Journal of Psychology & Psychotherapy
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-0487
+44 1478 350008
ISSN: 2161-0487
+44 1478 350008
Stathopoulou Georgia
Harvard Medical School, USA
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Psychol Psychother
Drug use motives are derived from the motivational model of substance use which conceptualizes substance use as representing several psychologically distinct behaviors defined by the different functions they serve. This model posits that regarding the source of the motivation, substance use can be motivated by the wish to achieve either an internal reward (improvement of mood), or an external one (social approval). Regarding its valence, substance use can be motivated by the wish to obtain a positive outcome (positive reinforcement) or avoid a negative one (negative reinforcement). Common drug use motives that have been identified by research include coping, enhancement and social motives. Research indicates that motives have been differentially associated to various antecedents and consequences of substance use. Despite its applicability and its potential clinical implications, the motivational model of substance use has not been adequately examined among patients with opioid use disorder. The present study provides an examination of multiple facets of emotion regulation, including anxiety sensitivity, difficulties in emotion regulation, and affective control as predictors of the different kinds of motives for opioid use among 81 opiate dependent patients (41 women and 40 men) in methadone maintenance treatment, an underserved, inner city clinical population with high psychiatric comorbidity and chronic substance dependence. Results showed that study participants reported elevated scores in all three emotion regulation measures compared to adult non-clinical samples. Coping motives were predicted by difficulties in emotion regulation. Enhancement motives were predicted by fear of depression subscale of the affect control scale. None of the emotion regulation variables predicted social motives. Implications for treatment will be discussed.
Stathopoulou Georgia is a Clinical Psychologist, an Instructor at Harvard Medical School and the Associate Clinical Director of the West End Clinic, the Dual Diagnosis Clinic of the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Her clinical and research work focuses on the development, implementation and evaluation of integrated psychosocial treatments for addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders, such as mood and anxiety disorders, and PTSD. She is also interested in the study of psychological factors, such as anxiety sensitivity, emotion dysregulation and distress tolerance, common in both substance use disorders and psychiatric conditions.
E-mail: gstathopoulou@partners.org