Scores on the PEN Inventory were obtained from four groups of drug‐users. They were compared with scores from a group of apprentices who had completed the Inventory non‐anonymously rather than the normative data, as the latter were obtained anonymously, and it was found that this factor significantly elevated P (‘psychoticism’) scores. All four groups were significantly higher on P than the comparison groups. This was not simply the result of endorsement of items directly related to drug‐taking, nor to the correlation of P and N scores. Item analysis showed that 11 of the 20 items significantly differentiated drug‐using and control groups, but item content was more homogeneous in the items which did not differentiate the groups. Hypotheses to account for the high P scores of drug‐users are suggested.
Three of the drug‐using groups were significantly high on neuroticism, the fourth approaching significance in that direction. Two of the drug‐using groups were significantly low on extraversion; the other two did not differ from a control population.
Significant differences were obtained on P, E and N scores between the four drug‐using groups.
SUMMARY
A second year's follow‐up of a cohort of 36 opiate users and 27 subsequent cases in one town was conducted by individual interview, observation, and record abstraction. At some time during 1969 all but five of those at liberty consumed some opiate drug, and four of those five took an illicit non‐opiate drug. Compared with the previous year there was a reduction in the taking of heroin, cocaine and methylamphetamine and an increased consumption of methadone, barbiturates and oral amphetamine. Seven persons were daily users of opiates for at least part of the year, and 13 were irregular opiate users, without receiving a legitimate prescription. Abstinence was not significantly related to any obvious social or demographic variable including age, or duration of drug use. Nevertheless, it appeared that unless patients had a satisfactory social situation open to them, continued abstinence could not be achieved following withdrawal. Drug taking in this locality is consistent with national experience.
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