Amenability to Counseling of Opiate Addicts on Probation or Parole

Abstract

Fifty-two opiate addicts were classified as abstainers or continued abusers by their probation or parole officer. Eighteen variables--nine demographic and nine psychological--were evaluated for all subjects. Following factor analysis, 13 remaining variables were entered into a stepwise discriminant function analysis which significantly differentiated the abstaining and abusing groups. Abstainers were characterized by less dogmatism, higher education and personality integration, fewer aggressive incidents and previous drug arrests, and older age. The discriminant function classified 78.8% of the observations correctly and accounted for 27% of the variance. Rokeach's Dogmatism Scale, the Personality Integration Subscale of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, and the effective demographic discriminators have been included in a screening battery for counseling amenability by which incoming opiate addicts scoring like abstainers are granted priority in treatment assignment.

The behavioural characteristics and health conditions of drug abusers: some implications for workers in drug addiction

“…There has been, however, comparatively less research on the pre-addiction behaviour and activities of drug abusers. These include troubles with school authorities, such as discipline and truancy (Crawshaw and Mullen, 1984;Aasen and Ullebo, 1985;Johnston L.D., 1980), family problems while growing up (Holland and Griffin, 1984), delinquency (Wright and Moore, 1982;Orive and Gerard, 1980), criminal acts (Sukter et al, 1984;Shaffer et al, 1987;Goodkin and Wilson, 1982) and deviant behaviour (O'Donnell and Clayton, 1979). In their longitudinal survey, Kellam et al, (1980) found that children rated by teachers as aggressive used drugs most often and that males who were shy-aggressive first-graders used drugs more if they became antisocial as teenagers.…”

The effectiveness of an indigenised group counselling programme in aftercare service for drug supervisees: A one-year follow-up study

“…Still some other studies had both social and psychological variables included in the study of effectiveness of treating drug abusers (English & Monroe, 1972;Edelstein, 1976;Goodkin & Wilson, 1982;Ong, 1990).…”