Hostname: page-component-669899f699-cf6xr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-26T21:29:07.263Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Differences between Alcoholics and Cocaine Addicts Seeking Treatment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2015

José J. López-Goñi ,
Javier Fernández-Montalvo  and
Alfonso Arteaga
José J. López-Goñi*
Affiliation:
Universidad Pública de Navarra (Spain)
Javier Fernández-Montalvo
Affiliation:
Universidad Pública de Navarra (Spain)
Alfonso Arteaga
Affiliation:
Universidad Pública de Navarra (Spain)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to José J. Lopez Goñi. Departamento de Psicología y Pedagogía. Universidad Pública de Navarra. Campus de Arrosadía, s/n. 31006. Pamplona (Spain). Phone: + 0034–948169243. Fax: + 0034–948169891. E-mail: josejavier.lopez@unavarra.es
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This study explored the characteristics of a representative sample of patients who were addicted to either alcohol or cocaine, comparing the profiles of both types of drug users. A sample of 234 addicted patients (109 alcoholics and 125 cocaine addicts) who sought outpatient treatment in a Spanish clinical centre was assessed. Data on socio-demographic, consumption, psychopathological and maladjustment characteristics were collected using the European Addiction Severity Index (EuropASI), the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-II). Demographically, differences were observed with regard to age (alcoholics were older than cocaine addicts; t = 12.2, p = .001), employment (the alcoholic group had more labor problems; χ2 = 6.2, p = .045) and family consequences (worse in alcoholics; t = 2.3, p = .025). The EuropASI results showed statistically significant differences in addiction severity, with alcoholics showing a greater severity than cocaine addicts. In terms of psychopathology, alcoholics presented more associated symptomatology than cocaine addicts. According to these results, patients with alcohol dependence have a different profile from patients with cocaine dependence, resulting in different repercussions for important areas of their lives. These differences should be taken into account when standard treatments for addiction are implemented.

