Drug Addiction Issues Research Articles

한국의 마약중독 치료·재활체계 현황 및 개선방안

Drug-related problems have become very serious social problems in Korea which used to boast as drug-free society. Korean government proclaimed ‘War on Drugs’ and has fortified supply-prevention strategies. However, for ‘War on Drugs’ we should intervene not only on supply side but also on treatment·rehabilitation(TR) for drug abusers. Currently the infrastructure for TR for drug abuse is very poor in Korea. This study analyzed the TR system in Korea and made suggestions for improvement. Specific contents of this paper are as follows. First, the nature of the problems in Korea was analyzed. They are availability of diverse drugs, sharp increase of abusers and young users, and high relapse rate, etc. Second, the ineffective court-ordered treatment policy was analyzed. It was recommended that treatment facilities should be improved and the collaboration system between legal system and treatment system should be developed. Third, the TR systems in public sector such as hospitals, Addiction Rehabilitation Centers(ARCs), Addiction Management Integrative Support Centers(AMISC) were analyzed. Public support to hospital treatment expense, nation-wide expansion of ARCs, and the development of referral system using AMISC were suggested. Fourth, the private sector systems such as DARC, Sonasa, NA were analyzed. It was suggested that government should financially support DARC and Sonasa. Also, it was recommended that NA meetings should be set up across the country. Finally, it was suggested that government should strengthen NIMS, drug-testing kits, prevention education, and develop the control tower to effectively deal with drug addiction issues.

Cure & Care 1Malaysia Clinics: Measuring the Effectiveness via Dyads Lens Involving Receivers and Providers.

Drug treatment and rehabilitation programs are one of the initiatives to alleviate the global epidemic of drug addiction. The efforts were undertaken by everyone, particularly the government. However, the rising number of drug relapses among patients or clients ponders the effectiveness of the drug treatment and rehabilitation programs implemented in the country. This paper aims to study the drug relapse prevention initiatives and the effectiveness of the center in dealing with drug addiction issues. A case study of 4 drug treatment and rehabilitation centers, namely Cure & Care 1Malaysia Clinics in Selangor, Malacca, Penang, and Kelantan, was selected. In-depth interviews were conducted with 37 participants-26 clients and 11 providers, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis and NVivo version 12. The findings indicate that relapse prevention initiatives are a signal for the effectiveness of the center to reduce drug relapse cases. The implementation of drug treatment and rehabilitation programs was effective based on key aspects consisting of (1) knowledge and life skills learned; (2) staff reception; (3) individual changes; and (4) client acceptance. Therefore, by experiencing relapse prevention activities, it helps to improve the effectiveness of the implementation of drug treatment and rehabilitation programs.

A cross-sectional study of Malaysian low-income drug addict wives: Relationship between family impact, coping and mental wellbeing

Background: The involvement of the husbands in the issue of drug addiction has impacted the wives’ livelihoods. Due to drug addiction amongst husbands, the wives experience stress and strain. The Stress Strain Coping Support Model (SSCS) was established to better comprehend how coping influences stress and strain. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the stress which refers to family impact experienced by the wives of drug addicts, in terms of economic difficulties and marital conflict, and mental wellbeing. Furthermore, this study examines the role of coping as a mediating factor between family impact and mental wellbeing. Methods: This study involved 132 wives of low-income drug addicts in Malaysia, who were selected using a purposive sampling method. Economic Strain Scale (ESS) and Braiker-Kelly Marital Conflict Scale (BKMCS) were used to measure family impact. Coping and Adaptation Processing Scale Short Form (CAPS-SF) and Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS) were used to measure coping and mental wellbeing of the respective respondents. Results: Path analysis using SmartPLS software version 3.3.7 showed that there is a direct association between family impact and coping, and between coping and mental wellbeing. The results also showed that family impact was associated indirectly with mental wellbeing through coping. Conclusions: The findings benefited drug addict wives and practitioners related to this field in terms of enhancing the use of coping mechanisms in managing family impact and improving mental wellbeing, specifically amongst low-income drug addict wives.

Exploring the Effectiveness of Counseling Intervention on Sedative Drug Addiction at Penjara Kajang

The COVID-19 pandemic which strike Malaysia and worldwide is a nightmare for most individuals. It brought various implications that in turn change the pattern of human’s life. There are some individuals who fail to adapt causing them to experience emotional disturbances that contribute to mental health problems. It also contributes to various social problems including drug abuse, domestic violence, divorce and others. Hence, this study was conducted to identify the causes and effects of sedative drug abuse as well as to examine the level of effectiveness of counseling interventions and coping strategies in solving this problem. This study was conducted qualitatively involving interview sessions and individual counseling sessions to one of the detainees in Kajang Prison who was involved in sedative drug abuse. The implementation of counseling sessions through Motivational Interviewing (MI) approach and Reality Therapy were conducted. The use of Motivational Interviewing in the initial session is seen to be effective in increasing client motivation. While the use of reality theory is seen to help clients in making decisions, plan and taking action. In conclusion, the right and proper counselling approach can help clients in the issue of drug addiction as well as the selection of coping strategies in dealing with the problems faced.

