Questionnaire of core beliefs related to drug use and craving for assessment of relapse risk

This study was aimed at designing a questionnaire for the assessment of addiction-related core beliefs and craving. The sample comprised 215 patients (85.8% males and 14.2% females) in treatment for dependence to alcohol (40%), cocaine (36.3%) and cannabis (23.7%). Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the sample. Variance, regression and factorial analyses were conducted to study the questionnaire structure and its relation with variables such as abstinence and craving. Items about drug-related beliefs yielded a four-factor structure: what patient think that they could not do without drug use, lack of withdrawal, conditions required to use drugs again, and use of drugs as the only way to feel good. Items related to craving yielded three factors: negative emotions as precipitants of drug use, positive emotions, and difficulties attributed to coping with craving. Furthermore, beliefs were more important to predict craving than abstinence time. The present questionnaire allows to assess a set of significant factors to design prevention relapse programs.

Self-deception as a mechanism for the maintenance of drug addiction

BACKGROUND

This study was aimed at: (i) examining levels of self-deception in substance dependent individuals following addiction treatment, and (ii) examining the association between participants’ levels of self-deception and (a) personality disorders, (b) addiction-related beliefs, (c) duration of abstinence, and (d) estimates of craving.

METHOD

We administered self-report questionnaires of self-deception and mixtification, and core beliefs related to addiction and craving. The sample comprised 79 outpatients who were consecutively recruited at the Centro Provincial de Drogodependencias in Granada: 87.3% were males and the mean age was 37.68 years old. Thirty-four percent of participants were diagnosed with comorbid personality disorders.

RESULTS

Results showed that individuals with substance dependence exhibit elevated scores of self-deception, particularly in the domains of active denial, selective amnesia, projection, and confabulation. Individuals with comorbid personality disorders display greater levels of self-deception compared to individuals without dual diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Moreover, there is a significant association between levels of self-deception and addiction-related beliefs and craving. In addition, there is a negative association between levels of self-deception and duration of abstinence.