Keywords

drug addictionalcoholismcocaine abuseassessmentclinical differences
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 18 , 2015 , E2
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statitical Manual: Mental Disorders (4th Ed. Rev.). Washington, DC: APA.Google Scholar
Araque, F., De los Riscos, M., De la Casa, L., & López-Torrecillas, F. (2004). Trastornos de personalidad: Una comparación entre consumidores de heroína, cocaína y alcohol [Personality disorders: A comparison between patients addicted to heroin, cocaine and alcohol]. Revista Española de Drogodependencias, 29, 224–237.Google Scholar
Arias, F., Szerman, N., Vega, P., Mesías, B., Basurte, I., Morant, C., … Babín, F. (2013). Estudio Madrid sobre prevalencia y características de los pacientes con patología dual en tratamiento en las redes de salud mental y de atención al drogodependiente [Madrid study on the prevalence and characteristics of outpatients with dual pathology in community mental health and substance misuse services]. Adicciones, 25, 118–127.Google Scholar
Arteaga, A., Fernández-Montalvo, J., & López-Goñi, J. J. (2012). Diferencias en variables de personalidad en sujetos adictos a drogas con y sin conductas violentas contra la pareja [Differences in personality variables in drug-addicted patients with and without intimate partner violence]. Acción Psicológica, 9, 19–32.Google Scholar
Asociación Proyecto Hombre. (2013). Informe 2012. Observatorio Proyecto Hombre sobre el perfil del drogodependiente [Report 2012. Observatory Proyecto Hombre on the profile of drug addicts]. Madrid, Spain: Autor.Google Scholar
Bobes, J., Bascarán, M. T., Bobes-Bascarán, M. T., Carballo, J. L., Díaz, E. M., Flórez, G., … Sáiz, P. A. (2008). Valoración de la gravedad de la adicción: Aplicación a la gestión clínica y monitorización de los tratamientos [Assessment of the severity of addition: Application to clinical management and treatment monitoring]. Barcelona, Spain: Socidrogalcohol.Google Scholar
Bobes, J., González, M. P., Saiz, P. A., & Bousoño, M. (1996). Índice europeo de severidad de la adicción: EuropASI. Versión española [European index of severity of addiction: EuropASI. Spanish version]. In Actas de la IV Reunión Interregional de Psiquiatría (pp. 201–218). Gijón, Spain.Google Scholar
Bodin, M. C., & Romelsjo, A. (2007). Secondary outcomes: Group and individual change and relationships to drinking outcomes. Addiction Research & Theory, 15, 587–599. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/16066350701433282 Google Scholar
Bravo de Medina, R., Echeburúa, E., & Aizpiri, J. (2007). Características psicopatológicas y dimensiones de personalidad en los pacientes dependientes del alcohol: Un estudio comparativo [Psychopathological symptoms and personality traits in alcohol-dependent patients: A comparative study]. Adicciones, 19, 373–381.Google Scholar
Derogatis, L. R. (1992). The SCL-90-R. Baltimore, MD: Clinical Psychometric Research.Google Scholar
Echeburúa, E., Bravo de Medina, R., & Aizpiri, J. (2008). Variables de personalidad, alteraciones psicopatológicas y trastornos de personalidad en pacientes con dependencia de alcohol en función de la tipología de Cloninger [Personality variables, psychopathological alterations and personality disorders in alcohol-dependent patients according to Cloninger's typology of alcohol abuse]. Psicothema, 20, 525–530.Google Scholar
Fernández-Montalvo, J., & López-Goñi, J. J. (2010). Comparison of completers and dropouts in psychological treatment for cocaine addiction. Addiction Research & Theory, 18, 433–441. http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/16066350903324826 Google Scholar
Fernández-Montalvo, J., López-Goñi, J. J., & Arteaga, A. (2012a). Prevalence of pathological gambling in treatment-seeking addicted patients: An exploratory study with the South Oaks gambling screen. Anales de Psicología, 28, 344–349. http://dx.doi.org/10.6018/analesps.28.2.147611 Google Scholar
Fernández-Montalvo, J., López-Goñi, J. J., & Arteaga, A. (2012b). Violent behaviors in drug addiction: Differential profiles of drug-addicted patients with and without violence problems. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 27, 142–157. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0886260511416475 Google Scholar
Fernández-Montalvo, J., López-Goñi, J. J., Arteaga, A., & Cacho, R. (2013). Criminological profile of patients in addiction treatment. Adicciones, 25, 146–155.Google Scholar
Fernández-Montalvo, J., López-Goñi, J. J., Azanza, P., & Cacho, R. (2014). Gender differences in drug-addicted patients in clinical treatment center of Spain. American Journal on Addictions, 23, 399–406. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1521-0391.2013.12117.x Google Scholar
Fernández-Montalvo, J., López-Goñi, J. J., Illescas, C., Landa, N., & Lorea, I. (2008). Evaluation of a therapeutic community treatment program: A long-term follow-up study in Spain. Substance Use & Misuse, 43, 1362–1377. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10826080801922231 Google Scholar
González de Rivera, J. L. (2002). Versión española del SCL-90-R [Spanish version of the SCL-90-R]. Madrid, Spain: TEA.Google Scholar
Hatton, J., Burton, A., Nash, H., Munn, E., Burgoyne, L., & Sheron, N. (2009). Drinking patterns, dependency and life-time drinking history in alcohol-related liver disease. Addiction, 104, 587–592. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2008.02493.x Google Scholar
Koeter, M. W. J., & Hartgers, C. (1997). European addiction severity index europasi. Cost a6. Preliminary procedure for the computation of the europasi composite scores. Amsterdam. The Netherlands: The Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research.Google Scholar
Kokkevi, A., & Hartgers, C. (1995). European adaptation of a multidimensional assessment instrument for drug and alcohol dependence. European Addiction Research, 1, 208–210. http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000259089 Google Scholar
Landa, N., Fernández-Montalvo, J., López-Goñi, J. J., & Lorea, I. (2006). Comorbilidad psicopatológica en el alcoholismo: Un estudio descriptivo [Psychopathological comorbidity in alcoholism: A descriptive study]. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 6, 253–269.Google Scholar
Lorea, I., Fernández-Montalvo, J., López-Goñi, J., & Landa, N. (2009). Adicción a la cocaína y trastornos de personalidad: Un estudio con el MCMI-II [Cocaine addiction and personality disorders: A study with the MCMI-II]. Adicciones, 21, 57–63.Google Scholar
López-Goñi, J. J., Fernández-Montalvo, J., & Arteaga, A. (2012a). Addiction treatment dropout: Exploring patients' characteristics. American Journal on Addictions, 21, 78–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1521-0391.2011.00188.x Google Scholar
López-Goñi, J. J., Fernández-Montalvo, J., & Arteaga, A. (2012b). Predictive validity of the EuropASI: Clinical diagnosis or composite scoring? Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 42, 392–399. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2011.09.011 Google Scholar
López-Goñi, J. J., Fernández-Montalvo, J., Menéndez, J. C., Yudego, F., García, A. R., & Esarte, S. (2010). Group and individual change in the treatment of drug addictions: A follow-up study in Therapeutic Communities. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 13, 906–913. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1138741600002559 Google Scholar
McKay, J. R., Van Horn, D., Rennert, L., Drapkin, M., Ivey, M., & Koppenhaver, J. (2013). Factors in sustained recovery from cocaine dependence. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 45, 163–172. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2013.02.007 Google Scholar
McLellan, A. T., Luborsky, L., Woody, G. E., & O´Brien, C. P. (1980). An improved diagnostic evaluation instrument for substance abuse patients: The addiction severity index. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 168, 26–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00005053-198001000-00006 Google Scholar
Millon, T. (1997). Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory- II (MCMI II). Minneapolis, MN: National Computer Systems.Google Scholar
Millon, T., & Ávila, A. (1998). Inventario Clínico Multiaxial de Millon (MCMI-II). Madrid, Spain: TEA Ediciones.Google Scholar
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2003). Preventing drug use among children and adolescents: A research-based guide for parents, educators, and community leaders. Maryland, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Google Scholar
Observatorio Español de la Droga y las Toxicomanías. (2011). Informe 2011. Situación y tendencias de los problemas de drogas en España [Report 2011. Status and trends of drug problems in Spain]. Madrid, Spain: Ministerio de Sanidad.Google Scholar
Secades, R., & Fernández-Hermida, J. R. (2003). Guía de tratamientos psicológicos eficaces para la drogadicción: Alcohol, cocaína y heroína [Guide effective psychological treatments for drug addiction: Alcohol, cocaine and heroin]. In Pérez, M., Fernández-Hermida, J. R., Fernández, C. & Amigo, I. (Eds.), Guía de tratamientos psicológicos eficaces I [Guide effective psychological treatments I] (pp. 107–139). Madrid, Spain: Pirámide.Google Scholar
Sánchez-Hervás, E., Tomás, V., & Morales, E. (2001). Evaluación psicopatológica en dependientes al alcohol, heroína y cocaína mediante el Brief Symptom Inventory [Psychophatological evaluation in alcohol, heroin and cocaine dependents through Brief Symptom Inventory]. Adicciones, 13, 61–66.Google Scholar
Tryon, G. S., & Winograd, G. (2011). Goal consensus and collaboration. Psychotherapy, 48, 50–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0022061 Google Scholar