Markers for Severity of Problems in Interpersonal Relationships of Crack Cocaine Users from a Brazilian Multicenter Study

Abstract

Crack cocaine users frequently report difficulties regarding having healthy and rewarding relationships. Factors other than the use of crack cocaine itself may be at play when it comes to being able to develop healthier connections with partners, adult relatives and close friends. To verify which factors, including demographics, substance abuse related factors and psychiatric comorbidities could be markers for a higher severity of problems in interpersonal relationships of crack cocaine users seeking for treatment. This was a cross-sectional study, conducted between April 2011 and November 2012. Participants were 407 crack cocaine users seeking treatment in specialized public facilities of six Brazilian capitals. The relationship of severity of problems in the family/social area and the prevalence of psychiatric disorders, exposure to stressful events, substance use related factors and practice of illicit activities were explored through multivariate analyses. Number of days using crack cocaine in the last 30 days, age of first time using alcohol and feeling its effects, a diagnosis of alcohol abuse, posttraumatic stress disorder, antisocial personality disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were significantly associated with a higher severity of problems in interpersonal relationships with partners, adult relatives and friends. Problems in interpersonal relationships are strongly related to specific psychiatric comorbidities and the frequency of crack cocaine use. Factors identified by this study can make the paths to recovery more challenging. These results support psychosocial interventions that focus in the improvement of interpersonal relationships of crack cocaine users.

Comportamento suicida em usuários de crack e álcool

“…O estado conjugal teve um predomínio de pacientes solteiros nos dois grupos. Esses resultados são justificados pelo fato da doença mental, como os transtornos relacionados ao uso de substâncias, proporcionar maior risco de exclusão social e desagregação familiar, o qual resulta em vínculos sociais e familiares fragilizados (Pachado et al, 2018). Research, Society and Development, v. 9, n. 7, e793974741, 2020 (CC BY 4.0) | ISSN 2525-3409 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v9i7.4741 A baixa escolaridade foi predominante nos dois grupos, sem diferenças significativas entre eles.…”

Deficits in recognizing female facial expressions related to social network in cocaine-addicted men

“…Specifically, failure to recognise negative emotions, such as fear, have been linked with an inability to inhibit socially inappropriate behaviours (Blair, 1995) and may create difficulties maintaining interpersonal relationships. It is thus conceivable that such deficits contribute to the difficulties frequently reported by chronic cocaine users such as maintaining healthy and rewarding relationships (Pachado et al, 2018).…”

Factors Associated with Crack Cocaine Early Initiation: A Brazilian Multicentric Study

“…Since its emergence about 40 years ago, crack cocaine has been used mainly by marginalized and economically disadvantaged populations, such as immigrants, homeless, unemployed and low educational level people. Such epidemiological pro le usually comes from disorganized families with a high prevalence of psychiatric disorders, and high level of alcohol e drug consumption 7,8,9 . Exposure to violence and situations of abuse -inside or outside the family environment -is also recurrent in the history of such users, exacerbating the risk of future development of problems related to drug use, including crack cocaine 4 .…”