abstract: There has been a rise in heroin use throughout the United States due to doctors increasingly prescribing painkillers to patients with chronic pain (Kanouse & Compton, 2015; Compton, Boyle, & Wargo, 2015). Individuals get addicted to painkillers and, when their doctor will no longer prescribe them, turn to alternative methods of relief; heroin is often their cheapest option (Kolodny, Courtwright, Hwang, Kreiner, Eadie, Clark, & Alexander 2015). Heroin users are three to four times more likely to die from overdose than other types of drug users (Darke & Hall, 2003). The purpose of this study is to determine the likelihood that heroin users successfully reenter the community upon release from prison in comparison to other types of drug users. There are several re-entry outcomes that can be considered “success”; this study measures success as an index of the quality of the returning offender’s familial relationships as well as recidivism. The data used for this analysis is the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI). The sample consists of male offenders, aged 18 years and older, who have been convicted of and imprisoned for a serious or violent crime. Findings suggest familial social support does not have an effect on heroin use, but heroin use increases the risk of recidivism. These findings will provide a context for rehabilitation of heroin offenders and will launch future research focusing on the differences between heroin users and other types of drug users. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Criminology and Criminal Justice 2016

M.A. / According to Edmonds and Wilcocks (1995:1-2), South Africa is in the grip of a major drug boom. If this is not taken seriously, South Africa could lose as much as 30% of its future generation in terms of health, happiness, functioning and even life. Drug abuse is an important factor that can affect the quality of life of not only the drug abuser, but also all those connected with them (Edmonds and Wilcocks, 1995:1-2). Substance abuse is a problem that influences the family system. Models such as Bell and Khantzian (1991) and Cooks' (1988) description of the Minnesota model define substance abuse as a disease. This model also known as the medical model, can be attributed to the work of Jellinek (1960). It focuses on individual biological factors with little consideration for familial, social or psychological variables. On the other hand, a family systems perspective indicates that the family system enables the substance abuser towards abusive patterns of behaviour. The family plays an important role in the process of dependency as well as in the rehabilitation process. These models are brought together in the study, as this combination is valuable in understanding the complexity of substance abuse and its effects on the family system. The aim of the study is to explore the families understanding of substance abuse and their role in the treatment process. A qualitative methodology is used to understand the life events, experiences and beliefs of family members, from their point of view. The focus of the research is on family members who have attended the family program at Stepping Stones Rehabilitation Center. Exploring the understanding they have of substance abuse and their role in the treatment process, from their frame of reference. The theoretical basis for the study is formulated within the medical model and a systems perspective. A nonprobability, purposive sample is utilized to seek information rich cases. Eleven respondents are interviewed. Different members within the family system are selected to illuminate the question under investigation. An interview schedule formulated from literature, is utilized to create consistency in the face-to-face interviews. The in depth interviews facilitate exploration. Data is gathered by means of a literature review, field notes and audiotapes transcribed by the researcher. Analysis of the data is done manually according to a schedule. The schedule I developed according to coding categories that are identified when working with raw data. The information from the data gathered is analysed and used to identify themes, which are offered as results. An extensive literature control is conducted, in order to further the validity of the research. From the study, methodological and theoretical conclusions can be made. Methodological conclusions indicate the effectiveness of using a qualitative methodology and face-to-face interviews in exploring the question under study. The theoretical conclusions indicate families understanding of substance abuse and their role in the treatment process. Recommendations in terms of intervention with families affected by substance abuse and future research, are drawn from the research process and context of the study ensure the link between results and conclusions and aims and objectives. The research indicates that families have an intellectual understanding of the disease concept of substance abuse. Their searching for alternative solutions and use of defence mechanisms, indicate that this concept has not been internalized. Respondents acknowledged the long term nature of recovery that is facilitated by the use of support groups.

This study explores the dual diagnosis substance abuse phenomenon within the context of Vancouver area mental health boarding homes. The target population consisted of thirty-nine mental health boarding homes used by Greater Vancouver Mental Health Services, Mental Health Residental Services. An attempt was made to survey directors (n=37), staff (n=unknown), and residents (n = 422), to: estimate the prevalence of dual diagnosis substance abuse within these homes; look for associations between substance use/abuse and the demographic characteristics of staff, directors, and residents; examine boarding home policies; and to establish what, if any, services should be developed. Questionnaires were completed by twenty-nine directors (78%), twenty staff members (% unknown), and ten residents (3%), from twenty-nine boarding homes with a total resident population of 358. Results indicated that one hundred and fifteen residents (32%) consumed alcohol, and 57 residents (16%) had consumed alcohol during a specified two week period. Only eight residents (2%) out of a potential 358 (from four different facilities) reportedly had substance related problems during the specified two week period. However, substance abuse was identified in eleven facilities (38%), without referrence to the two week time limitation. Further, staff and directors from fifteen facilities (52%) had at some time tried to get help for a resident with a substance abuse problem. Thus, while very few residents reportedly had dual diagnosis substance abuse problems, a considerably greater number of boarding homes reportedly had problems related to dual diagnosis substance abuse. Twenty-four directors (86%) and thirteen staff (68%) were interested in receiving a workshop on dual diagnosis substance abuse. It is the recommendation of this author that a drug education program/workshop for boarding home directors and staff be developed through the Greater Vancouver Mental Health Services "dual diagnosis program." / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

No description available.

