International Journal of High Risk Behaviors and Addiction

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https://repository.brieflands.com/handle/123456789/35697

In Collaboration with Zahedan University of Medical Sciences

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International Journal of High Risk Behaviors and Addiction is an authentic clinical journal whose content is devoted to the particular compilation of the latest worldwide and interdisciplinary approaches and findings, including original manuscripts, meta-analyses and reviews, health economic papers, debates, and consensus statements of the clinical relevance of Risky behaviors and addiction. In addition, consensus evidential reports highlight the new observations, original research, and results accompanied by innovative treatments and all the other relevant topics and include highlighting disease mechanisms or important clinical observations and letters on articles published in this journal.

Aim & Scope:

Major Fields:
- High-risk behaviors
- Addiction
Minor Scopes:
- Smoking Consumption
- Alcohol consumption
- Substance abuse
- Unsafe sexual behavior
- Obesity and unhealthy eating habits
- Physical inactivity
- Violence
- Suicidal behavior and self-injurious behaviors

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Prediction of Addiction Tendency in People Who Quit Addiction Based on Psychological Capital, Coping Strategies, and Mental Toughness
(Brieflands, 2024-12-31) Alireza Babajafari Esfandabadi; Majid Azizi; Maryam Hosseini
Background: Addiction tendencies have become increasingly common due to various factors, including mental health issues, curiosity, lack of willpower, the desire to escape from a monotonous life, therapeutic motives, and abnormal personality traits. Objectives: This study aims to predict addiction tendencies based on psychological capital, mental toughness, and coping strategies. The statistical population consists of all drug addicts who visited addiction treatment centers in Shiraz in 2021, with a sample size of 150 participants. Patients and Methods: This research follows a correlational design. A questionnaire assessing addiction tendencies, psychological capital, mental toughness, and coping strategies was used. The collected data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics, with hypotheses tested using Pearson's correlation coefficient and regression analysis. Results: The results indicated that, among the components of psychological capital, optimism and flexibility significantly and negatively predicted addiction tendencies, while hope was not a significant predictor. Additionally, mental toughness was found to negatively and significantly predict addiction tendencies. Among coping strategies, problem-oriented coping predicted addiction tendencies negatively and significantly, while emotion-oriented coping predicted addiction tendencies positively and significantly. However, avoidance-based coping did not significantly predict addiction tendencies. Conclusions: The results support the hypothesis that there is a significant negative relationship between psychological capital dimensions, problem-oriented coping strategies, and mental toughness with addiction tendencies. Conversely, emotion-oriented and avoidance coping strategies showed a positive relationship with addiction tendencies. Therefore, teaching mental toughness and psychological capital skills can improve functional abilities and ultimately reduce addiction-related problems.
Prevalence of Child Abuse and Correlations with Family Factors Among Elementary School-aged Children
(Brieflands, 2021-06-30) Raheleh Rafaiee; Fahimeh Mohseni; Nafiseh Akbarian
Background: Child abuse is a significant health and social problem. Different social and family factors have effects on child abuse. Objectives: This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of child abuse in three domains of physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect among a sample of elementary school children in Iran. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 400 elementary school children were selected through multistage cluster sampling from Shahroud, Iran, and assessed for all child abuse domains, except for sexual abuse, using a validated self-administered Persian questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed with SPSS, using descriptive statistics, t-test, chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and multiple linear regression analysis (P ≤ 0.05). Results: The mean age of the participants was 10.83 years (SD = 1.9). Overall, 63.8%, 27%, and 90.3% of children reported emotional abuse, physical abuse, and neglect, respectively. There were significant associations between the mother’s employment status and neglect (P < 0.001), father’s education and physical child abuse (P = 0.03), and father’s smoking and emotional child abuse (P < 0.001). The results showed that lower levels of family socioeconomic status had significant effects on neglect (P = 0.006) and emotional child abuse (P = 0.003). Conclusions: Among the studied children, 73.8% declared at least one type of child abuse. It seems that the prevalence of neglect increased among school-aged children compared to previous studies from Iran. The low socioeconomic status of the family is significantly related to child abuse. Family physicians and school counselors play important roles in identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect. Therefore, they should be more involved in the prevention of child abuse.
