Biopsychosocial predictors of drug dependence among Filipino drug users in community-based drug rehabilitation

This study examines the biopsychosocial predictors of drug use and dependence among Filipino drug users enrolled in community-based drug rehabilitation. Data from 925 clients revealed that the severity of drug use, cigarette and alcohol use, recovery skills, and mental health problems predict drug dependence. Family support, life skills, and psychological well-being are indirect predictors of severity of use. Results also revealed differences in predictors by sex, level of use, and type of clients. These findings highlight the importance of a client-centered approach to treatment and suggest what might be critical elements in a community-based drug rehabilitation program in the Philippines.

Investigating the Associations among Drug Dependents' Family Function and Exercise Attitudes: Marital Status Differences

This paper examines: (1) The demographic characteristics of different marital statuses of drug dependents; (2) differences in exercise attitudes and family function by marital status; and (3) if family function factors correlated with exercise attitudes and if exercise attitude factors correlated with family function. Multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) revealed significant differences in drug dependents’ exercise attitudes between married and single groups (p < 0.05) and the married and “other” groups (p < 0.01). Furthermore, we observed significant differences in drug dependents’ family function between married and single groups (p < 0.01) and married and other groups (p < 0.05). Regression analyses indicated that communication [F_change(1,1791) = 137.819; p < 0.001] was a significant positive predictor for drug dependents’ exercise attitude, accounting for 7.1% of the observed variance. Moreover, 50% of the variance was explained by willingness [F_change(1,1791) = 850.49, p < 0.001] and control [F_change(1,1790) = 141.415, p < 0.001], which were two significant predictors of drug dependents’ family function. Findings of this study were: (1) Exercise attitude and family function of married drug dependents were better than single drug dependents and other marital status addicts; (2) communication was observed as a factor of family function that correlated with exercise attitude; and (3) willingness was related with family function.

The effect of educating the clients of rehab centers on the frequency of methadone poisoning among children: a study from Iran

Background Poisoning with methadone is considered dangerous and fatal, which can lead to decreased consciousness, coma, apnea and eventually death. Aims The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of educating the clients of rehabilitation (rehab) centers on the frequency of methadone poisoning among children. Methods In the present semi-experimental study, the study population included all of the clients referred to the rehab centers in an urban area of Iran who received treatment with methadone. Samples were selected using the census method. The data gathering tool was a researcher-made questionnaire of which the content validity has been approved. To perform the educational program, educational brochures were distributed among all the rehab centers (33 centers) and one face-to-face educational session was conducted at each center. Six months after the intervention, the number of under 12 year-old children who were referred to hospital with methadone poisoning was calculated and compared to the same number from the 6 months prior to the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18. Results According to the results, the number of methadone poisonings during the 6-month period prior to the study was 29, while the same number during the 6-month period after the intervention was 9. Fisher's exact test showed a significant difference between the number of methadone poisonings before and after the intervention (p < 0.001). Conclusion The increased level of knowledge among the parents referred to rehab centers could decrease the rate of poisoning among their children. Therefore, performing this educational program is recommended for all the rehab centers.

Racial Prejudice and Spending on Drug Rehabilitation: The Role of Attitudes Toward Blacks and Latinos

We enhance understanding of the prejudice-induced "color coding" phenomenon among whites by determining whether racial and ethnic prejudices are associated with a previously unexplored policy outcome, spending on drug rehabilitation. We examine attitudes toward both blacks and Latinos; the latter is a group largely ignored in previous research. We assess the impact of several types of racial/ethnic views, including those that manifest modern/indirect prejudice (e.g., stereotypes about violence, individualistic causal attributions) and those that reflect social-distance-based traditional prejudice (opposition to residential proximity and to interracial marriage). These relationships are examined using data from the General Social Survey. Bivariate results support the linkage between both traditional and modern prejudice and rehabilitation spending. Logistic regression analyses also indicate that support for rehabilitation is racialized: Attributing race differences in socioeconomic outcomes to "structural" factors, namely discrimination and lack of chance for education, is associated with believing rehabilitation spending is inadequate, controlling for the effects of other racial/ethnic attitudes and background factors. The relationship between this measure of modern prejudice and the outcome is consistent with color coding. The implications of the findings are discussed, and suggestions for future research that further examine the scope of color coding are offered.