Alexithymia among long-term drug users : a pilot study in Oporto

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dc.contributor.authorSouto, Maria Teresa Soares
dc.contributor.authorAlves, Hélder
dc.contributor.authorDias, Ana Rita Conde
dc.contributor.authorPinto, Luísa
dc.contributor.authorRibeiro, Óscar
dc.contributor.institutionFPE - Faculty of Psychology and Education
dc.contributor.institutionHEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab
dc.date.issued2019-09-18
dc.description.abstractIncreasing scientific evidence supports an association between alexithymia and psychoactive substance use. This study explores alexithymia ́s expression in sample of long-term drug users, undergoing outpatient treatment in public health units in Oporto, Portugal, as well as its ́ association with social demographic risk factors. Data was collected from a sample of 90 adults, participants, mainly men (n=90; 87%), considered to be old consumers (81% with a age>40 years), with a mean age of 46.1 years (SD=8.3; range=21–64).Two instruments were used: a sociodemographic questionnaire and the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). More than 51.1% of the individuals were alexithymic, indicating a high prevalence of deficits in emotional awareness. The treatment period varied from 0 to 15 years, included a medication in 55% of cases, mostly methadone (83%). This profile illustrates the gradual aging of the long-term users of illicit drugs and alcohol with a clear diagnosis of an emotional disorder. Therefore, clinicians who develop treatment strategies may want to take into account the likelihood that many of their patients may be alexithymic; in being so, they should integrate specific psychotherapeutic techniques that promote both the identification and the differentiation in emotionally dysfunctional patients.pt
dc.description.abstractIncreasing scientific evidence supports an association between alexithymia and psychoactive substance use. This study explores alexithymia´s expression in sample of long-term drug users, undergoing outpatient treatment in public health units in Oporto, Portugal, as well as its´ association with social demographic risk factors. Data was collected from a sample of 90 adults, participants, mainly men (n=90; 87%), considered to be old consumers (81% with a age>40 years), with a mean age of 46.1 years (SD=8.3; range=21–64).Two instruments were used: a sociodemographic questionnaire and the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). More than 51.1% of the individuals were alexithymic, indicating a high prevalence of deficits in emotional awareness. The treatment period varied from 0 to 15 years, included a medication in 55% of cases, mostly methadone (83%). This profile illustrates the gradual aging of the long-term users of illicit drugs and alcohol with a clear diagnosis of an emotional disorder. Therefore, clinicians who develop treatment strategies may want to take into account the likelihood that many of their patients may be alexithymic; in being so, they should integrate specific psychotherapeutic techniques that promote both the identification and the differentiation in emotionally dysfunctional patients. Keywords: alexithymia, drug users, mental health, TAS-20, treatment, social demographic risk factorsen
dc.formatapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.citationSouto, M T S, Alves, H, Dias, A R C, Pinto, L & Ribeiro, Ó 2019, 'Alexithymia among long-term drug users : a pilot study in Oporto', Psychology & Clinical Psychiatry, vol. 10, no. 5, pp. 181-185. https://doi.org/10.15406/jpcpy.2019.10.00650
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.15406/jpcpy.2019.10.00650
dc.identifier.issn2373-6445
dc.language.isoeng
dc.peerreviewedyes
dc.relation.ispartofPsychology & Clinical Psychiatry
dc.rightsopenAccess
dc.subjectFATORES DE RISCO
dc.subjectPSICOLOGIA
dc.subjectALEXITIMIA
dc.subjectCONSUMO DE DROGAS
dc.subjectSAÚDE MENTAL
dc.subjectALEXITHYMIA
dc.subjectDRUGS CONSUMPTION
dc.subjectMENTAL HEALTH
dc.subjectTAS-20
dc.subjectPSYCHOLOGY
dc.subjectRISK FACTORS
dc.titleAlexithymia among long-term drug users : a pilot study in Oportoen
dc.typearticle

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Increasing scientific evidence supports an association between alexithymia and psychoactive substance use. This study explores alexithymia ́s expression in sample of long-term drug users, undergoing outpatient treatment in public health units in Oporto, Portugal, as well as its ́ association with social demographic risk factors. Data was collected from a sample of 90 adults, participants, mainly men (n=90; 87%), considered to be old consumers (81% with a age>40 years), with a mean age of 46.1 years (SD=8.3; range=21–64).Two instruments were used: a sociodemographic questionnaire and the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). More than 51.1% of the individuals were alexithymic, indicating a high prevalence of deficits in emotional awareness. The treatment period varied from 0 to 15 years, included a medication in 55% of cases, mostly methadone (83%). This profile illustrates the gradual aging of the long-term users of illicit drugs and alcohol with a clear diagnosis of an emotional disorder. Therefore, clinicians who develop treatment strategies may want to take into account the likelihood that many of their patients may be alexithymic; in being so, they should integrate specific psychotherapeutic techniques that promote both the identification and the differentiation in emotionally dysfunctional patients.
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