The Sensation-Seeking Scale and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were administered to 30 white, 30 black, and 30 Hispanic male narcotic drug abusers in residential treatment. Individual drug abuse histories were assessed in semistructured interviews. The results indicate that (a) white subjects scored significantly higher on the five Sensation-Seeking subscales than did either black or Hispanic subjects. No significant differences were obtained between ethnic groups on state or trait anxiety, (b) Even though the prevalence of the use of alcohol, cannabis, street methodone, and cocaine was similar in the three ethnic groups, significantly more white subjects had used amphetamines, barbiturates, tranquilizers, methaqualone, inhalants, and psychedelics. (c) Measures of sensation seeking and anxiety correlated significantly with the number of different drugs used by whites, although the measures were virtually unrelated to drug use among nonwhites. The frequency of use of stimulant, depressant, or hallucinogenic drugs was unrelated to the user's level of sensation seeking or anxiety. Among individuals with extensive histories of drug abuse, ethnicity appeared to be more closely related to drug-use patterns than motivational variables such as sensation seeking and anxiety.
Epidemiologic surveys of the New York State population over the past several years show substance use rates for females that are approaching the higher use rates for males. Surveys of the secondary school population show similar rates of use for girls and boys over time as well as a similar intensity of involvement. Surveys of adults show a dramatic increase of use for females, ages 18 to 34 years, in recent years, and a more modest increase for females, ages 35 years and older. An analysis of substance use by sex, age, marital status and employment identifies disparate rates of use among subgroups. For instance, among younger adults, single full-time employed women have considerably higher rates of use than housewives for illicit substances as well as psychoactive prescription drugs used medically as well as nonmedically.
In order lo measure manipulative tendencies among narcotics abusers, the Machiavellianism (Mach IV) Scale was administered to a sample of narcotics abusers in residential treatment. Obtained means and standard deviations were well within the range of values reported for non drug abusing samples. Examination ofthe retest reliability and validity ofthe present Mach IV scores confirmed the reliability ofthe scale. However, a three -person bargaining situationfailed to validate Mach Scale scores, possibly due to constraints imposed by the institutional setting andjor to the educational level ofthe sample.
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