Clinical differences among cocaine, opioid, and speedball users in treatment.

Mood and HIV risk behavior among drug-dependent veterans.

“…Compared with those solely dependent on cocaine, polydrug abusers were significantly more depressed and anxious. These findings are consistent with previous research indicating that polydrug abusers are at increased risk of HIV transmission as a function of greater psychopathology (Dolan, Black, Malow, & Penk, in press). As expected, polysubstance abusers were more likely to engage in high-risk drug use patterns such as needle sharing, however the two groups did not differ in HIV sexual risk behaviors, perhaps because of the uniformly high rate of engaging in unsafe sexual practices such as sex with more than two partners (54%) and failure to use condoms on a consistent basis (78%) in the previous 3 months.…”

Heaviness of abuse, drug preferences, and personality organization among drug abusers in Sweden

“…This is consistent with previous research indications that the associations between drug-abusing habits (and tractability to treatment) and personality appear to be more fruitfully conceived of at a more general level than specific personality traits or psychopathology diagnoses (Craig, 1988;Dolan et al, 1991;Ross, 1993;Ross et al, 1988;Sandell & Bertling, 1996b;Stoffelmayr, Benishek, Humphreys, Lee, & Mavis, 1989). We recommend that PO diagnosis be used as an important diagnostic adjunct to the psychiatric diagnosis of substance abusers.…”

“…The association between drug choice and personality may well be more fruitfully conceived at a more general level, such that severity of drug abuse (in terms of polydrug use, heaviness of the drug or drugs, frequency and route of administration, etc.) is associated with severity of psychopathology or personality deviance, rather than preferences for any specific drug or manner of administration being associated with specific personality traits or psychopathology diagnoses (Craig, 1988;Dolan, Black, Malow, & Penk, 1991;Ross, 1993;Ross et al, 1988).…”

Effect of Prize-Based Incentives on Outcomes in Stimulant Abusers in Outpatient Psychosocial Treatment Programs

“…Additional incentives were provided for abstinence from marijuana and opioids, which are also commonly abused by stimulant-dependent patients. [26][27][28] Primary hypotheses were that participants in the incentive condition would remain in the study longer, submit more stimulant-and alcohol-free samples, provide a higher percentage of stimulant-and alcohol-free samples, and sustain longer durations of abstinence from these drugs. Secondary hypotheses were that participants in the incentive condition would attend more counseling sessions and submit a higher proportion of samples free of opioids and marijuana than participants receiving usual care.…”