A test of the voluntarism hypothesis among nonvolunteering opiate addicts who voluntarily return to treatment.

Research on the voluntarism hypothesis, which holds that self-reported psychopathology is greater on MMPI clinical scales among addicts who enter treatment on their own volition than among those who do not, has been plagued by differences in treatment settings, types of voluntarism, and lack of experimental designs. Experimental design deficiencies were corrected in the present study, where MMPI scores of 20 former nonvolunteering addicts who voluntarily returned for treatment were compared with 20 matched addicts who had volunteered on both 1st and 2nd admissions. The voluntarism hypothesis was supported. Former nonvolunteers evidenced significantly higher MMPI scores on 2nd admission for scales F, Mf, Pt, Sc, and Si. Volunteers did not significantly differ between 1st and 2nd admissions. Findings underscore the necessity for continuing to improve methods in addiction research. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

MMPI differences between alcoholics and drug abusers: Effect of age and race.

Inpatients in Veterans Administration substance-abuse treatment programs voluntarily took the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) as part of a routine clinical evaluation. The alcohol-dependence-only group (n?=?207) were older (M?=?49.6 years) and had a higher percentage of White Ss (72.9%) than did either the drug-dependence group (n?=?49, M?=?32.9 years, Whites?=?53.1%) or a mixed alcohol- and drug-dependence group (n?=?160, M?=?35.0 years, Whites?=?60.0%). Previously reported differences between alcoholics and drug abusers in depression and psychopathy were obtained when age and race were not used as covariates, but no differences were found when the effects of age and race were statistically controlled. Mixed alcohol and drug abusers had somewhat more pathological MMPI scores than did alcoholics, even when effects due to age and race were partialed out. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differences in MMPI scores of Black and White compulsive heroin users.

Investigated the question of racial bias in the MMPI by comparing responses of 252 Black and 120 White compulsive heroin users on both (a) empirically derived validity and clinical scales and (b) intuitively constructed content scales. Ss were male veterans admitted to a drug treatment program at a VA Hospital. In both univariate and multivariate ANOVAs and covariance of individual scales and overall profiles, Black users differed significantly from White users; the direction of differences was opposite to that reported for Blacks in previous studies of normal and psychiatric samples. Blacks scored significantly lower on 6 clinical scales (i.e., Infrequency, Depression, Psychopathic Deviate, Psychasthenia, Schizophrenia, and Social Introversion) when profile validity and the covariates age, intelligence, and socioeconomic status were both controlled and uncontrolled. On content scales, Whites displayed greater personality disturbance in Social Maladjustment and Family Problems, whereas Blacks obtained higher scores on Feminine Interests and Phobias. Results show that methodologically the question of a Black bias in the MMPI awaits additional information about the interaction of ethnicity with clinical samples; substantively, the results refute the assumption of personality trait communality among compulsive heroin users and suggest that ethnicity is an influential S background characteristic by which subgroups of heroin users might be identified. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Twelve-Week Outcomes From an Investigation of High-Dose Nicotine Patch Therapy for Heavy Smokers With a Past History of Alcohol Dependence.

This study reports findings from an investigation of the efficacy of high-dose nicotine patch (NP) therapy for heavy smokers with a past history of alcohol dependence. One hundred thirty participants were randomly assigned to 42 mg or 21 mg of transdermal nicotine for 4 weeks, followed by an 8-week dose titration. Follow-up assessments were conducted at 4 and 12 weeks. Differences between dose conditions were nonsignificant, although unexpectedly, outcomes favored participants in the 21-mg NP condition. Nicotine abstinence at follow-up was related to longer length of alcohol abstinence at time of enrollment. Future research should investigate ways to improve smoking quit rates in this population, including more frequent counseling sessions and/or other pharmacotherapies. These investigations should focus primarily on smokers in early alcohol recovery. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contracting for treatment termination to reduce illicit drug use among methadone maintenance treatment failures.

