Changes in locus-of-control attitudes about drug misuse in a self-help group in a methadone maintenance clinic

Int J Addict. 1995 May;30(6):765-78. doi: 10.3109/10826089509048758.

Abstract

Clients of a methadone-maintenance clinic in Brooklyn, New York participating in a clinically-guided self-help (CGSH) program plus standard treatment (methadone maintenance plus individual counseling) demonstrated statistically significant changes in locus-of-control beliefs, from external to internal causation, about personal responsibility for drug misuse. Members of two control groups--one participating in a didactic lecture program plus standard treatment and the other receiving only standard treatment--failed to demonstrate similar changes. This increase in internal locus of control in the CGSH group suggests the potential efficacy of CGSH as a relapse-prevention therapeutic technique.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / prevention & control
  • Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / psychology
  • Adult
  • Attitude to Health*
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Female
  • Heroin Dependence / psychology
  • Heroin Dependence / rehabilitation*
  • Humans
  • Internal-External Control*
  • Male
  • Methadone / therapeutic use*
  • New York City
  • Patient Education as Topic
  • Psychotherapy
  • Self-Help Groups*
  • Substance Abuse Treatment Centers
  • Urban Population*

Substances

  • Methadone