Preliminary Analysis of the Effectiveness of Handing Criminal Acts by Children Under the Age

The issue of drug addiction and illegal trafficking continues to plague nations across the globe. Between 153 and 300 million individuals, or 3.4 to 6.6 percent of the world's drug abusers aged 15 to 64 years, having used drugs at least once a year, with almost 12% (15.5 to 38.6 million people) of users being heavy addicts. Initially created for medicinal reasons (therapy), opioids became a political target for those seeking profit by introducing harmful addictive chemicals. Addition of hazardous addictive drugs may precipitate a person's hallucinations and addictions, wreaking havoc on the neurological system and organs of the body and ultimately resulting in death. The risks of drug addiction have prompted many nations to implement laws aimed at protecting citizens and prohibiting drug trafficking. This restriction eventually spawned illegal commerce and the growth of global marketplaces

Pencegahan dadah golongan berisiko menurut pendekatan psikospiritual al-Ghazālī (W. 505 H.)

The issue of drug abuse nowadays is very worrying despite various research and approaches taken to address this issue. New and recurring drug addiction numbers every year indicate a crucial need for improvements in existing prevention efforts. Prevention is the best approach in combating drug abuse because of the effectiveness and cost-friendly. In addition, risk groups should be a priority in prevention approach so that drug addiction can be avoided before it occurs. Islamic psychospiritual therapy is a spiritual treatment method based on Islamic practices and divine reference. This treatment focuses on the purification of the soul, the formation of self-actualization, and spiritual enhancement which ultimate objective is seeking the pleasure of Allah Almighty. Spiritual therapy implemented in Islamic psychospiritual can form a stronghold to prevent drug use and addiction among risk groups. Al-Ghazālī was one of the most prominent and influential Islamic scholars and has produced numerous works that have been made references in the world of Islamic studies throughout the world. Thus, using qualitative methods, this article outlines Al-Ghazālī's Islamic psychospiritual module. Risk group prevention is managing the risk factors by equipping the group with protective factors. The findings of this article indicate that Islamic psychospiritual approaches discussed by al-Ghazālī contain protective factors of religious belief, endurance, self-esteem, appreciation, hope, gratitude, self-reliance, the purpose of life, and love. Therefore, addressing the issue of drug addiction based on the Islamic psychospiritual approach is a viable alternative.

Lost in transition: the two structurally distinct groups of drug addicts in contemporary China

Despite of persistent anti-drug regulations and policies, China has encountered a large boom in narcotic drug addicts. Drug addicts can be found in distinct social groups, from the rich to the poor. Classic drug research theories have paid less attention to drug addiction issues in transitional China’s context. This study introduces a socio-structural transition perspective to explore the increasing and wide-spreading drug addiction problems in contemporary China. Based on in-depth interviews with drug addicts, social workers, and local policemen in Fujian, we collected 13 addict cases with detailed life experiences. Two structurally distinct groups were identified among the addicts. The impoverished descender addicts, struggling with much frustration in the disadvantaged situations, are associated with the class-based drug initiation patterns. Meanwhile, the affluent upstart addicts, gaining easy money with the traditional moral commitment left behind, are related to the consumer-based pathways to drug abuse. Moreover, these distinct addicts have commonalities in contemporary Chinese contexts. At the macro level, they fail to adapt themselves to the rapid structural transition process in both the material and spiritual ways, and thus are lost into the drug-related deviant social positions with weakening social controls and exposure to deviant peers. These findings further indicate the complex associations among deviant social consequences, social classes, and socio-structural changes in historical process.

Cognitive Distortion and Resilience Among Female Muslim Clients at A Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre in Kelantan

The unhealthy style of thinking affects the behavior of an individual. Having low self-esteem is also one of the causes for many women getting caught up in drug addiction issues. It is particularly alarming that women's involvement in the issue of drug addiction in Malaysia is increasing. Hence, this quatitative study involving 123 subjects was conducted to examine the level of Cognitive Distortion and Resilience among Muslim female clients in a drug treatment and rehabilitation center in Kelantan. The findings of this study showed that clients who have cognitive distortion were low and moderate while self-esteem was at high and moderate levels. It was found that there was no significant mean difference of CDS and resilience based on Al-Quran reading competence and academic qualification. It was also found that there was an indirect insignificant correlation between cognitive distortion and resilience.It is hoped that this study will provide awareness to the community about the importance of choosing a healthy mindset in facing any challenge. It is hoped that this study will also inspire the drug treatment and rehabilitation centers to focus more on counseling towards positive thinking and enhancing resilience of clients in order to reduce their relapse rate.