Evaluated the effectiveness of a contingency contracting intervention on reducing illicit drug use by 21 25–60 yr old male methadone maintenance patients selected on the basis of positive urinalysis results during a 60-day baseline. The intervention consisted of a 30-day contract, which stated that Ss would continue to receive a specified dosage of methadone, would not be asked to leave the program or detoxify, and would not use illicit drugs during the contract period. Illicit drug use was significantly reduced during the 30-day intervention and remained below baseline levels during a 60-day follow-up. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

MMPI alcoholic subtypes: Replicability and validity of the 2-8-7-4 subtype.

An empirical examination of previous alcoholism classifications that have used the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory reveals that one particular subtype emerges with considerable convergence. This article describes this subtype and outlines some of its implications for alcoholism theory and research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An MMPI comparison of polydrug and heroin abusers.

Researchers recently have resurrected the relevance of the addiction-prone personality hypothesis for explaining drug abuse by faulting previous studies for failing to control non-drug-related S background characteristics. This notion was tested by comparing MMPI clinical and content scores of 122 polydrug and 132 heroin abusers under conditions in which covariates were controlled and not controlled. The covariates age, education, socioeconomic status, and admission status interacted significantly but did not change results. Polydrug abusers consistently scored higher than heroin users on clinical scales, but differences for multivariate ANOVAs and analyses of covariance were either not significant or not large enough to be clinically meaningful. The variety of personality types found for both heroin and polydrug abusers is interpreted as refuting the notion that one personality type is addiction-prone. Contributions of personality to drug abuse remain suspected but as yet unspecified. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality differences of volunteer and nonvolunteer heroin and nonheroin drug users.

Assessed effects of volunteering on investigations of drug abuse. MMPI profiles of 4 matched groups of 34 Ss each entering a drug-treatment program were compared: (a) heroin-using volunteers, (b) nonheroin drug-taking volunteers, (c) heroin-using nonvolunteers, and (d) nonheroin drug-taking nonvolunteers. All Ss were male, White, and 24 yrs of age. Volunteering heroin users and nonheroin drug users evidenced heightened disturbance in all aspects of adjustment as compared with heroin and nonheroin drug-using nonvolunteers. Control of voluntarism minimized differences between volunteer heroin users and nonheroin users but not between nonvolunteer heroin users and nonheroin drug users. Results do not support interpretations that predisposing personality features contribute to compulsive drug use. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

High-dose therapy with fluconazole > or = 800 mg day-1

Fluconazole dosages greater than 800 mg day-1 have been reported in about 900 patients treated for candidemia, oropharyngeal candidiasis and cryptococcal meningitis in HIV-infected patients, and for initial therapy of endemic mycoses. In patients with life-threatening infections caused by Candida spp., Cryptococcus neoformans and Coccidioides immitis, results of a limited number of dose-finding trials with non-neutropenic and HIV-infected patients show dose-dependent responses. These study results indicate that higher daily doses of fluconazole than are currently approved for these indications are well tolerated and tend to provide better clinical efficacy in selected patient populations. An excellent safety profile of dosages up to 2000 mg day-1 and linear predictable pharmacokinetics up to 1600 mg day-1 appear to justify further clinical investigations to better determine the optimum dosage and duration of treatment.     

Interpersonal problems of Vietnam combat veterans with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder.

274 male veterans seeking treatment for substance abuse were divided on the basis of combat experience and DSM-III criteria of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Ss with evidence of PTSD were compared with a non-PTSD group of Vietnam combat veterans and a noncombat group of Vietnam-era veterans on measures of specific interpersonal problems using the Horowitz Interpersonal Problem Inventory, traditional measures of family and social adjustment, and the MMPI. The PTSD group scored significantly higher on clusters of problems dealing with intimacy and sociability than did either of the comparison groups. PTSD Ss also scored higher on the MMPI scales of Paranoia, Psychopathic Deviate, Social Introversion, Social Maladjustment, Family Problems, and Manifest Hostility, but did not differ from other groups on Family Environment Scale variables. Results, which were not attributable to premilitary adjustment differences or to confounding demographic variables, are compared to previous studies, and research questions that remain outstanding are discussed. (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)