Page 101 - PhD GT

One of the hypotheses in the present study refers to the rate and course of the extinction of dependence if it is found to occur, the influence of severity of dependence and the role of coping behaviours. If it is the case that dependence, being different from the neuroadapted state, does not immediately disappear in the event of cessation of use, it should be possible to detect it during a period of abstinence. For the purpose of the present study it was necessary to measure dependence during abstinence in order to be able to examine the hypotheses. The LDQ was thought to be capable of such measurement and a small scale study was conducted in order to investigate this question.
4.4.1 Study 2: Method
A sample of 45 people who had been abstinent for lengths of time varying from two days to 34 years was recruited through a variety of sources (Sample 2, see section 4.1.2). Respondents were asked for their consent to be interviewed and to complete a questionnaire about dependence. They were then asked which was the primary drug of misuse from which they were abstinent, with the exception of the two abstinent ex-smokers who were specifically recruited on the grounds that they had given up smoking cigarettes. They were asked to give their responses in relation to cigarettes. Other respondents were asked to give responses with reference to the drug they had named. They were asked to complete the LDQ and then asked for any comments they had. Recruitment and interviews were conducted by the author.
4.4.2 Study 2: Results
The raw data are presented in Appendix 2 in order to illustrate the diversity of the responses in abstinent individuals. Item 7: ‘Do you feel you have to carry on drinking once you have started?’ is the most frequently endorsed response with the highest individual scores overall. Item 4: ‘Do you plan your day around getting and taking drink or drugs?’ could be said to be the item most sensitive to abstinence in that this item was endorsed with the lowest frequency scores. Nonetheless, 13 individuals responded positively (Sometimes or more) with 3 individuals responding with Nearly Always to this item.
Mean total LDQ score for this sample was 8.9 (SD = 7.6). In order to examine responses to the LDQ more closely, those respondents who had been abstinent for 30 days or more (n = 22) were separately identified; the reason for this is that on the occasion of this small study, respondents were instructed to think about the past month. Mean total LDQ score for those who had been abstinent for 30 days or more was 5.7. The highest individual item mean for this group was for items 7 and 8
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