Social skills training for drug users under treatment: a pilot study with follow-up

Abstract

Drug abuse is associated with loss of social skills by drug users. The literature review revealed a strong need for social skills training as a strategy to assist in psychosocial rehabilitation. However, few studies to date have evaluated the results of social skills training in therapeutic communities (type of treatment often used for drug users). Therefore, the aim of the present study is to describe the results of a pilot study regarding the social skills training of drug users under treatment. This is a quasi-experimental pilot study, with pre-and post-tests and followup. The following assessment instruments were used for data collection: Questionnaire on Sociodemographic Data and Drug Abuse; Multidimensional Scale of Social Expression; Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, and The World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment. The social skills training led to a significant increase in the skills of making refusals and expressing negative affect, quality of life (psychological domain), and a significant decrease in depressive symptoms and quality of life (environment domain). The high rate of intervention adherence (81.25%; n = 13) is indicative of the benefits from therapeutic community treatment and justifies the need for further empirical research, especially in terms of protocol development.

Depression, anxiety, and drug usage history indicators among institutionalized juvenile offenders of Brasilia

“…The legal guidelines for healthcare for this population are very distant from the daily practice of monitoring these adolescents (Perminio et al, 2018). Interventions aimed at this group need to contemplate both the treatment in relation to drug use and the behavior of an infraction, encompassing all of their requirements (Limberger and Andretta, 2018). Some limitations should be considered when discussing the results of this study.…”

“…The community, the group of friends, and the family can function as protective factors in the relationship between emotional difficulties and consumption of psychoactive substances, but also as risk factors. According to Chiapetti and Serbena (2007), the interventions themselves are factors which contribute to a positive change in the relationship between mental health, drug use, and quality of life (Limberger and Andretta, 2018). In socio-educational institutions, the pedagogical assistance recommended by the law (Volpi, 2015) must contemplate the mental health of young offenders, as the institution itself represents an additional source of stress, which can further affect juvenile psychological distress.…”

Operationalising the quality of life construct in studies of alcohol and drug residential rehabilitation programme clients: A systematic review

“…The 16 studies included in this systematic review fell into four categories (Table ). These were studies that: (A) described client QOL on one occasion ( n = 4) ; (B) described changes in client QOL as a consequence of residential rehabilitation treatment ( n = 2) ; (C) compared the QOL of clients in different forms of residential rehabilitation or with clients engaged in other forms of treatment ( n = 3) and (D) examined the effect of residential rehabilitation programme content on client QOL ( n = 5) .…”