TY - JOUR
T1 - Alexithymia among long-term drug users: a pilot study in Oporto
AU - Souto, Maria Teresa Soares
AU - Alves, Hélder
AU - Dias, Ana Rita Conde
AU - Pinto, Luísa
AU - Ribeiro, Óscar
PY - 2019/9/18
Y1 - 2019/9/18
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - FATORES DE RISCO
KW - PSICOLOGIA
KW - ALEXITIMIA
KW - CONSUMO DE DROGAS
KW - SAÚDE MENTAL
KW - ALEXITHYMIA
KW - DRUGS CONSUMPTION
KW - MENTAL HEALTH
KW - TAS-20
KW - PSYCHOLOGY
KW - RISK FACTORS
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10437/12444
M3 - Article
SN - 2373-6445
JO - Psychology & Clinical Psychiatry
JF - Psychology & Clinical Psychiatry
ER -