Desire For Help Research Articles

Self-reported health and prior health behaviors of newly admitted correctional inmates.

This study obtained comprehensive health information from newly admitted correctional inmates. Interviews were conducted with 1198 inmates on day 3 of their incarceration. Interviewers found a high prevalence of chronic medical and mental health issues, limited access to health care, high rates of infections and sexually transmitted diseases, substantial substance abuse, other unhealthy behaviors and violence, and a strong desire for help with health-related problems. The data document the need to apply the public health approach to correctional health care, including detection and early treatment of disease, education and prevention to facilitate health and behavior change, and continuity of care into the community.

Gender Differences in How Intimate Partners Influence Drug Treatment Motivation

We examine associations between partner-related variables (i.e., partner's economic support, drug use, treatment experience, and recent partner conflict) and treatment motivation (i.e., drug use problem recognition, desire for help, and treatment readiness). Participants were 266 cohabiting or married individuals recruited from STD clinics, emergency rooms, and jails in Los Angeles County between 1992 and 1994, who reported recent drug use. Multivariate analyses show that for men, partner-related variables are not strong predictors of motivation. For women, however, several partner-related variables significantly predict motivation. Having a partner who has been in treatment increases the odds of women's desire for help and treatment readiness, and having a partner who uses drugs decreases the odds of women's treatment readiness. For both men and women, deriving a greater amount of income from self sources than from a partner is associated with increased treatment motivation.

Sex and relationship dysfunction in neurological disability

OBJECTIVES(1) to ascertain how many people with neurological disability experience sexual or relationship problems; (2) to examine the interplay of neurological disability and sexual function within the context of the...

Desire for Help among Drug-Using Mexican-American Arrestees

In a sample of 88 drug-using Mexican-American arrestees, we examined demographic factors, drug-problem severity indicators, and personal and social resources as correlates of self-reported desire for help with problems related to drug use. Ethnicity-related attitudes, perceptions, and experiences were among the factors tested. Among 35 potential correlates in this dataset, recognition of drug-related interpersonal problems was me sole significant correlate of desire for help in a multivariate regression analysis. This finding was interpreted in comparison to previously identified correlates of Mexican-American drug users' desire for help specifically in the form of drug user treatment. We derive implications regarding drug-use-associated problem recognition and other potential determinants of help-seeking and success in drug user treatment among Mexican-American drug users.

Desire for Help among African-American Drug Users

We examined demographic factors, drug-problem severity indicators, and social and personal resources of African-American drug users as correlates of their self-reported desire for help with problems related to drug use. Avoiding the “ethnic gloss” of earlier research, we included ethnicity-related attitudes, perceptions, and experiences among the factors tested. Findings suggested that interpersonal problem recognition was a key determinant of desire for help in this sample. Two additional factors associated with desire for help in multivariate analysis were conventional moral beliefs and expected benefit of drug treatment. We cite implications of these findings for patterns of help-seeking and recovery among treatment-naive African-American drug users.

Suicidality in a sample of methadone maintenance clients.

Previous work has shown that suicide is a significant cause of death among substance abusers, including methadone-maintained clients, and that the prediction of suicidal ideation and behavior is difficult. Preliminary review of data collected at admission on a population of 438 methadone-maintained clients found 55 expressing some level of suicidal behaviors during the course of treatment. These clients were compared with a randomly selected comparison group of 55 nonsuicide clients matched for gender and race/ethnicity on measures of psychological dysfunction, drug use, family dysfunction, and help-seeking behaviors. Results showed that at time of admission suicidal clients reported: 1) more psychological dysfunction as evidenced by higher levels of depression, social dysfunction, hostility, risk-taking, and previous thoughts of suicide; 2) less family support at the present time and during childhood; and 3) more help-seeking behavior as evidenced by self-referral, number of previous treatment episodes, attendance at self-help meetings, and higher scores on motivational measures of desire for help. Differences in preadmission drug-using behaviors were not found between the two groups.

Psychosocial Profiles of Criminal Justice- and Noncriminal Justice-Referred Substance Abusers in Treatment

This study compared the psychosocial profiles of 136 criminal justice-referred substance abuse outpatients with 40 noncriminal justice-referred outpatients at the same facility. Profiles were based on the Texas Christian University Self-Rating Form, consisting of 11 scales: Self-Esteem, Depression, Anxiety, Decision Making, Childhood Problems, Hostility, Risk Taking, Socialization, Assessment of Drug Use Problems, Desire for Help, and Readiness for Treatment. Except for the last three scales, which correspond to Prochaska and DiClemente's stages of change, the profiles of both groups were virtually identical. The criminal justice-referred participants, however, scored significantly lower in their Assessment of Drug Problems, Desire for Help, and Readiness for Treatment. The need for enhancing such clients' motivation early in treatment id discussed.

