Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

No description available.

This research was initiated to investigate the syndrome of computer dependency, and to ascertain whether there was any foundation to the apocryphal stories which suggested that 'obsessive' dependency by some people upon computers and computing was detrimental to their psychological and social development. National publicity brought forth volunteers who considered themselves to be dependent upon computers. As a group they did not form a cross-section of the general population but consisted in the main of very well educated, adult males. (An additional study showed that there were distinct differences between the sexes in attitudes held towards computers to account for this lack of balance). As the computer dependent individuals were unrepresentative of the general population, control groups were established with whom comparisons could be made, matched with them on the criteria of sex, age and highest educational level. One control group was formed from computer owners who were not computer dependent and the other from people Who did not own a computer. Thus three groups were studied; a computer dependent group and two controls. The results established that the two computer-owning groups differed significantly from each other in their preferred computing activities, both quantitatively and qualitatively. As anticipated, the computer dependent individuals spent significantly more time computing than the others, but they were also found to use computers in a more exploratory and self-educational manner, rarely having a definite end-product in mind. All three groups were found to have enjoyed different types of hobbies throughout their lives. The computer dependent group had shown interests in technological and scientific artefacts before school age and rarely partook of either the social or physical activities of interest to the control groups. The dependent group had found in the computer the ultimate hobby; one which was constantly stimulating and exciting and which matched their psychological needs. Investigation of the social and psychological issues suggested that the group of computer dependent people had experienced different types of parenting from the control groups, leading them to become object- rather than people-centred at an early age. This bias had been perpetuated throughout life, leaving them shy and unable to form satisfactory relationships; they neither trusted humans nor needed them in many cases. Their lives had become dominated by task- and object-related activities, with the computer offering them a controllable form of interaction Which they had been unable to find elsewhere. Deleterious effects occurred within some marriages Where one spouse had become computer dependent, but only en very rare occasions did individuals express distress about their dependency. Tb the contrary, the positive benefits gained by their use of computers far outweighed any disadvantages. The research disproved the hypothesis that computer dependency was in general detrimental to the individuals' social and psychological development, and suggested that computer dependency was in fact therapeutic by providing an outlet for their high levels of curiosity and originality. Computing had brought them intellectual stimulation rarely found when interacting with the majority of humans and had provided a level of fulfilment to which many would aspire.

Drug addiction has a special significance for the citizens of Vancouver, for in this city alone there is roughly one third of the nations drug addicts. This social disease is both widespread and threatening in that the number afflicted has increased steadily since the years of World War II. The thesis begins with a preliminary review of how drug addiction spread to Canada and to what extent it now exists. The effect of various drugs and the withdrawal process are described. An attempt is made to show the costs of addiction, and difficulties in policing the traffic in narcotics. There is some assessment of legislation governing the use of narcotic drugs. The central focus of the thesis is an evaluation of the group living units for treatment and rehabilitation of selected drug addicts within Oakalla Prison, known as the "Panabode units." Methods used in evaluating the Panabode programs were many and varied. One of the most helpful was frequent visits to Oakalla and actual participation in all phases of program. Data also came from reports and texts of various authorities; in the field, particularly from the findings of the Senate Committee on Traffic in Narcotic Drugs in Canada 1955, and those of the "Stevenson" Report, Drug Addiction in British Columbia, 1956. At Oakalla, discussions were held with the administration, with the staffs of both Panabode units, and with addicts themselves. Case files and all personal records were reviewed. Discussions were also held with various staff members from the Narcotic Addiction Foundation, (Vancouver,) with doctors, nurses and hospital personnel who are frequently in contact with some phase of addiction. Panabode programs are compared to other programs which exist in New York, and in Lexington, Kentucky. It is indicated that methods of treating drug addiction could be improved (a) by providing additional and better qualified staff; (b) by giving more individual attention to treatment; (c) by improving and increasing facilities and for a more self contained program. The importance of careful discharge follow-up is stressed. It is argued that the community is not attacking the problem of drug addiction on a broad enough front. Present treatment and rehabilitation facilities represent only a dim, half hearted response to a social illness that is now of alarming magnitude. Finally, legislative changes are suggested as a means of bringing addicts out into the open where they can be treated as sick people and not as criminals. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

In 2013–2014, a cross-sectional, exploratory, survey design was used to obtain a conservative estimate of relapse among a sample of recovering addiction professionals in the United States and to identify potential predictors for relapse. The sample (n = 265) was drawn from the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium. The relapse rate for the sample was 14.7%. Two predictors for relapse were identified in the stepwise logistic regression. The more mutual-aid group meetings respondents attended per month, the less likely they were to have experienced relapse (Wald = 7.956, p =.005), and the longer participants had been in recovery when their careers began, the less likely they were to have experienced relapse (Wald = 4.366, p =.037). The authors provide suggestions regarding the recovery health of recovering addiction professionals as well as recommendations for future research.

The Appalachian region faces widescale drug use and opioid addiction that exceeds the national average, and the crisis needs more attention in order to properly address the issue. Many previous studies have documented the problems Appalachian residents face regarding widespread opioid addiction and other diseases of despair. However, this study focuses on two causes behind the opioid crisis: a lack of access to medical care and over prescription of opioids. Additionally, the problem is affected by social and economic factors that perpetuate the problem of opioid addiction within Appalachia. For this study, previous research and studies on opioid abuse in Appalachia will be compiled into a literature review to make connections and determine previous identified factors contributing to the opioid crisis in the Appalachian region. Additionally, health professionals in Appalachia were be interviewed to provide professional perspective on the opioid addiction crisis in the Appalachian region. An infographic highlighting recovery rates and positive outcomes concerning the opioid addiction crisis was also developed to provide an accurate, positive outlook on the situation to the public. Several factors were identified as major contributors to the opioid crisis in Appalachia. These include mental health issues, PTSD from a variety of sources, association with drug users and normalization of drug use, and chronic pain relief. The principal problem identified revolved around the relationship between an easy access to opioids and a lack of access to medical care. The Appalachian region needs appropriate medical resources that would improve quality of life in the region and reduce opioid addiction.

