Social Problems, Psychological Well-Being, and Childhood Parenting Experiences in a Community Sample of Heroin Addicts in Central London

Abstract

Well-validated instruments were used to compare the social adjustment, psychological well-being, and childhood parenting experiences of 105 heroin-dependent people and a matched sample of 103 unemployed people recruited from 04 to 11 2001 via newspaper advertisements and word of mouth in central London. The groups were not homogenous. Both groups had more social and psychological problems than population norms. The unemployed group reported significantly more social and interpersonal problems than the heroin users although they had significantly fewer psychological problems. Childhood parenting experiences were comparable between both groups suggesting this is not a specific cause of heroin dependence.

• Opiate dependence
• Comorbidity
• Social problems
• Parenting

Resumen

Instrumientos bien testados foram empleados para comparar el ajuste social, el bien estar psicologico e las experiencias con relacion a los padres y madres durante la infancia de 105 personas, depiendentes de heroina asi como para una amuestra comparativa de 103 personas desempleadas recructadas des de Abril hasta Noviembe del 2001. Tales personas fueran contactadas por el uso de anuncios en periodicos y comunicacion boca a boca en la area central de Londres. Los grupos non eran homogeneos. Ambos los grupos apresentaran ma's problemas socials y psicologicos que las normas convensionales. El grupo de desempleados apresentou un grado mayor de problemas sociales y interpersonales que los usuarious de heroina apesar de lo facto de teren demonstrado menos problemas psicologicos las experiencias con los padres des de la infancia fueran conparaveis entre los dos grupos, traiendo la sugerencia de que no se trata de una causa especifica de la depoendencia de heroina.

Résumé

Des methods très justifiees sont ete usées pour comparer l’adjustment social, bien etre psychologique et les experiences de parenter de 105 personnes qui abusaient avec dependance l’heroine et une groupe selectee de 103 sommeurs se sont servis d’Avril a Novembre, 2001, qui etaient assembles a travers des avis dans les journaux et par contacte directe entre personne dans le centre de Londres, les groups netaient pas les memes. Les deux groupes avaient plus des problemes sociaux et psychologiques. Le groupe de sommeurs revelait plus remarquablement des problemes sociaux et personnelles que ceux qui abusaient l’heroine maleres qu’us avaient moins des problemes psychologiques. Les experiences de parenter pendant l’enfante etaient comparables entre les deux groupes, qui veut dire clea n’a pas ete une cause de dependant sur l’heroine.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jason S. Luty

Dr. Jason Luty is a specialist registrar in general adult psychiatry on the Maudsley Hospital Training Rotation in South East London, United Kingdom. He has a Ph.D. in pharmacology based on research into the mechanisms of receptor desensitization and has also published articles on the relationship between illicit drugs and crime and smoking cessation treatment. He obtained his medical degree at Birmingham University, England, and is a member of the UK branch of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.