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Publication
Alexitimia e dependência de substâncias psicoativas em consumidores de longa duração
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| Alexitimia e dependência de substâncias psicoativas em consumidores de longa duração | 841.92 KB | Adobe PDF |
Authors
Ferreira, Catarina Rafaela Neto
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Em Portugal, o envelhecimento de consumidores de longa duração de substâncias psicoativas e a sua possível (re)inserção social ainda parecem ser pouco merecedoras de discussão. Ainda mais quando o foco é em consumidores envelhecidos precocemente devido aos consumos e que apresentam alexitimia associada. Esta perturbação é caracterizada pela dificuldade em identificar e descrever sentimentos e emoções bem como a presença de pensamento orientado para o exterior, dificultando uma intervenção adequada com esta população. O presente estudo apresenta como objetivo geral avaliar a capacidade de processamento emocional em adultos consumidores de longa duração de substâncias psicoativas com recurso à seleção de memórias significativas, bem como refletir e orientar a prática dos profissionais tendo em conta a perturbação da alexitimia e as suas implicações. Numa 1ª fase, recorreu-se a uma metodologia quantitativa, através da aplicação da Escala da Alexitimia de Toronto (TAS-20) e de um Questionário de Caracterização Sociodemográfica e relativo ao Histórico de Consumo de Substâncias a uma amostra de 118 indivíduos em tratamento em uma das respostas disponibilizadas pelo Serviço de Intervenção nos Comportamentos Aditivos e nas Dependências - SICAD. Após a análise dos resultados desta fase, foram selecionados aqueles indivíduos considerados alexitímicos (score total da TAS-20 superior a 61) para responderem a uma Entrevista de Reconhecimento de Emoções Faciais. Do total de 26 indivíduos que integraram esta 2ª fase, constatou-se no discurso destes uma maior referência a acontecimentos significativos negativos. Igualmente, verificou-se um maior recurso ao pensamento concreto, apresentando-se este em maior evidência nos participantes do sexo feminino, no grupo etário dos 50 ou mais anos, nos policonsumidores, nos participantes cujo primeiro consumo foi entre os 11 e os 15 anos, nos que se encontram em tratamento num Centro de Resposta Integrada e se encontram em tratamento há menos de 1 ano. De um modo geral, constata-se que apesar dos participantes conseguirem identificar as emoções, embora de uma forma vaga, revelam dificuldades em descrevê-las bem como as situações que as espoletaram, apresentando um pensamento muito concreto e orientado para o exterior, com recurso essencialmente a experiências emocionais negativas. Estes resultados apontam a importância de se refletir sobre as práticas profissionais do trabalho em Serviço Social Gerontológico no âmbito das emoções e das experiências emocionais na (re)inserção e tratamento de indivíduos consumidores de longa duração e com alexitimia associada.
In Portugal, the ageing of long-term users of psychoactive substances and their possible social (re)integration have received a small amount of attention. This is even more evident when the focus relies on prematurely aged consumers who present associated alexithymia. This disorder is characterized by the presence of difficulties in identifying and describing feelings and emotions, and by the presence of a concrete thinking style that is focused on external events, which hampers an adequate intervention. The present study has the major goal of assessing the emotional processing ability of older adults who have a long lasting pattern of psychoactive substance use; it relies on an approach that focuses on the selection of significant memories, and intends to provide a reflection on social practice bearing in mind the implications of alexithymia. In a first step, the project relies on a quantitative study that uses the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and a Questionnaire of Sociodemographic Characterization and Substance Consumption History. These were applied to a sample comprising 118 subjects who were outpatients of a network of services delivered by SICAD (Intervention Services for Addictive Behaviours and Dependence). A second step considers a sub-sample of subjects who were categorized as having “alexithymia” based on TAS-20 cut offs (i.e., total score higher than 61) and who answered a set of questions – Interview for Facial Emotions Recognition (qualitative study). From a total of 26 subjects who integrated this second phase, there could be observed a great report of negative significant events along with a high use of concrete thoughts, which were found to be more common in female subjects, those aged 50 and plus, polyconsumers, subjects whose first consumption occurred when they were aged between 11 and 15 years old, those attending “Integrated Response Centres”, and in those consumers who were under treatment for less than a year. In overall, results show that although most participants were found to be able to (vaguely) identify emotions, they revealed great difficulties in their description and in reporting the situations that have triggered them. Moreover, they presented a very concrete thinking style, focused on external events, and mostly related to emotionally negative experiences. These results highlight the importance of paying greater attention to the professional practices within Gerontological Social Service in what concerns working on emotions and emotional experiences during the (re)integration and treatment of long term psychoactive substance users with coexistent alexithymia.
In Portugal, the ageing of long-term users of psychoactive substances and their possible social (re)integration have received a small amount of attention. This is even more evident when the focus relies on prematurely aged consumers who present associated alexithymia. This disorder is characterized by the presence of difficulties in identifying and describing feelings and emotions, and by the presence of a concrete thinking style that is focused on external events, which hampers an adequate intervention. The present study has the major goal of assessing the emotional processing ability of older adults who have a long lasting pattern of psychoactive substance use; it relies on an approach that focuses on the selection of significant memories, and intends to provide a reflection on social practice bearing in mind the implications of alexithymia. In a first step, the project relies on a quantitative study that uses the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and a Questionnaire of Sociodemographic Characterization and Substance Consumption History. These were applied to a sample comprising 118 subjects who were outpatients of a network of services delivered by SICAD (Intervention Services for Addictive Behaviours and Dependence). A second step considers a sub-sample of subjects who were categorized as having “alexithymia” based on TAS-20 cut offs (i.e., total score higher than 61) and who answered a set of questions – Interview for Facial Emotions Recognition (qualitative study). From a total of 26 subjects who integrated this second phase, there could be observed a great report of negative significant events along with a high use of concrete thoughts, which were found to be more common in female subjects, those aged 50 and plus, polyconsumers, subjects whose first consumption occurred when they were aged between 11 and 15 years old, those attending “Integrated Response Centres”, and in those consumers who were under treatment for less than a year. In overall, results show that although most participants were found to be able to (vaguely) identify emotions, they revealed great difficulties in their description and in reporting the situations that have triggered them. Moreover, they presented a very concrete thinking style, focused on external events, and mostly related to emotionally negative experiences. These results highlight the importance of paying greater attention to the professional practices within Gerontological Social Service in what concerns working on emotions and emotional experiences during the (re)integration and treatment of long term psychoactive substance users with coexistent alexithymia.
Description
Keywords
Alexitimia Consumidores de longa duração Envelhecimento precoce Dependência de substâncias psicoativas