shown on a scheme of representation of the family, wich uses the concept of \"union-fracture\" of the family group as a semmantic axle, for the comprehension of the problem. An educational program to prevent toxicomania with focus on the family environment, on difficult relashionships and on the aid to parents on their adjustment to familiar roles and functions, is suggested.

O uso de drogas de abuso pode levar a alterações neuroplásticas duradouras no encéfalo, entre elas a sensibilização comportamental (SC), um fenômeno relacionado à dependência. O enriquecimento ambiental (EA) permite estudar a influência do ambiente na resposta a diversas manipulações, entre elas o tratamento com drogas de abuso. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito do EA sobre a SC ao etanol, e sobre a expressão de proteínas envolvidas nas respostas às drogas de abuso: BDNF, TrkB e Egr-1. Para tanto, camundongos foram expostos ao EA, e então tratados repetidamente com uma dose baixa (1,8 g/kg) de etanol. Outros grupos foram submetidos ao protocolo de SC e posteriormente expostos ao EA. O EA protegeu os animais de desenvolverem a SC ao etanol, bem como promoveu sua reversão. O EA diminuiu os níveis de BDNF no córtex pré-frontal e de TrkB no hipocampo, e aumentou a expressão de Egr-1 no córtex insular. O EA pode ser considerado uma estratégia útil para a reversão dos efeitos da SC, que está associada à fissura e a episódios de recaídas na dependência. / The use of addiction drugs can lead to long-term neuroplastic changes on the brain, such as behavioral sensitization (BS), a phenomenon related to addiction. Environmental enrichment (EE) is a strategy used to study the environmental influence on the response to several manipulations, including the treatment with addiction drugs. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of EE on the BS to ethanol and on the expression of proteins related to the response to drugs of abuse, as BDNF, TrkB and Egr-1. Thus, mice were exposed to EE and then repeatedly treated with a low dose (1.8 g/kg) of ethanol. Other group of mice was first submitted to the BS protocol and then exposed to EE. EE protected the mice from developing the BS to ethanol, and promoted its reversion. EE decreased BDNF levels in the prefrontal cortex and TrkB in the hippocampus, and increased Egr-1 expression in the insular cortex. EE can be considered and useful strategy to block BS effects, a phenomenon related to craving and relapse.

by Tse Kam Fai. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 216-228). / Abstract / Acknowledgements / Chapter Chapter 1: --- Introduction / Chapter 1.1 --- Contexts and Objectives of the Study --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Related Studies in Hong Kong --- p.9 / Chapter 1.3 --- "Identity, Role, and Social Behavior" --- p.13 / Chapter 1.4 --- Data and Methodology --- p.16 / Chapter 1.5 --- Outline of Chapters --- p.20 / Chapter Chapter 2: --- Literature Review / Chapter 2.1 --- Medical-Disease Model: Exposition and Critique --- p.22 / Chapter 2.2 --- Social Deviance Model --- p.24 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- On Etiology and Process of Drug Use / Chapter 2.2.2 --- On Cessation of Drug Use / Chapter 2.2.3 --- "Social Learning, Resocialization and Therapeutic Community" / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Resocialization as Social Learning: The Oversocialization Critique / Chapter 2.3 --- Identity Model --- p.32 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Resocialization as Identity Transformation / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Types of Identity Transformation / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Resocialization as Conversion / Chapter Chapter 3: --- A Comparison Between SARD A and Operation Dawn / Chapter 3.1 --- "History, Services, and Social Position" --- p.43 / Chapter 3.2 --- Treatment Philosophy and Practice --- p.47 / Chapter 3.3 --- Treatment and Rehabilitation Programme --- p.48 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Pre-admission Procedure / Chapter 3.3.2 --- In-patient Service / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Halfway House and Aftercare / Chapter 3.4 --- A Statistical Profile of Admission Cases: SKC vs Dawn Island Centre --- p.60 / Chapter Chapter 4: --- Pre-admission Stage / Chapter 4.1 --- "Addict Role-taking, Role-engulfment and Deviant Identity Formation" --- p.63 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- First Use and the Honeymoon; Taking the addict role / Chapter 4.1.2 --- "Addiction and Life as ""Junkie"": Developing the deviant self-identity" / Chapter 4.2 --- Addict Role-strain and Identity Crisis --- p.83 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- """Hitting the Bottom"" and Motivation to Change" / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Preliminary Attempts: Using Self-administered Methods / Chapter Chapter 5: --- Treatment and Rehabilitation Stage / Chapter 5.1 --- Role-conflict and Identity Negotiation --- p.92 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- "Accepting the ""patient"" or ""sinner"" role" / Chapter 5.1.2 --- The Intensity and Nature of Role Conflict / Chapter 5.1.3 --- Altercasting of Normal Identity / Chapter 5.1.4 --- "Strategies of Identity Negotiation: ""how actors react""" / Chapter 5.2 --- "Identity Transformation: ""how actors are transformed""" --- p.115 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- "Strategies, Materials, and Agents" / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Cognitive Base of Transformation / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Affective Base of Transformation / Chapter 5.2.4 --- Normative Base of Transformation / Chapter Chapter 6: --- Continued Rehabilitation and Social-Reintegration Stage / Chapter 6.1 --- Types of Identity Transformation --- p.140 / Chapter 6.1.1 --- Dawn Island Centre: Religious Conversion / Chapter 6.1.2 --- SKC: Alternation / Chapter 6.2 --- Identity Validation and Types of Role-Support --- p.144 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- Identity Validation and Legitimation / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Types of Role-Support / Chapter Chapter 7: --- Conclusion and Discussion / Chapter 7.1 --- "Identity Transformation, Role-Support and Abstinence" --- p.156 / Chapter 7.2 --- Drug Addicts' Recovery: An Interactive and Joint Accomplishment --- p.159 / Chapter 7.3 --- The Contingent Nature of Recovery Career --- p.161 / Chapter 7.4 --- SARD A and Operation Dawn: Two Different Pathways of Recovery --- p.163 / Chapter 7.4.1 --- Religious Conversion: Pathway to Christianity / Chapter 7.4.2 --- Alternation: Pathway to Normality / Chapter 7.5 --- Significance and Limitations of Study --- p.166 / Appendix I: A Socio-Demographic Profile of Informants --- p.169 / Appendix II: Tables --- p.173 / Appendix III: A Glossary of Hongkong Addicts' Argots --- p.190 / Appendix IV: Document and Questionnaire Samples --- p.192 / Appendix V: Photos of the Dawn Island Gospel Treatment Centre --- p.203 / Appendix VI: Interview Schedules --- p.209 / Bibliography --- p.216