A stress-coping profile of opioid dependent individuals entering naltrexone treatment: a comparison with healthy controls.
BACKGROUND
Stress is known to increase addiction vulnerability and risk of relapse to substance use. PURPOSE & METHOD: We compared opioid dependent individuals entering naltrexone treatment (n = 57) with healthy controls (n = 75) on measures of stress, coping, and social support and examined the relative contribution of group membership, coping, and social support to stress within the sample. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) and covariance (ANCOVA), and stepwise multiple regression were conducted.


RESULTS
Compared with controls, opioid dependent subjects reported greater stress, less use of adaptive coping, but comparable use of maladaptive/avoidant coping. No group differences were found with respect to social support. Perceived stress was predicted by group membership, low social support, and greater use of maladaptive/avoidant coping, and the prediction by social support and maladaptive/avoidant coping did not differ by group.


CONCLUSIONS
Opioid dependent individuals entering naltrexone treatment experience higher levels of stress and report less use of adaptive coping strategies when compared with controls. Group membership, maladaptive/avoidant coping, and social support independently contribute to perceived stress. Findings suggest that novel treatment approaches that decrease maladaptive/avoidant coping and improve social support are important aspects of decreasing stress during early recovery from opioid addiction.
Hyman
Scott M
SM
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT 06519, USA. scott.hyman@yale.edu
Hong
Kwang-Ik A
KI
Chaplin
Tara M
TM
Dabre
Zubaida
Z
Comegys
Allison D
AD
Kimmerling
Anne
A
Sinha
Rajita
R
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D018579:Patient Selection; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012649:Self Concept; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009271:Naltrexone