Drug-dependent women: demographic and clinical characteristics in a Brazilian sample

This study compared baseline demographics, clinical characteristics and patterns of substance use of 99 substance misusing women seeking treatment in a Brazilian hospital who had been diagnosed with drug dependence (alcohol dependence, if present, was not the most important) against 162 women diagnosed with alcohol dependence. Most of the drug-dependent women in this study were dependent on cocaine (73.7%). It was found that drug-dependent women, at entry, were younger, with a higher educational level, single or lived alone, and had a job outside home more often than alcoholics; they also had less alcohol-use related problems in the family and more relatives with problems with other drugs. They sought treatment mainly by self-initiative and reported more past suicide attempts than their alcoholic counterparts. In addition, they began drug use at the same age but increased drug use, as well as seeking treatment, significantly earlier. Alcoholics had more psychiatric comorbidity. The findings point out heterogeneity among chemically-dependent Brazilian women.     

Gender Differences in Treatment-Seeking Brazilian Drug-Dependent Individuals

The authors compared 66 women and 66 men entering an outpatient treatment for drug dependence, focussing on demographics, progression of dependence, and other associated clinical features. Most of the subjects were dependent on cocaine (75%). Women, as compared with men, had a higher level of education, were more likely to have migrated from other places to the city of Sao Paulo, to report past suicide attempts, and to have first-degree relatives with alcohol problems. There were no gender differences regarding the total time of drug use, baseline severity of dependence, and rates of concurrent psychiatric comorbidity. Clinicians working with drug-dependent women should note the high rates of suicidal behavior in this population, and should explore, besides psychiatric status, risk factors such as impulsive temperament traits. It should also be noted that higher rates of alcohol problems in women's family background pose challenges for the development of effective preventive and treatment strategies.     

Body checking and avoidance in low weight and weight restored individuals with anorexia nervosa and non-clinical females

Body dissatisfaction (BD) is central to the development, maintenance and relapse of anorexia nervosa (AN). BD has been conceptualized as a multi-dimensional construct incorporating behaviours, cognitions and affect, yet little is known about the impact of weight and disordered eating on these aspects. 56 ‘below DSM-IV weight criteria for AN’ (< BMI 17.5 kg/m²) and 44 ‘above DSM-IV weight criteria for AN’ (> BMI 17.5 kg/m²) individuals currently receiving treatment for an eating disorder, and 60 non-eating disordered females completed the Body Checking Scale, Body Image Avoidance Questionnaire and the Body Image Anxiety Questionnaire. As expected, females diagnosed with AN showed significantly more behavioural and affective body dissatisfaction than the control group. Patients at lower weights showed significantly more avoidance behaviours and less body image anxiety than those with anorexia at higher weights. No difference was seen in checking behaviours between these groups. Weight based differences in avoidance behaviours continued to exist even when the effects of anxiety were controlled for. Affective and behavioural aspects of BD should be considered in clinical practice at all stages of treatment.     

Study on therapeutic effect of compound decoction of comcide in treating withdrawal reaction of heroin dependent rhesuses

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