A Study of Professed Reasons for Beginning and Continuing Heroin Use

Abstract

Eighty male ex-heroin addicts were given a standardized interview to investigate their reasons for beginning and continuing heroin use. The relative popularity of motives is presented. Changes in popularity of motives at different stages of addiction were found, and a view of the motivational development of addiction is discussed. An oblique rotation factor analysis was used to investigate relationships between motives. Seven factors were identified for “beginning” motives, and correlations between the factors suggested two contrasting motivational syndromes. Motives for continuing heroin use also yielded seven factors, but with a different hierarchy of importance. “Continuing” factors were generally more complex and more frequently correlated with each other than “beginning” factors, suggesting that continuing heroin use is a more multidetermined phenomenon than beginning it, and one in which it is more difficult to identify discrete motivational syndromes. Implications for future research and treatment are suggested.