Counseling and the desire for help

Counseling and the desire for help

Alcoholism and the Drunkenness Offender in a Scottish Burgh Police Court

Fifty males were interviewed following their appearance on charges of drunkenness at a Scottish Burgh Police Court. The sample comprised mainly unemployed Scots from the lower social classes who were either separated from their wives or had never married. There were 5 first offenders and the rest of the sample had previous convictions for drunkenness and/or other minor offences. Twenty-nine were physically dependent on alcohol, 16 had a psychological dependence on alcohol, and the remaining 5 were not alcoholics. Although two-thirds expressed a desire for help, the city was lacking in detoxification, counselling and rehabilitation facilities for alcoholics.

Characteristics of physicians who have had psychotherapy.

A questionnaire investigating their attitudes and practices toward emotionally disturbed patients was responded to by 1,156 primary physicians. Respondents were subdivided into two groups according to whether or not they had undergone personal psychotherapy. The outstanding characteristics of the treated as compared to the untreated physicians were: (1) greater interest expressed in psychiatry; (2) more positive attitudes regarding psychotherapy; (3) greater confidence in their psychiatric-diagnostic skills; (4) higher rates of psychiatric diagnoses; (5) preference for nonauthoritarian approaches with their disturbed patients; and (6) higher attendance at postgraduate courses in psychiatry. Interestingly, the two groups did not differ in (1) the frequency or ease with which they undertook the management of their disturbed patients; (2) their desire for help in handling these patients; or (3) the frequency of referrals they made for psychiatric treatment.

Prognostic Factors in Psychotherapy

<h3>To the Editor:—</h3> The concluding sentence of Drs. Brill and Storrow in their article "Prognostic Factors in Psychotherapy" (<i>JAMA</i><b>183</b>:913 [March 16] 1963) is challenging and raises several questions. A patient's motivation for psychotherapy is as variable as the kind of psychotherapy to which he may be expected to fit. In what mode of psychotherapy would the poorly motivated patients seen at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Clinic be regarded as showing treatable symptoms, rather than as "an irritation that is to be avoided"? Do the authors imply that only highly motivated patients have a "great desire for help which involved more than just symtomatic relief"? What kinds of "help" and "relief" do such diverse and poorly motivated patients as alcoholics, psychotics, and sociopaths want? What kinds of relationships with therapists are they trying to establish ( or re-establish )? The authors' remarks on the "ability ( of patients ) to elicit or stimulate a

Prognostic factors in psychotherapy.

From a large number of applicants to the psychiatric clinic, those patients who expressed a great desire for help which involved more than just symptomatic relief and who stimulated a positive reaction in the doctor, tended to be accepted for treatment more often than others. These patients were more likely to be diagnosed as having psychoneurotic reactions while the more poorly motivated patients were more likely to be diagnosed as having personality disorders. The well-motivated patients were apt to be considered good subjects for brief nonintensive psychotherapy, and in fact a very high percentage of them were helped by such treatment. There is some danger that the poorly motivated, more difficult patient will be avoided rather than considered a greater challenge.

Problems involved in organizing and operating a group therapy program in the New York state parole setting.

This report is an attempt to relate some of the problems involved in the organizing and operation of a group therapy program in the New York State parole setting, after doing group therapy for a four and one-half year period in a penal setting. Such a program seemed a natural evolution of the in-patient group program, which men left to go out into society with many problems still unresolved. It was felt that it might provide a partial answer to those on parole who expressed a desire for help, or were observed by their parole officers to need and want help. Similar programs are outlined. Material on problems relating to the number of referrals; the criteria for referral; and the psychopathology of those referred, seen and treated is presented. Problems relating to attendance; differences between those coming from the in-patient setting and those referred from the parole officers; adminstrative problems and their effect on the program; and a general review of the actual group operation, with attention to central “themes” and “roles” of various group members, are outlined. Finally, a review is given of the subsequent behavior and adjustment of those involved in the group program and those evaluated but not involved in it.