Pentazocine addiction among sickle cell disease patients and perception of its use among health-care workers

BACKGROUND: Prolonged use of pentazocine in sickle cell disease (SCD) because of chronic pain may result in mental dependence (addiction) and/or physical dependence leading to withdrawal symptoms on suddenly stopping its use. This study was aimed at determining the prevalence of pentazocine addiction among SCD patients and health-care worker (HCW) perception on its use. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was an interviewer-administered, questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study. The study involved clients attending the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital sickle cell clinic and the hospital HCWs. Consenting participants filled a World Health Organization structured questionnaire developed and extracted from ASSIST which is A - Alcohol, S - Smoking and S - Substance, I - Involvement, S - Screening, and T - Test. The HCWs were evaluated using a pretested, validated questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 350 participants were recruited consisting of 169 (48.3%) males and 181 (51.7%) females. ASSIST report showed 88% of them had low score of 0–3, 10% had moderate score of 4–26, while 2% (7 of 350) had high score of >27. A total of 61 HCWs were interviewed, and 18% and 8.2% of them believed 40%–60% and more than 60%, respectively, of the SCD patients were addictive to pentazocine. CONCLUSION: While the issue of drug addiction should not be ignored, the appropriate treatment of SCD patients in Nigeria who are prevented from getting high-quality care should be appropriately addressed. The risk of addiction is overestimated among HCW.

The Effect of Life Skills Training on Social Communication of Clients Referring to Drug Abuse Clinics

Background: The human society has long been challenged by the issue of drug addiction. Due to cultural reasons, beliefs based on wrong perceptions and unique geographical position, Iranian society is prone to drug addiction. The addicts usually have several problems in handling social and inter-personal communications, a fact that highlights the necessity of providing life skills training to these patients. Objectives: The study is an attempt to determine the effect of life skills training on social communication of male drug addicts who referred to Tavalod Novin Drug Clinic in Larestan, Iran. Methods: A semi-experimental study was carried out to examine the quality of social relationship of drug addicts. To this end, Piers’ standard questionnaire of social relationship with 29 statements was administered before, immediately after, and one month after the intervention. Participants were 42 drug addicts in the age range of 20 - 68 who referred to the drug clinic and used medicine treatment program. The intervention was consisted of seven 2-hour sessions of life skills training program. The collected data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance, and Kolmogorov Smirnov (KS) test was used to check normality assumption with regard to quantitative variables. Results: Comparison of the data before, immediately after, and one month after the intervention revealed statistically significant differences in the domains of social support, depth of relationships, conflicting relationships, and total score of social relationship with parents, family members, and friends (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Given the fact that drug addicts usually have problems in their social and inter-personal relationships, life skills trainings can be effective in improving their social communication in terms of their relationships with parents, family members, and friends. Life skills training should be a part of training protocols for drug addicts.

YOUNGSTER’S ATTITUDES TO SCHOOL-BASED PREVENTION PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION

paper focuses on primary prevention of drug addiction, in particular the primary prevention programs implemented in school environments. It contains the results of a quantitative research conducted using a non-standardized questionnaire method. The study objective was to identify differences in attitudes of a group of pupils towards the issue of drug addiction before and after they completed the school-based prevention program. The study found that after completing the school-based prevention program there was improvement in attitudes towards the issue of drug addiction in the specific group of pupils. The number of appropriate answers to the question “Alcohol makes people happy” increased by 18.82 %. respondents (62.70%) disagreed that they would adapt themselves if their opinion differed to the majority. The number of positive answers to the question “Smoking is addictive” increased by 13.66%; the number of positive answers to the question “Drinking alcohol is harmful” increased by 24.93%; and all respondents agreed with the statement that smoking threatens health.

El chico que se echaba de menos.

For the past twenty years the discipline of art-therapy has been consolidating amongst the therapeutic community, eventually acquiring its own idiosyncrasy and procedure. Nevertheless, the different ways of art-therapy are still barely understood, and sometimes seen through stereotypes, by non-specialists. In the present text a practical view of art-therapy is treated by exhibiting the case of a youngster with drug-addiction issues and a corporal castration resulting from an unexpected accident. The case revolves around a double predicament, namely, the formation of the self body image and the construction of the narcissist subject. Through its development the key elements of an art-therapeutic process are revealed, such as the initial contact, the therapeutic bond, the mediated communication through artistic creations or the importance of the closing.

Consequences Of Drug Abuse On Spouses Of Drug Addicts In Karachi

The issue of drug addiction or abuse is often over shadowed by the many of the human development problem such as poverty, illiteracy, lack of basic health care. But the fact is drug abuse is rapidly growingly in Pakistan and South Asia in general. Pakistan is the worst victim of narcotics trade in South Asia region. According to an estimate about 20 tons of heroin consume with in Pakistan annually. One addict in a family affects several other members the number of people suffering directly or indirectly runs into many more millions. This is a fastest growing problem which cuts across class, rural, urban, provincial and religious boundaries. A number of socio-economic problems, large disparities between income groups, poverty, corruption, lack of political will and above all easy access to drugs are known to be linked to drug abuse and crime. In fact it is a problem of social disorganization with multidimensional implication on the individual and other family members. The overall purpose of the study was to examine the consequences of drugs abuse on spouses of the drug uses in contemporary society. The problem of drug abuse and drug trafficking has assumed transnational character in recent years and no nation can claim to be free from this issue.