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Dissertation
The relationship between substance abuse treatment and social support in heroin abusers
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University
Oct 1995
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00007404
Abstract
This project addressed the need for further knowledge in the relationship among substance abuse, social support, and treatment outcome in individuals receiving methadone maintenance treatment for an addiction to opiates. The 100 subjects were recruited from two sites, a Veterans Administration Hospital in a large northeastern city and a university affiliated methadone maintenance program in a suburb of the city. This research was conducted by means of self-report questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and urinalysis testing. The questionnaires measured social support and distress symptomatology including anxiety, depression, and hopelessness. The semi-structured interviews measured social interactions and provided information about sociodemographic variables. During the course of this project, opiate addicts who voluntarily entered methadone maintenance treatment were interviewed and measures assessing the nature of subjects' social support and social networks at treatment intake were administered. One month later, the subjects were interviewed again and the same questionnaires were administered to assess changes in their networks and support systems while actively participating in treatment. The results indicated that, as predicted, distress symptomatology decreased and perceived social support increased over the course of treatment. Multiple regression analyses were significant for depressive and hopelessness symptomatology, however only perceived self-esteem social support was found to significantly add to the regression equation. The need for those receiving methadone maintenance treatment to incorporate an aspect of positive social support into their treatment was supported by the data. Also, the need for more longitudinal studies which examine addicts' changes in social support and distress over time in relation to the chronicity and severity of their use was discussed.
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Details
- Title
- The relationship between substance abuse treatment and social support in heroin abusers
- Creators
- Elizabeth G. Ravitch Weinberg
- Awarding Institution
- Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- xii, 158 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Clinical and Health Psychology [Historical]; Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University (1993-1996, 1998-2002); School of Health Sciences and Humanities (1993-1996)
- Other Identifier
- 991021888850104721