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Psychotic and cognitive symptoms associated to treatment seeking behavior: a qualitative study

During the last few decades it is aimed to better understand the process underlying treatment seeking behavior by harmful or dependent psychoactive substances users. The currently proposed models are mainly based on the epidemiological analysis of certain number of individual characteristics, as they have the power to influence this behavior of readiness for treatment. OBJECTIVES: To interpret and understand possible personal meanings associated with psychopathological disorders and how they can be related to treatment seeking behavior, as described by the patients themselves. METHOD: Qualitative study conducted on an intentional sample of 13 substance dependents seeking for formal treatment; in-depth semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: The participants spontaneously reported: shape, course and content thought disturbances and sense of reality, sensory perception disorders, and attention, memory and language deficits. The sample's participants seemed to relate these disorders to the treatment seeking motivations. The data were interpreted considering the interviewees' psycho-cultural context their clinical presentations (dependence or withdrawal syndromes and comorbidities). CONCLUSIONS: Qualitative research contribute to improve current models of substance dependents' treatment seeking behavior. The clinical investigation of psychopathologic disorders seem to motivate patients to specific treatments of dysfunctional use of substances.

Substance-related disorders; alcohol-related disorders; patient acceptance of health care; psychopathology


Instituto de Psiquiatria da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Av. Venceslau Brás, 71 Fundos, 22295-140 Rio de Janeiro - RJ Brasil, Tel./Fax: (55 21) 3873-5510 - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brazil
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