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Contributors to female use of psychopharmacological agents : a multifactorial cognitive and social analysis

Many studies have reported that women consume approximately twice the amount of psychotropic drugs as men. In an attempt to explain this ratio, a conceptual model of psychotropic drug was developed, focusing on questions of initial problem recognition and definition; problem-solving ability; and the perception of control. These factors were explored with 179 women chosen to reflect varying frequencies of drug use. In addition, patient-physician interaction was evaluated by psychiatrists' diagnostic and prescriptive reactions to differing patient attributes. / Multidimensional scaling interpretations across drug frequency groups indicated that external causal attribution and lack of control were concomitants of drug use. Deficient problem-solving, particularly at the definitional stage, accounted for 21% of drug use variance, discriminating 73% of drug users. Physicians were found to prescribe according to factors additional to diagnosis and symptomatology. This research was seen as providing theoretical coherence to the increasingly complex gestalt of drug use.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.68499
Date January 1980
CreatorsLapp, Janet E.
PublisherMcGill University
Source SetsLibrary and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
Formatapplication/pdf
CoverageDoctor of Philosophy (Department of Psychology)
RightsAll items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
Relationalephsysno: 000090518, proquestno: AAINK50481, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest.

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