Substance use in individuals with mental retardation

A review of substance use research among those with mental retardation

“…Furthermore, all participants reported increased concern about the health effects of smoking. Similarly, McGillicuddy and Blane [1999] found a nonsignificant trend of reduced cigarette use immediately after participation in a substance abuse education and prevention program.…”

“…Other studies have found different sets of factors to be associated with cigarette use by those with MR. For instance, McGillicuddy and Blane [1999] found heavier cigarette use among those who misused alcohol. Rimmer et al [1995], reported cigarette use to be more common among group home residents than among those who lived in an institution or those who lived with their family.…”

“…Although the empirical work has not yet been conducted, many authors have reflected on treatment components believed to be necessary in working with individuals with MR. For instance, there has been widespread acknowledgment that treatment for those with MR needs to be different from treatment conducted with the nondisabled population due to decreased literacy, slower learning, and short-term memory deficits [Paxon, 1995;Center for Substance Abuse Treatment 1998;McGillicuddy and Blane, 1999;Degenhardt, 2000]. Krishef and DiNitto [1981] speculated that these deficits could be addressed simply by lengthening the treatment period for those with MR; however, the impact this type of change would have on retention is unknown.…”

“…Paxon [1995] also advocated the use of these strategies, as well as the use of frequent repetition due to learning and memory deficits. To date, these techniques have been used with this population in smoking cessation programs [Tracy and Hosken, 1997], in substance use education/prevention programs [McGillicuddy and Blane, 1999], and in courses that teach basic self-protection skills [Haseltine and Miltenberger, 1990]. Although the results of these studies have been promising, implementation of these techniques in treatment outcome studies has yet to occur.…”

“…Other than McGillicuddy and Blane [1999] who reported that the data provided by their sample were consistent and generally free of response bias, studies examining the substance use of those with MR have not reported on the quality of the data. This is rather surprising given that this population has memory and other cognitive deficiencies that interfere with the ability to reason, to think abstractly and conceptually, and to recall factual information [Paxon, 1995;Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 1998].…”