فصلنامه اعتیاد پژوهی
پیاپی 33 (بهار 1394)

The present study was an attempt to examine the difference in the profile of working memory، auditory working memory، and spatial working memory between drug، stimulant، and methadone abusers and normal people. This study was a causal-comparative one with between-group comparison methodology. All the individuals addicted to opiates، stimulants، and methadone who had referred to Khomeini treatment centers of the city from September 2013 to February 2014 constituted the statistical population of the study. The number of 154 abusers (54 drug abusers، 50 stimulant abusers، and 50 methadone abusers) and the number of 50 normal participants were chosen as the sample of the study by purposive sampling method. The participants responded to Wechsler Memory Scale—third edition (WMS-III). There was a significant difference between the normal group and drug، stimulant، and methadone abusers in terms of working memory، auditory working memory، and spatial working memory. Drug and stimulant use leads to sustained damage in cognitive processes such as working memory. However، research indicates that these cognitive processes will improve with the passage of time.

This study aimed at determining the role of academic burnout، resilience، and perceived stress in predicting students'' addiction potential. In this correlational study، the number of 200 high school students in of South Khorasan province was selected as the participants through random cluster sampling and they responded to the three pertinent questionnaires، namely resilience scale، academic burnout scale، perceived stress scale، and addiction potential scale. The results showed that academic burnout، perceived stress، and resilience were positively correlated with addiction potential. Similarly، there was a significant positive relationship between academic burnout and perceived stress. Dimensions of burnout (emotional exhaustion، apathy، impotency)، dimensions of perceived stress (negative emotional responses and coping ability level)، and resilience could predict 20% of addiction potential. Among these dimensions، only coping ability level and resilience were significantly effective in predicting addiction potential; therefore، educational authorities are recommended to pay more attention to the prevention and treatment of addiction in students towards having a healthy society.

The present study aimed at examining the mediating role of life satisfaction in determining the relationship between coping strategies for stress and attitudes towards addiction. This study was a descriptive-correlational study whose statistical population included all the high school students of Abadan. Then، the number of 400 students was selected by random sampling method as the sample and they filled in attitude towards addiction scale، coping responses inventory، and life satisfaction inventory. Problem-focused coping strategies could indirectly predict attitude towards addiction by means of life satisfaction. However، emotion-focused coping strategies could predict attitudes towards addiction neither directly nor indirectly. If adolescents are not equipped with efficient coping strategies and have low levels of life satisfaction، they will be directed into a state with positive attitude towards addiction. It is possible to prevent addiction in adolescents via teaching life skills، including efficient strategies to cope with stress and high levels of life satisfaction.

The present study aimed to examine the predictive role of difficulties in emotion regulation and self-control in potential for addiction among drug-dependent individuals. This was a correlational study which falls within the category of descriptive studies. The statistical population of the current study included all patients under treatment in outpatient health centers in Bam، among whom 315 individuals were selected through cluster sampling method as the participants of the study. Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale، Self-Control Scale، and Addiction Susceptibility Questionnaire were used for data collection purposes. The results indicated that difficulties engaging in goal directed behavior، impulse control difficulties، lack of emotional awareness، and lack of emotional clarity (dimensions of difficulties in emotion regulation) had a significant positive correlation with potential for addiction. In addition، there was a negative significant relationship between self-control and potential for addiction among drug-dependent individuals. In addition to common methods of abstinence from drug dependence، teaching self-control and emotional control techniques to addicted patients can help them reduce their dependence.

