In 2007, an estimated 22.3 million people in the United States, aged 12 or older, were classified as meeting the criteria for either substance dependence or abuse. Therapists have long sought to discover the most effective way to address these disorders in therapy; though short-term gains are often seen following inpatient or outpatient treatment, these gains often dissipate over time. Individuals who attend support groups such as Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous or SMART Recovery show much better prognoses over time than those who receive formal treatment alone. The current research is a secondary analysis of data collected by the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Study. A path analysis is conducted to examine the relationships between symptoms of depression, symptoms of anxiety, and motivation for treatment as they relate to post-treatment support group attendance. These variables form a path model which is analyzed so that each individual regression takes into account the other regressions in the model. Symptoms of depression are found to be significantly positive predictors of motivation for treatment, and motivation for treatment is found to be a significantly positive predictor of support group attendance. Implications of these findings for clinical practice and future directions for research are included in discussion of the results. / Master of Science

In the course of a forensic evaluation, psychologists often rely on personality inventories to provide information that is useful in making recommendations regarding case disposition (parole, treatment, etc.). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of four scales from the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) to distinguish between youthful criminal offenders and non-offenders. The scales focused on in this study were Paranoia (PAR), Traumatic Stress (ARD-T), Alcohol Problems (ALC) and Drug Problems (DRG). Twenty-five youthful offenders incarcerated in the California Youth Authority comprised the offender group and 25 students at a California Community College comprised the non-offender group. The subjects were matched for age (male) and gender. The offender group was administered the Personality Assessment Inventory on an individual basis while incarcerated at the California Youth Authority. Permission was obtained to use selected protocols as archival data for this investigation. The non-offender group was administered the Personality Assessment Inventory in a group setting while attending a mathematics class at a community college. Independent samples t-tests demonstrated that the Drug Problems scale was the only one of the four scales which indicated a significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.05). Discriminant analysis yielded a significant discriminant function accounting for 22.5% of the variability in the scores. The primary contributors to that function were Drug Problems and Alcohol Problems. The finding that the Alcohol Problems and Drug Problems scales did not both significantly distinguish the offender and non-offender group is discussed in light of other personality inventories' use of a single scale to evaluate alcohol and other drugs. Further implications for theory and practice and suggestions for further research are discussed.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka yrkesverksammas erfarenheter av att använda Alkohol Drog Diagnos Instrumentet ADDIS Ung i missbruksvården. Studien baserades intervjuer medyrkesverksamma som använder sig av bedömningsinstrumentet. Den insamlade informationenfrån intervjuerna har sedan bearbetats med hjälp av innehållsanalys. Resultatet visade attsamtliga intervjupersoner ansåg att ADDIS Ung var ett bra verktyg och att instrumentetsstyrka låg i de djupgående frågorna och den helhet som dessa skapar. Resultatet visade även att intervjupersonerna var samstämmiga gällande svårigheterna avseende att det kan ta långtid att genomföra en ADDIS Ung när klienten använder flera droger. De var ävensamstämmiga angående att vissa frågor var svåra för klienterna att förstå vilket också upplevssom en viss svårighet / The purpose of the study was to examine professionals' experience of the assessmentinstrument ADDIS Ung in substance use treatment. The study was based on qualitative research and the data has been collected through interviews with professionals using theassessment instrument. The data that has been collected through interviews has been analyzed with content analysis. The results showed that all of the interviewees believed that ADDIS Ung is a good tool and that the instrument's strength lies in the depth of the questions and thewholeness that these create. The results also showed that the interviewees were in agreementregarding the difficulties that exist with the instrument.

People receiving treatment for substance use disorders (SUD) are at risk of justice involvement. Although it is well-established that borderline personality disorder (BPD) increases risk for criminal involvement, it is unclear whether this relationship exists among people with SUDs. Furthermore, prior research has found sex and race differences in the relationships between BPD and justice involvement as well as violence, but these moderators have not been explored within a substance using sample. The current study utilized a sample receiving SUD treatment to examine whether BPD is associated with prior violent charges and, if race and sex moderated this relationship. Results indicated that presence of BPD was associated with violent charges, and there may be sex differences in this relationship (OR = 4.04, 95% CI = .90; 18.18, p = .069). This study contributes to knowledge of how BPD increases risk for violent charges among people receiving SUD treatment.

Illicit use of prescription stimulants (IUPS) has become more common in the late adolescent and emerging adulthood populations. This study examined the impact of close friend and parent disapproval/approval on IUPS in college students. A sample of 903 college students (MAge = 19.23) completed a questionnaire assessing variables including lifetime IUPS (14.59% of sample), and perceived close friend/parent disapproval/approval of either academic or recreational IUPS. A 2 X 2 chi-square test of independence was used to analyze data regarding perceived close friend/parent disapproval/approval and IUPS. There were four primary findings. First, students were significantly less likely to report having engaged in IUPS if they perceived close friend (CHI2 (1) = 55.99, p < .001) or parent disapproval (CHI2 (1) = 31.99, p < .001) of IUPS for academic purposes. Second, students were significantly less likely to report having engaged in IUPS if they perceived close friend disapproval of IUPS for recreational purposes (CHI2 (1) = 24.38, p < .001). Third, students were significantly more likely to report having engaged in IUPS if they perceived close friend approval (CHI2 (1) = 51.17, p < .001) and parent approval (CHI2 (1) = 7.87, p = .005) for academically-motivated IUPS. Fourth, students were significantly more likely to report having engaged in IUPS if they perceived close friend approval for recreationally-motivated IUPS (CHI2 (1) = 33.86, p < .001). Future researchers should focus on conducting longitudinal studies to confirm if perceived close friend and parent approval function as risk factors for IUPS and if disapproval functions as a protective factor. Future research is also needed to help identify whether student perceptions of disapproval and approval are accurate (i.e., do close friends and parents really approve or disapprove of IUPS?). Finally, investigators should work to assess whether increased perceptions of disapproval can function to reduce level of IUPS (i.e., not just lifetime prevalence) and whether increases in perceived approval function to exacerbate IUPS. Results of these kinds of research efforts would better inform whether psychoeducational interventions should target decreasing approval and increasing disapproval perceptions in order to both prevent and reduce IUPS behaviors.

