Does Self-Change Occur Among Severely Dependent Substance Users?

ABSTRACT

The aims of the current study were to examine differences between self-changers (SC) and treatment-changers (TC) in sociodemographic, personal characteristics, severity of substance use disorders (SUDs), and psychiatric problems, and to predict the severity of SUDs, psychiatric problems, and belonging to the SC group. The sample included 229 Israeli respondents (134 SC and 95 TC). Significant differences between the two groups were found. The SC were younger, had a higher sense of coherence, and reported more cannabis use. The TC were involved more in crime and had experienced more child abuse and severe psychiatric problems compared with the SC. No significant group differences were found in the severity of substance dependence. The findings suggested that severity of SUDs did not differentiate between the groups, but the severity of psychiatric problems and history of child abuse did. This indicates a need for treatment interventions targeting all three issues of childhood trauma, SUDs, and psychiatric problems.

KEYWORDS:

• Self-change
• severely dependent
• childhood abuse
• psychiatry severity
• treatment

Acknowledgments

The research was supported by the Israel Anti-Drug Authority (IADA) grant. The funding source had no involvement in the collection, analysis or interpretation of data, in the writing of the article or in the decision to submit it for publication.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the  Israel Anti-Drug Authority (IADA) [grant numbers 204152].