The present study was conducted to identify risk and prediction factors of suicide attempts among drug abusers. This causal-comparative study was conducted on 91 drug abusers that included 42 male and female suicide attempters and 49 male and female counterparts. Millon multi-axial personality inventory-II (MCMI-II)، Dass-42 (depression، anxiety، stress)، and coping styles inventory were used for data collection purposes. The highest rate of suicide attempt was found in young male drug abusers with these characteristics: single، junior school graduate، unemployed، suicide history، sex and physical abuse history during childhood، legal problems، suicide and self-injury witness، and violence and suicide in family members. Compared to non-attempters، suicide attempters obtained higher scores in depressive، obsessive، masochistic، and borderline personality disorders; clinical somatoform symptoms، alcohol abuse in addition to drug use، major depressive disorder، and stress. Suicide attempters also used lower levels of task-focused and avoidance-focused strategies and higher levels of emotion-focused strategies to cope with stressors. The findings of this study can contribute to suicide identification and prevention among drug abusers.

This study was an attempt to predict potential for drug abuse on the basis of three predictors of parenting style، stress and type D personality. In this descriptive-correlational study، 200 students (100 males and 100 females) of Islamic Azad University of Karaj were selected by convenience sampling. For data collection، perceived parenting styles questionnaire، perceived stress scale، type D personality scale، and addiction potential scale were used. The results showed that rejecting/neglecting parenting style and emotional warmth were positively and negatively correlated with addiction potential، respectively. The child-parent relationship and also the relationship between stress and type D personality can be considered as predictive factors in addiction potential.

Morphine is one of the important narcotics which constitutes one of the alkaloid and opium components. If this substance is prepared defectively، it will appear in a variety of colors. Therefore، it is not possible to identify this substance by its color. In this study، drug addicts were invited to take urine tests. After morphine extraction from urine samples by chromium toxicity method، different standard concentrations were injected into HPLC device and the resultant diagrams were analyzed. Then، some changes were made into the methodology for the optimality of measurement process and morphine determination in human urine. It was found that the amount of morphine available in the urine samples was measureable through high-performance liquid chromatography and the amount of impurities added to drugs could be determined. This method can be used for diagnosis.

The present study aimed at investigating the moderating role of personality traits in the relationship between attachment styles and attitude towards drugs. To this end، 190 first-semester students of Tehran Payam Noor University (south center) in 2013-2014 were randomly selected and requested to complete adult attachment scale، Eysenck personality questionnaire، and attitude towards drugs questionnaire. The results of this study indicated that only avoidance attachment style could predict attitude towards drugs and this relationship could be significantly moderated by neuroticism. The results of this study can have applications and implications in the development of treatment and training programs for addiction prevention in vulnerable populations.

This study was an attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of the application of choice theory in quality of life and resilience of male drug users of Tehran. An experimental research design with pretest-posttest and control group was employed for this study wherein 40 drug users were randomly selected from a governmental center. The experimental group was exposed to twelve 90-minute intervention sessions of choice theory. Then، both groups were tested. The follow-up was performed two months later. Quality of life questionnaire and Connor-Davidson resilience scale were used for data collection purposes. The results of this study showed that the application of choice theory had an impact on quality of life and resilience. This finding was actively present in the follow-up، as well. This Method can be used to treat addicts.

This study was an attempt to explore the structural relationship between religious activity، religious struggle، attitude to drugs، social modeling، spiritual well-being، and cigarette and tobacco smoking among students. For this purpose، 504 male and female students from Kharazmi University، Agricultural Paradise، and Azad University of Karaj were selected by cluster sampling and they were asked to complete spiritual well-being scale، religious activity scale، religious struggle scale، social modeling scale، negative beliefs about drugs، and the tobacco section of the high-risk behavior questionnaire. The results showed that the effect of religious activity on cigarette and tobacco smoking was mediated by negative beliefs about drugs، social modeling، spiritual well-being، and incentives for drug use. Similarly، the effect of religious struggle on cigarette and tobacco smoking was mediated by spiritual well-being. It seems that religion prevents people joining the unhealthy peer groups by the establishment of moral discipline، internal and external rules، and healthy coping styles; therefore، people get less attracted to cigarette and tobacco smoking. Accordingly، these factors should be paid more attention in prevention programs for drug use، particularly cigarette and tobacco that are considered as the gateway to other drugs.