Family Factors Affecting Adolescent Violence: A Qualitative Content Analysis
(Brieflands, 2021-06-30) Ali Ramezankhani; Abouali Vedadhir; Fatemeh Alhani; Fatemeh Mohammadkhah
Background: Family and parents’ supervision and performance affect the proper socialization process of adolescents and their behavioral development. Therefore, this qualitative study was conducted to examine the family factors affecting violence in adolescents. Materials and Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using the conventional qualitative content analysis method in 2017 in Roodsar. Data saturation was obtained with 50 individuals using 4 questions. The data were collected using in-depth interviews with purposive sampling among female primary and secondary school students as the main participants of the study and their teachers and family as contributors. All interviews were recorded and then typed. Data analysis was done continuously and simultaneously by collecting data using Lundman and Graneheimm constant comparative method. Results: Data analysis was conducted using the conventional qualitative analysis method resulted in the extraction of 357 primary codes, 21 sub-sub-categories, 4 sub-categories, and one main category. At the end of this stage, the family factors affecting the violence of adolescents in the whole family provided insecurity to the adolescents, and an insecure family was defined according to the findings as follows: "a broken family with incorrect parenting practices and open borders that provide an insecure environment for the student and lead to violent behavior in adolescent". Conclusions: According to the results of this study family factors are related to adolescent violence. Regarding the independence of adolescents at this age and the role of other socializing formal and informal institutions that affect adolescent behavior, the strong and influential role of the family on adolescent behavior is quite obvious.
Translation of the Extended Addictive Features Section of the Ottawa Self-injury Inventory Version 3.1 in German
(Brieflands, 2022-03-31) Christopher Alan Lewis; Sarah Davis; Dagmar A. S. Corry; Sarah Demmrich
This article does not have an abstract.
Translation of the Extended Addictive Features Section of the Ottawa Self-injury Inventory Version 3.1 in German
(Brieflands, 2022-03-31) Christopher Alan Lewis; Sarah Davis; Dagmar A. S. Corry; Sarah Demmrich
This article does not have an abstract.
Gender Differences in the Effect of Resilience Training on Emotional Intelligence in At-Risk Students in Shiraz, Iran
(Brieflands, 2022-06-30) Hassan Joulaei; Faranak Fathi; Tayebeh Rakhshani; Mahin Nazari; Zahra Hosseinkhani; Maryam Fatemi; Zohre Foroozanfar
Background: Adolescence is one of the most important and challenging stages in life. psychological, cognitive and emotional changes during this period can expose adolescents to high risk behaviors. Objectives: The current study examined the effectiveness of resilience training on emotional intelligence (EI) and assessed gender differences in this regard among adolescents living in the outskirts of Shiraz, Iran. Methods: This pre-post study included 191 students and used an intervention consisting of nine resilience-training sessions. The evaluated outcomes were EI and its 15 components. The paired-samples and independent-samples t-tests were used to analyze the data. Results: Out of 191 students, 88 (46.1%) were boys. Before and after the intervention, the mean EI score for boys was 312.52 ± 37.79 and 327.31 ± 37.75, while for girls, it was 310.74 ± 30.05 and 312.20 ± 29.51, respectively. Following the intervention, the scores of boys in problem-solving (P = 0.007), happiness (P = 0.001), emotional self-awareness (P = 0.044), optimism (P = 0.029), self-regard (P = 0.046), impulse control (P = 0.013), and social responsibility (P = 0.042), as well as the total score of EI (P = 0.005), increased significantly. However, only the optimism score (P = 0.004) rose significantly in girls post-intervention. In addition, there were significant differences in the mean of problem-solving (P = 0.006), happiness (P = 0.001), impulse control (P = 0.042), and the total score (P = 0.035) between boys and girls, before and after the intervention. Conclusions: Resilience training may help moderate high-risk behaviors among adolescents living on the outskirts of Iran’s major cities, particularly boys. Based on the gender differences in EI components, it was suggested that female adolescents required significantly more attention. Nonetheless, gender differences in EI components were contentious, and it was concluded that a variety of factors, including the socio-cultural context, may be involved.
Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM Version II): A Psychometric Properties Analysis
(Brieflands, 2022-12-31) Mahin Eslami Shahrbabaki; Habibeh Ahmadipour; Narjes Yousefi; Parisa Divsalar
Background: Methadone or buprenorphine maintenance therapy is an effective treatment for opioid dependence. Since the satisfaction of patients under methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) plays an important role in their therapeutic success, it seems important to evaluate the satisfaction of methadone usage using multidimensional psychometric tools. Objectives: The current study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM) version II. Patients and Methods: This cross‑sectional study was carried out on 288 opioid-dependent patients of Shahid Beheshti MMT clinic in Kerman, Iran, selected using the convenience sampling method. The data were collected using a questionnaire containing the demographic characteristics of the participants and the Persian version of the TSQM version II containing 11 items in four subscales of effectiveness, side effects, convenience of use, and overall satisfaction. The sum of the scores of each subscale is displayed as a number from 0 to 100. The face and content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed. The construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The internal consistency and repeatability of the TSQM version II were determined using Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest methods, respectively. LISREL software (version 8.8) and SPSS software (version 20.0) were used to analyze the data. Results: The sample with the male majority of 85% had a mean age of 46.24 ± 11.5 years. As a measure of internal consistency, Cronbach’s alpha of the Persian version of the TSQM version II was 0.8. The repeatability of the questionnaire using the test-retest method was calculated at 0.9. The EFA revealed the adequacy of sampling and justifiability of the analysis (Kaiser‑Meyer‑Olkin = 0.82, P = 0.001, χ2 = 1507.02, df = 28). In CFA, the goodness of fit was at an appropriate level. Conclusions: The TSQM Persian version can be used as an effective and consistent tool to assess treatment satisfaction in clinical settings.
Repeated Intentional Swallowing of Foreign Objects by an Adolescent Girl (Case Report)
(Brieflands, 2023-04-09) Parisa Divsalar; Soudabehsadat Hosseini Mousa; Mehdi Hayatbakhsh Abbasi
Introduction: Intentional swallowing of foreign objects is a relatively rare psychopathological behavior. Adolescents and young adults may carry out this act to hurt themselves or even suicide. Often, most reports related to deliberate swallowing are typically either surgical or gastrointestinal and rarely are found in psychiatric articles; more often, the swallowed foreign objects (80 - 90%) are disposed of spontaneously, and 10 - 20% of them require endoscopy for more study and less than 1% of them need surgery to be removed or its complications. Case Presentation: The presented patient is a 17-year-old girl admitted to the psychosomatic ward of Afzalipour Hospital due to intentional poisoning. During the year before her admission, on three separate occasions, she detached the knife blade from its haft and swallowed it. She underwent laparotomy twice, one time for sigmoid tearing and damage to the left Ovary, to remove the knife and regeneration of the left ovary and sigmoid, and another time to remove the knife in order not to cause damage to her intestines. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case in the world in which an ovary has been damaged. Further investigation into her background shows some extent of privation due to her family's long-term economic problems and instability; moreover, sexual and physical abuse was also confirmed. The patient was prescribed clozapine, which decreased her suicidal behavior and attempts noticeably. Conclusions: Swallowing foreign bodies in this patient is interpreted as both self-punishment and punishing others (those who thought they were hurt or may be blamed for their despair or rejection). Intentional swallowing of foreign objects behavior is more resistant than other self-harming activities and may have a worse prognosis. Swallowing foreign objects requires a sophisticated process that, if not correctly managed, may result in serious complications; therefore, appropriate psychiatric counseling and supportive treatment are necessary for these patients. Specific to this patient eliminating the effects of suicide and reaching medical stability with a short admission was necessary. Her suicidal behavior and attempts decreased significantly after starting clozapine treatment. Therefore, clozapine treatment is recommended for patients with suicidal behavior and self-harm.
