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Biomedical subjects

M Gossop

Publications and source records attributed to M Gossop.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

The addict's perceptions of their own drug-taking: implications for the treatment of drug dependence.

The attitudes, beliefs and expectations of the addict have received surprisingly little research attention. The present study looks at the relationship between the addict's perception of their own drug taking and their behaviour in treatment. The subjects who took part in the study were receiving treatment at a London drug dependence unit: 60 were inpatients, 40 were outpatients. All completed an attitude questionnaire and a personality inventory, the EPQ). Several attitudinal differences were found between inpatient and outpatient groups, the outpatients being more generally resistant to the prospect of giving up drugs. Among the inpatients, those subjects who saw their addiction as a sort of sickness were least likely to remain in treatment. The attitude items related more clearly to the addict's behaviour in treatment than did the personality measures. The implications of these findings for the treatment of drug addicts are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Differences in attitudes towards drug taking among drug addicts: implications for treatment.

Addicts attending a London drug dependence clinic (N = 147) completed questionnaires exploring their attitudes towards their own drug taking. Three factors were extracted from the data and these were called 'Hooked', 'Sick' and 'Therapeutic Optimism'. In-patients, regular out-patients and new out-patients, differed in attitudes towards drug taking. New out-patients regarded themselves as more Hooked and Sick than did in-patients. Regular out-patients had lower therapeutic optimism than did the other two groups. Whether these differences arise through self-selection, that is, those who regard themselves as more sick and hooked tend to drop out early, or whether increasing contact with the clinic leads to shifts in these attitudes is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

The response of out-patient opiate addicts to the provision of a temporary increase in their prescribed drugs.

Addicts who use illicit drugs despite receiving a maintenance prescription present a difficult management problem for drug dependence clinics. This study looks at a small group of such addicts and at their response to the provision of a temporary increase in their prescribed opiates. The results indicate that this increase led to a reduction in illicit drug use and to improvements in social functioning. These and other findings are discussed. It is suggested that clinics should be more prepared to consider such temporary increases, but the need for careful monitoring and for the involvement of more than one member of the treatment team is stressed.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Drug attitudes and discrimination between drugs among a group of English schoolchildren.

This study investigates the attitudes of a group of 185 London schoolchildren towards a number of legal and illegal drugs, and examines the ways in which they discriminate between these drugs. Heroin and LSD were seen as the most dangerous drugs, and alcohol and cigarettes as the safest. Subjects who had a negative attitude towards drugs in general regarded cannabis, amphetamines, alcohol and tobacco as more dangerous than subjects with a neutral or pro-drug attitude. There was also a sex difference: boys claimed to know more about drugs, were more likely to know a cannabis user and to have been "really drunk" than the girls. The implications of these results for drug and alcohol education programmes are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Drug dependence, crime and personality among female addicts.

Female drug addicts and female criminals have received relatively little research attention. This study investigates the personality correlates of female addicts attending a London drug clinic convicted for drug-related, violent and other offences. More than half of the sample had at least one conviction, and fourteen out of thirty-seven had convictions for non-drug-related offences. Convicted subjects were more extraverted than non-convicted subjects. This result may reflect some relationship between impulsivity and criminal behaviour, though other personality factors may interact with extraversion.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Drug dependence: a study of the relationship between motivational, cognitive, social and historical factors, and treatment variables.

The question of why addicts seek and remain in treatment has received very little attention. In the present study, 40 addicts requesting inpatient treatment for drug dependence were interviewed prior to admission about cognitive, motivational, social, and historical factors. These factors were investigated in relation to their association with certain treatment variables--whether or not the individual subsequently presented for admission, the manner in which inpatient treatment was terminated, and the length of stay. The factors most potent as predictors included the addict's evaluation of the drug unit itself, and social pressures from the family. Forensic factors were found to be positively related to length of admission; and motivation for treatment--a problematic concept which has frequently been regarded as tautologous--is also discussed. The results point to the complex interaction of factors associated with the addict's decision to seek treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Hostility, crime and drug dependence.

