Morgana Scheffer

Dependência de Álcool, Cocaína e Crack e Transtornos Psiquiátricos

This study investigated the frequency of psychiatric disorders in two groups of drug users, cocaine/crack and alcohol/cocaine/crack, by means of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I Plus). The participants, 32 men, had an average age of 27.65 (SD=7.38) years. Most of them had not completed Fundamental School (34.37%), were single (81.25 %) and reported a family history of alcohol consumption (76.5% - cocaine/crack; 53.3% - alcohol/ cocaine/crack). On average, the time of abstinence was 33.05 (SD=19.52) days. The results showed a high frequency of Mood Disorders in both groups. Although the difference was not statistically significant, the alcohol/cocaine/crack group presented, additionally, high frequency of Personality Disorder, suggesting the need of a distinct treatment for that population.

Álcool e violência em homens e mulheres

The abuse of alcohol can engender serious public health problems in certain people, particularly due to its link to violence involving both men and women. This article has the aim to discuss the impact of alcohol in men and women regarding neurobiological mechanisms, emphasizing its psychoactive effects as well as its implication for violent behavior. An analysis was conduct based on reviews and articles in electronic databases, selected from 1996 to 2008 at Scielo, Lilacs, MEDLINE, Pub Med and Web of Science. From a total of 420 selected articles 90 were considered relevant for this analysis. It was evident that the abuse of alcohol causes changes in neurochemistry and in cognitive functions, and some of those changes lead to violent behavior in men and women. However, there are important differences between both genders and the type of aggressive behavior expressed. Studies on this topic are still rare and more research is necessary in order to develop better diagnostic tools and favor relevant neurobiological mechanisms for more effective treatments.

Ideação suicida, resolução de problemas, expressão de raiva e impulsividade em dependentes de substâncias psicoativas

This study aimed to compare men with substance use disorders and those who are no addicted/non-dependent on drugs in terms of their executive functions, emotional and behavioral expressions giving particular emphasis on the presence of suicidal ideation. The sample consisted of 25 individuals with substance use disorders and 25 non-dependent individuals. The data collection consisted of a questionnaire including sociodemographic and health data, the Diagnostic Interview (MINI-Plus), the Anger Expression Inventory - State and Trait (STAXI), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (I-BIS11), the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSI). The data revealed that the substance dependent individuals showed no significant cognitive impairment, fact that does not math with the literature. However, they presented alterations with respect to impulsivity and expression of anger.