Stereological Analysis of the Brain in Methamphetamine Abusers Compared to the Controls
(Brieflands, 2017-12-31) Zahra Heidari; Hamidreza Mahmoudzadeh-Sagheb; Mansour Shakiba; Enam Alhagh Charkhat Gorgich
Background: Methamphetamine (MA) is an addictive and stimulant drug that its abuse causes psychological and cognitive symptoms. MA abuse can cause structural changes in the brain. Objectives: The current study aimed to evaluate stereological changes of the brains of MA abusers, compared to the controls. Patients and Methods: The current case-control study was conducted on magnetic resonance (MR) images from MA abusers and healthy controls (n = 10 in each group), in Zahedan, Iran. The convenience sampling method was employed to select the subjects. MR images of the brains of the 2 groups in frontal, coronal, and sagittal axes with 4-mm slide thickness and 0.5-mm intervals were acquired. Parameters including total volume (V) and volume density (Vv) of different parts of the brain were estimated based on the Cavalieri point counting stereological method. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney U-test were applied. The significance level was considered P < 0.05. Results: The results showed that the volume of the cerebellum, the volume and volume density of the ventricles, and gray matter volume and volume density, and the basal ganglia volume density in MA group was significantly smaller than those of the controls (P < 0.05). But, white matter volume and volume density in the MA abusers were significantly larger than those of the healthy subjects (P < 0.05). In addition, there were no significant differences between the total brain, the hippocampus, and the basal ganglia volumes between the 2 groups. Conclusions: According to the results of the current study, MA abuse can cause structural changes in the brain components. MR imaging by the stereological methods can be employed as a technique to determine the level of such damages in substance abusers.
Effectiveness of Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Emotion Regulation Training in Reducing Current Drug Craving and Drug-Use Thoughts and Fantasies in Opioid-Dependent Patients: The Issue of Precedence
(Brieflands, 2019-06-30) Behzad Rigi Kooteh; Nour-Mohammad Bakhshani; Masoud Nosratabadi; Behrooz Dolatshahi
Background: Craving is an important factor in predicting relapse in opioid-dependent patients. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine which combination therapy, including emotion regulation training followed by tDCS or tDCS followed by emotion regulation training, is more effective in reducing current drug craving and drug-use thoughts and fantasies in opioid-dependent patients in Zahedan, Iran. Patient and Methods: A quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design and two intervention groups was conducted. From eight randomly-selected centers, asample of 28 patients was selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. They were randomly divided into two intervention groups. The first group received eight sessions of tDCS, followed by eight sessions of emotion regulation training. The second group received eight sessions of emotion regulation training followed by eight sessions of tDCS. The statistical population included all opioid-dependent patients at medium-term residential drug rehabilitation centers in Zahedan, Iran, in 2018 - 2019. The data were gathered using the personal drug use questionnaire, the desires for drug questionnaire (DDQ), and the drug use thoughts, fantasies, and temptations questionnaire. All analyses were performed using SPSS-16. Results: The results of repeated measures ANOVA showed that both sequences had a significant, long-term effect on the reduction of current drug craving and drug-use thoughts and fantasies in opioid-dependent patients. In addition, emotion regulation training followed by tDCS was more effective in reducing current drug craving and drug-use thoughts and fantasies than tDCS followed by emotion regulation training. Conclusions: Combination therapy can significantly reduce drug craving in opioid-dependent patients and starting treatment with emotion regulation training followed by tDCS can lead to better results.