No description available.

Religiousness, broadly defined, has been shown to be predictive of a variety of health outcomes. Past literature surrounding religiousness research has utilized different definitions and measures for the meaning of religiousness. How religiousness is defined can influence its relationship in relation to health outcomes. The present study utilized a measure for intrinsic religiousness, which is defined as an internalization of the tenets of a particular faith. The present study examined whether intrinsic religiousness predicts problematic or illicit substance use or pornography use in a sample of participants that included mostly undergraduate students from the Appalachian region, as well as some participants surveyed with the use of social media advertisements. Participants self-reported their religiousness using the Religious Surrender and Attendance Scale – 3 (RSAS-3), which has been shown to measure intrinsic religiousness. Religiousness as measured by the RSAS-3 predicted lower levels of illicit and problematic substance use, as well as lower levels of pornography use. The present study extends findings regarding religiousness and health outcomes. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.

Bakgrund: Substansbrukssyndrom är ett allvarligt tillstånd hos en person där det sker en okontrollerad användning av en eller flera substanser. Sjuksköterskor träffar patienter med substansbrukssyndrom i olika situationer och omständigheter inom vården. Sjuksköterskorna har huvudansvaret över omvårdnaden och ska sträva efter att ge optimal vård till alla människor oavsett bakgrund. Resultatet av litteraturöversikten kommer att diskuteras utifrån omvårdnadsteorin omvårdnadens mellanmänskliga aspekter utformad av Travelbee. Syfte: Att sammanställa den senaste forskningsbaserade kunskapen om sjuksköterskors erfarenheter och attityder till patienter med substansbrukssyndrom. Metod: Litteraturöversikt med inslag av en metodologi som används vid systematiska översikter av totalt 16 artiklar av kvalitativ- (n=11), kvantitativ- (n=2) och mixad design (n=3). Resultat: Resultatet har blivit uppdelat i två huvudkategorier och två underkategorier till varje huvudkategori. Den första huvudkategorin är “Professionskompetens är otillräcklig” med dess två underkategorier “Brist på utbildning och kunskap” och “Arbetserfarenhet och livssituation påverkar attityder till patienter”. Denna del fångar upp hur sjuksköterskors attityder påverkas av sjuksköterskornas personliga kompetenser som sjuksköterskorna får genom arbete eller utbildning. Andra huvudkategorin “Attityder påverkar omvårdnadsarbete” och dess underkategorier “Patientmöte bidrar till relationen”och "Varierande känslor och förhållningssätt inför sjukdomen". Denna huvudkategori fångar upp hur sjuksköterskornas attityder påverkas och påverkar det dagliga omvårdnadsarbetet med patienter med substansbrukssyndrom. Slutsats: Sjuksköterskor har delade erfarenheter och attityder till patienter med substansbrukssyndrom. När sjuksköterska-patientrelationen inte är välutvecklad kan det förenas med negativa attityder och tidigare negativa erfarenheter hos sjuksköterskorna. De negativa attityderna hos sjuksköterskorna kan bero på en kunskapsbrist på grund av bristande utbildning inom substansbrukssyndrom. / Background: Substance use disorder is a serious condition for the person where there is uncontrolled use of one or more substances. Nurses meet patients with substance use disorder in different situations and circumstances in health care. The nurse has the main responsibility for nursing and must strive to provide optimal care to all people regardless of background. The results of the literature review will be discussed based on the humanto-human theory designed by Travelbee. Aim: To compile the latest research-based knowledge about nurses' experience and attitudes towards patients with substance use disorder. Method: Literature review with elements of a methodology used in systematic reviews, a total of 16 articles with a qualitative- (n=11), quantitative- (n=2) and mixed methods (n=3). Results: The result has been divided into two main categories and two subcategories for each main category. The first main category is "Professional competence is insufficient" with its two subcategories "Lack of education and knowledge" and "Work experience andlife situation influence attitudes towards patients". This part captures how the nurse's attitudes are influenced by the nurse's personal competence that she acquires through work or education. Second main category “Attitudes affect nursing work” and its subcategories “Patient meeting contributes to relationship” and “Varying feelings and attitudes towards the disease”. This main category captures how the nurse's attitudes are affected and influence the daily nursing work with patients with substance use syndrome. Conclusions: Nurses have shared experiences and attitudes towards patients with substance use disorder. When the nurse-patient relationship is not well developed it can be linked to negative attitudes and previous negative experiences at the nurse. The negative attitudes of the nurses are due to lack of knowledge duo to a lack of training in substance use syndromes.

No description available.

No description available.