This study aimed to gain insight into the clinical practices and attitudes of currently practicing play therapists working with children with a parent with a substance use disorder. Participants in the study were play therapists credentialed by the Association for Play Therapy, either as a Registered Play Therapist™ or Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™. A total of 198 play therapists participated in the study. Results demonstrated that variables including prior education, caseload of children affected by parental substance use, and the number of years since obtaining a mental health licensure explained 16% of the variance in participant attitude scores on the Drug and Drug Problems Perceptions Questionnaire (DDPPQ). Specifically, education (β = -.335, rs2 = .884, p < .001) was found to be a significant predictor of play therapist attitudes towards substance users as it explained 88% of the variance accounted for in the effect. Additionally, although not found to be significant, caseload (β = -.134, rs2 = .325, p = .058) was found to explain 33% of the variance accounted for in the effect. This initial exploration of play therapists' attitudes towards substance users provides strong evidence towards the importance of education and training in substance use disorders. Further exploration of play therapists' educational backgrounds in substance use and clinical experiences of working with children affected by parental substance use.

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is a chronic relapsing disease that afflicts 10% of the US population. Recidivism rates for SUD treatment in the United States (US) remain high. Couple therapy has be shown to be an effective treatment modality for SUD, and research consistently indicates that couple therapy is more effective than individual therapy in treating SUD. Still, most US treatment centers do not use couple therapy as a primary treatment modality. To explore the underuse of couple therapy and the barriers that prevent its use, individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty (N = 20) clinical directors of SUD treatment centers across the US. A theoretical thematic analysis was used incorporating Everett Rogers’ diffusion of innovations theory to assess barriers that hinder the use of couple therapy to treat SUD in addiction treatment centers. Issues related to observability, compatibility, and complexity of couple treatment were found to severely impede the implementation of couple therapy in addiction treatment centers. Recommendations include ongoing research to determine influences on agency programming, fostering pro-research environments in universities and agencies, removing barriers to access to evidence-based practice information, and promoting the federal initiative of technology transfer in SUD treatment. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

This investigation attempts to identify factors which influence whether or not someone is likely to drop out of a chemical dependency treatment program. Dropping out is defined as someone who leaves treatment against medical advice. The subjects were patients from a private, non-profit, medically based, residential program. Nine demographic characteristics were abstracted from the charts on file for the patients at the treatment center. Two groups of 45 patients each were selected from the inpatient population. One group, the Completed Treatment group, comprised patients who had completed the 28 day program. The second group, the AMA Discharge group, comprised patients who dropped out of treatment within the first 4 to 10 days. The demographic characteristics analyzed were gender, number of drugs used by the patient, drug preference, method of admission, treatment history, marital success, social status, dependents living at home, and education.

With high rates of cannabis use in college students and increasing legalization of cannabis, psychometrically sound scales of cannabis consumption remain a high research priority. The Daily Sessions, Frequency, Age of Onset, and Quantity of Cannabis Use Inventory (DFAQ-CU; Cuttler & Spradlin, 2017) assesses daily sessions, frequency, age of onset, and quantity of marijuana, concentrates, and edibles consumed. Preliminary psychometric properties have been established in a population of college students using cannabis legally. The current study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the DFAQ-CU in college students using cannabis illicitly. Participants (N=114) were 18- to 58-years-old (M=21.25). They completed the DFAQ-CU, Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT), and Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ). Analyses were performed using the original factor structures. The factor analysis will be replicated once the full sample has been obtained (~400 by 02/2021). Cronbach's alphas ranged from.32 to.92, with some factors showing stronger reliability (e.g., frequency) than others (e.g., daily sessions). Bivariate correlations indicated daily sessions (r(54)=.32, p=.02), frequency (r(53)=.50, p<.001), marijuana quantity (r(78)=.32, p=.004), and edible (r(25)=.54, p=.006) factors demonstrated high convergent validity with the DUDIT total score. The age of onset and concentrate quantity factors did not. All factors were significantly divergent from the BPAQ. Overall, the original six-factor scale appears to have a poor fit within a college student population with illicit use. Notably, the concentrate quantity and daily sessions factors have poor internal consistency and convergent validity. These will be further explored upon completion of data collection.

No abstract present of CD.

The illicit drug overdose crisis is an ongoing epidemic that continues to take lives at unprecedented rates and British Columbia, Canada has been identified as the epicenter in Canada, where approximately five deaths per day are linked to unregulated substances most often including fentanyl (Service, 2022). In Victoria, British Columbia, community drug checking sites have been implemented as a public health response to the ongoing overdose crisis and the unregulated illicit drug market through a community-based research project called the Vancouver Island Drug Checking Project. In addition to providing anonymous, confidential, and non-judgmental drug checking services with rapid results, the project has conducted qualitative research aimed to better understand drug checking as a potential harm reduction response to the illicit drug overdose crisis and the unregulated illicit drug market (Wallace et al., 2021; Wallace et al., 2020). An analytical framework was utilized to understand the impact substance use stigma has on those accessing drug checking services, as well as those who avoid accessing these services as a direct result of substance use stigma. This study found that the risk of criminalization and the anticipation of being poorly treated appear to be the most significant barriers related to stigma, rather than actually experiencing stigma. Further, it appears the implementation of community drug checking creates tensions that need to be navigated as sites and services balance a hierarchy of substances and stigma; differing definitions of peers; public yet private locations; and, normalization within criminalization. The findings suggest the solution to substance use stigma and drug checking will not come from continuing as we are, but through making changes at all levels (individual, interpersonal, and structural) and thus for all people who access community drug checking. / Graduate