Pediatric Poisonings Due to Chemical Substances and Related Factors
(Brieflands, 2022-03-31) Noormohammad Noori; Tahereh Boryri; Alireza Teimouri; Sahar Safapour Moghadam
Background: Pediatric poisoning is a serious issue worldwide and a common cause of children's morbidity and mortality. Objectives: This work aimed to study pediatric poisonings due to chemical substances and their related factors. Patents and Methods: A seven-year retrospective cross-sectional study was performed on the poisoning of children equal to or less than 18 years of age who presented to the emergency ward in 2014. Data were analyzed using mean and SD for descriptive statistics and Pearson's chi-squared test for inferential statistics. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 20, considering 0.05 as a significant error when statistical tests were used. Results: Among poisoned children, boys were more in total, as well in all age groups except > 10 years. Age (χ2 = 22.494, P = 0.013), intentionally (χ2 = 32.176, P < 0.001) had a significant association with chemical substances. Among the demographic and socioeconomic features, none was associated with the type of chemical substances except age. Among the symptoms, all were associated with chemical poisoning substances except seizures. Of 114 with RDS, about 30.7% were poisoned by kerosene. Of 63 with low BP, 66.7%, 31.7%, and 1.6% were due to medicines, bites, and detergents, respectively, and from six children with high BP, all were due to toxins. Of 79 with low consciousness, 69.6% were due to medicines. Seventy children had fever, of which 55.7% were due to bites. Thirty-two had seizures that 46.9% and 18.8% were due to medicines and kerosene. Ninety-seven had vomiting and nausea, of which 32% and 30.9% were due to medicines and kerosene, respectively. Finally, 159 had low SPO2, of which 47.8%, 13.8%, and 20.1% were due to medicines, toxins, and kerosene, respectively. Conclusions: It was concluded that in poisoned children, boys were more but girls in self-poisoning, especially at older ages. Girls were poisoned more by medicinal and kerosene substances, but boys by bites, toxins, and detergents. All the poisoning symptoms were observed in medicinal substances and bites. Poisoning by kerosene more occurred in the cold months, and detergents and bite poisoning were more frequent in summer. There is a need for further, longer prospective studies to lead to preventing measures.
Reliability and Validity of the Persian Version of Amphetamine Cessation Symptom Assessment (ACSA) Questionnaire in Iran
(Brieflands, 2017-09-30) Yousef Khani; Saharnaz Nedjat; Mahshid Mojtahedzadeh Faghihi; Abolfazl Mollajan; Shahnaz Rimaz
Background:: Illegal use of psychotropic drugs has become a great problem around the world. Change in the traditional pattern of drug abuse to industrial drugs is one of the challenges faced today in Iran. Objectives:: The present study was performed to determine the reliability and validity of the Persian version of the amphetamine cessation symptom assessment (ACSA) questionnaire in patients of residential medical center in Alborz province of Iran. Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 106 patients accepted to participate from patients enrolled in the residential medical center of Alborz province. After the questionnaire was translated to Persian, face, content, and construct validity was assessed. Exploratory factor analysis and principal component analysis were used to assess the construct validity. Content validity index (CVI) was used to assess the content validity of the questionnaire. In order to determine the reliability of the questionnaire, internal consistency method with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used. The face validity step was based on the opinion of experts and patients that had just withdrew from the study and limited changes were inserted in the questionnaire. Results:: Content validity for the entire of questionnaire was 86.5% and for questions individually was 80% and higher. In factor analysis 3 acceptable factors with higher than 1 were identified that justified 65.81% of the entire variance. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the entire questionnaire was 84%, and also for the first, second, and third factor this was 91%, 77%, and 96%, respectively. Conclusions:: Results of this study showed that the questionnaire had appropriate reliability and validity in the evaluation of amphetamine withdrawal symptoms and could be used in similar activities and studies in Iran.
Cognitive Failure and Alexithymia in Predicting High–Risk Behaviors of Students With Learning Disabilities
(Brieflands, 2014-06-30) Moslem Abassi; Mohammad Javad Bagyan; Hamidreza Dehghan
Background:: One of the threatening health issues is prevalence of high-risk behaviors in various groups. Because of rapid social changes, it has been considered as of the most important problems of society by health organizations, administrative laws, and social policymakers.