In a study of male addicts attending a London drug dependence unit, it was found that convicted addicts tended to score more highly on measures of hostility than non-convicted subjects. The differences in hostility between the convicted and non-convicted groups were most clearly seen on the violent crimes variable, although addicts convicted of drug-possession and of non-drug crimes were also more hostile than non-convicted subjects. It is suggested that hostility acts as a personality factor which predisposes the individual towards criminal behaviour, and that the more hostile subjects may also be more likely to be apprehended and convicted.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Drug dependence and self-esteem.

A number of recent studies have dealt with variables related to self-esteem, but despite suggestions in the literature, there are few empirical studies concerned with the association between self-esteem and drug dependence. In an investigation of self-esteem, 71 subjects completed semantic differential forms for their self and ideal-self concepts. Four hypotheses were investigated. It was predicted that differences in self-esteem (as measured by the discrepancy between self and ideal-self concepts), would be found between inpatient and outpatient groups, males and females, intravenous and oral users, and between drug-dependent subjects and a control group. No differences were found between inpatients and outpatients, or between intravenous and oral groups. However, females who were dependent upon drugs were found to have lower self-esteem than males in terms of the evaluation factor. No such sex differences were found between all drug groups and the control group on the evaluation and potency factors. It is suggested that the results show considerable deficiencies of self-esteem among drug-dependent patients, and that female addicts are especially deficient in this respect. In terms of etiology, this association between drug dependence and low self-esteem may indicate that those individuals with a deficient self-image who are exposed to drugs may be at risk; this may carry implications also for alcohol and nicotine dependence. It is suggested that self-image therapy may be of value for certain drug-dependent patients, especially females.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Can opiate addicts tell us about their relapse risk? Subjective predictors of clinical prognosis.

Given the high relapse rate of opiate addicts following detoxification, it is pertinent to identify whether any subjective variables mediate outcome, since these may then be targets of treatment. The present study assessed personality, cue-elicited craving, outcome expectancies for drug use, and self-efficacy for resisting drug use, in 43 opiate addicts receiving inpatient detoxification in either a specialist drug-dependence unit or a behavioral/general psychiatric ward, within the context of a randomised, controlled-treatment trial. Subjects were followed-up at between 1 and 3 months and again at 6 months after discharge. Frequency of drug use was not predicted by any of the subjective variables at the first follow-up; but at 6 months, subjects with lower self-efficacy and higher positive outcome expectancies were found to be using less often. Latency to first lapse was greater in subjects with higher anxiety and neuroticism scores. Precipitants to the first lapse were identified, but none of the predicted relationships between subjective variables and circumstances of lapse emerged. It is suggested that greater awareness of personal vulnerability may promote effective coping strategies.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Training employment service staff to recognise and respond to clients with drug and alcohol problems.

This paper investigates the impact of a training course for Employment Service staff which was designed to provide basic level training on the identification and appropriate management of clients with drug and alcohol problems. The 2-day course was specially designed to meet the needs of staff working with unemployed people with substance abuse problems. The primary aims of the course were to help employment staff to be able to identify drug and alcohol problems, to assess their severity, and where necessary, to refer clients on to more specialized agencies. One hundred and forty-five people attended the training course and a random sample of 60 were followed-up 6 months after the course. Results showed substantial improvements in the confidence and ability of staff to deal with clients presenting with drug and alcohol problems. There was also a clear improvement in the willingness of staff to intervene with such clients.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Efficacy of methadone versus methadone and guanfacine in the detoxification of heroin-addicted patients.

In a randomized double-blind study, the clinical efficacy of methadone vs. methadone and guanfacine was assessed in terms of evolution of opioid withdrawal symptoms during inpatient detoxification. A total of 144 patients were included and randomly allocated to three different treatment groups: methadone alone, and two combined treatment schedules (methadone plus 3 or 4 mg of guanfacine). No differences were observed among the three groups with regard to retention rate throughout the study period. Both therapies, methadone and methadone plus guanfacine, determined a slight increase in withdrawal scores when methadone was discontinued. However, guanfacine was unable to effectively control methadone-associated withdrawal symptoms. These results indicate that guanfacine does not effectively reduce the opioid withdrawal symptoms.

Adult↗