2651 – Behavioural Changes in Cocaine Dependent Patients after Group-Therapy

Abstract

Introduction:

Frequent and increasing relations among psychiatric and substance dependence disorders, have made, to date, more complex the treatment of this dependence, especially when the patient is facing the difficult task of maintaining abstinence, which requires a work of self-awareness, motivation to change and active modification of dysfunctional lifestyles.

Objectives:

Our study has the aim to detect patients’ changes in personality between the beginning of the rehabilitative therapy and its end, trying to get information on aspects of addiction on which the treatment affects the most.

Methods:

Our sample was formed by 153 patients, recruited at the Department of Psychiatry of Gemelli General Hospital, who were subjected to an integrated approach of treatment, both pharmacological and rehabilitative group-therapy, according to Minnesota rehabilitation model, that considers addiction as a bio-psycho-social problem.

Patients, after a first psychiatric evaluation, were asked to fill out two psychometric tests, the SymptomCheckList-90 R and the Structural Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, in two times, at the first meeting and at the last one, after 20 meetings of group therapy.

Results:

At the end of the group therapy 39 patients dropped-out, 114 patients had a significant improvement in depressive symptoms (DEP item), greater responsibility perseverance and attention in their activities and habitual contexts (GSI, DIS, W/S items), as well as better management of compulsion and impulsivity (OC item) and a lower sense of inferiority, inadequacy and discomfort in interpersonal relationships (PAR, ANX, IS, SOC. A., PSY. A. items).