Background Individuals with methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) frequently present with psychiatric comorbidities with impulsive features. Little research has been conducted on comorbidity with impulsive features in MUD. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to delineate comorbid disorders with impulsivity in adult patients with a primary diagnosis of MUD. Methods Participants with lifetime MUD were included. Well established measures screened for comorbid psychiatric disorders with impulsive features. Illness severity was measured by the Yale Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale – adapted for drug use. The UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale was used to assess impulsivity levels. A cluster analysis (CA) of lifetime comorbid disorders with impulsive features was performed. Demographic and clinical correlates of each identified cluster were identified. Results Sixty five (n = 65) adults with a primary diagnosis of MUD took part in the study. They were predominantly female (44 females; 21 males), with ages ranging between 18 and 44 years (mean = 30 years; SD = 6.53). The CA rendered 4 groups. Cases (n=12) in the “alcohol cluster” presented with AUD as their only impulsive disorder other than MUD. Cases (n=19) in the “healthy cluster” had no comorbidity. Cases (n=15) in the “antisocial cluster” all had comorbid antisocial personality disorder as well as polysubstance use disorders. Cases (n=19) in the “borderline cluster” had borderline personality disorder and polysubstance use disorders. Illness severity (Y-BOCS-du: p=0.03) and impulsivity levels (UPPS-P: p=0.01) differed significantly between the clusters. The “alcohol cluster” had the highest illness severity and the “antisocial cluster reported the highest levels of impulsivity. Conclusion The findings of this contribute to the paucity data on impulsivity in MUD and may have implications for treatment. Understanding how these conditions cluster in MUD, and remaining cognizant of the demographic and clinical correlates of each cluster in MUD, could potentially enable clinicians to identify patients who are at higher risk for engaging in risky behaviors rendering them more vulnerable to treatment non-adherence or relapse

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Alcoholism carries significant personal and societal burdens, and yet we still lack effective treatments for alcohol use disorders. Several lines of research have demonstrated disruption of major white matter (WM) tracts in the brains of detoxified alcoholics. Additionally, there are several reports of alterations in the dopaminergic system of alcoholics. A better understanding of the relationships of brain structure and function in the alcoholic brain is necessary to move toward more efficacious pharmacological interventions. In this dissertation, there are three main chapters. First, reduced WM integrity was reported in a sample of individuals with active alcohol use disorder (AUD). This is a relatively understudied population, which is believed to represent a less severe phenotype compared to the in-treatment samples that are typically studied. Second, higher WM integrity was reported in a sample of college-age, active AUD. In a subsample of these individuals, graph theory measures of structural brain network connectivity were shown to be altered in cigarette-smoking social-drinking controls and smoking AUD subjects, compared to nonsmoking healthy individuals. Finally, a novel multimodal approach that combines diffusion weighted imaging and [11C]raclopride positron emission tomography identified differential relationships between frontostriatal connectivity and striatal dopamine tone in active AUD versus social-drinking controls. This suggests that aberrations in frontostriatal connectivity may contribute to reported differences in dopaminergic function in AUD. In summary, these results show that similar to detoxified/in-treatment alcoholics, active AUD samples present with WM integrity alterations, and changes in both structural connectivity and frontostriatal structure/function relationships. / 2021-10-02

No description available.

Mortality reports show that most overdose deaths include more than one substance. In addition, there is a gap in the literature that discusses risk factors for polysubstance use. The objective of this study was to explore what factors relate to the likelihood of engaging in polysubstance use, defined as using more than one substance. Specifically, the goal was to evaluate predictors of simultaneous (i.e., the use of alcohol and another substance at the same time in the past six months) polysubstance use and concurrent (i.e., the use of any two substances in the past six months) polysubstance use, vs. no substance use and single substance use combined. Data were obtained from the 2021 CARA Orange County Residents Survey conducted by the Orange County Drug Free Office. Seven hundred thirty-five participants aged 18 years and older were asked about their drug use, risk perceptions of polysubstance use, sensation seeking, ACE scoring, and protective measures used while using drugs and alcohol. SPSS was used to conduct bivariate and logistic regression analysis to predict simultaneous and concurrent polysubstance use from demographic factors, sensation seeking, ACE scores, number of sexual partners, and incapacitated sexual assault. Bivariate and logistic regression analysis demonstrate that neither simultaneous nor concurrent polysubstance use were associated with most demographic factors. Number of sexual partners was positively associated with both simultaneous and concurrent polysubstance use; however, incapacitated sexual assault was not related to either type of polysubstance use. High sensation-seeking and high ACE scores were significantly associated with simultaneous and concurrent use. This research supported the hypothesis that higher sensation seeking and ACE scores were associated with a greater likelihood of engaging in both concurrent and simultaneous polysubstance use. Future research is needed to further explore the frequency and problems associated with polysubstance use. This study sets the groundwork to analyze psychosocial risk factors for polysubstance use.