Addiction Abstinence as an Accessible Experience: A Phenomenological Study
(Brieflands, 2017-03-31) Heidarali Abedi; Mehri Nasiri Rizi; Ali Mohammadi Nasrollah; Arash Ghodoosi; Ali Navidian
Background: Individuals’ experiences following addiction abstinence may have different meanings from the former addict’s perspective, demanding careful scrutiny to understand such experiences. Objectives: This study aimed to explore and explain the meaning of the lived experiences of addicts after sobriety. Patients and Methods: This descriptive phenomenological study aimed to describe the experiences of individuals who had stopped using drugs. The participants were 10 members of narcotics anonymous (NA) in Lenjan, Iran, who were recruited using the purposive sampling method. To gather the data, unstructured, in-depth interviews were carried out. The interviews were recorded on cassette tapes with the consent of the participants, and the collected data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s method. Results: The results of this study were presented in the form of 48 codes and included the four main themes of detour, gateway, metamorphosis, and leadership. These represent the general structure of the individuals’ lives after recovery. Conclusions: Our findings revealed that specific factors, such as recall of sustained suffering in the course of recovery, members’ contribution, being part of a community, participation in collective classes, feelings of equality and co-leveledness, observation of others’ success, and rethinking, played significant roles in addiction recovery.
High Risk Behaviors and Related Factors Among Addicts Admitted to Rehabilitation Centers in Southern Kerman, 2014
(Brieflands, 2017-03-31) Ebrahim Noori; Habibeh Ahmadipour
This article does not have an abstract.
Readability and Suitability Assessment of Adolescent Education Material in Preventing Hookah Smoking
(Brieflands, 2019-03-31) Reza Sadeghi; Seyed Saeed Mazloomy Mahmoodabad; Hossein Fallahzadeh; Mohsen Rezaeian; Reza Bidaki; Narges Khanjani
Background: Educational material is frequently used by health providers to inform adolescences about the health hazards of hookah. However, little attention has been paid to the readability and suitability of these adolescent educational materials. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the readability and suitability of adolescent educational material in preventing hookah smoking. Patients and Methods: Multiple authoritative resources were chosen for the design and preparation of educational material and were then tailored to the target group. Readability was measured by using the readability assessment of materials (RAM); and suitability was determined by the suitability assessment of materials (SAM) that considers characteristics such as content, graphics, layout/topography, and cultural appropriateness. Fifteen reviewers, including 10 adolescents and 5 health experts scored the educational material. Results: The mean readability score ± standard deviation (SD) of the educational media was 9 ± 1.9, 10 ± 1.1, and 9 ± 1.7, for the pamphlet, brochure, and poster, respectively, which were increased to 15 ± 1.3, 17 ± 0.7, and 16 ± 1.5 after tailoring the content. The average SAM scores before and after tailoring the content were 79% for the pamphlet, which was increased to 90%; 81% for the brochure, which was increased to 93%; and 79% for the poster, which was increased to 93%. The increase in all scores was significant (P < 0.05). The final tailored educational material was rated “superior media” on the SAM ratings. Conclusions: The findings indicated that the readability and suitability of the educational material were increased. Compliance with these recommendations may increase the likelihood of consumer perception and recall.
Quality of Life in Methadone Maintenance Treated Patients in Iran
(Brieflands, 2015-12-01) Shahrokh Aghayan; Mohammad Amiri; Reza Chaman; Ahmad Khosravi
Background: Measurement of life quality as an index of health status has a widespread application in health care domain. Objectives: The current study aimed to determine the quality of life of referents to addiction cessation centers of Iran. Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 988 addicts who had referred to addiction cessation centers in Shahroud were studied through SF-36 questionnaire. The data were analyzed using linear regression in structural equation modeling and STATA 12 statistical software. Results: The mean ± SD age of the participants was 41.2 ± 11.8 years. Most of the referents used smoking followed by eating method of opium abuse. The mean ± SD score of life quality was 67.8 ± 17.2, the mean ± SD score of life quality in physical health dimension was 76.9 ± 26.7, and the mean ± SD score in mental health dimension was 64.5 ± 18.4. Univariate analysis showed a significant relationship between life quality and gender, place of residence, education, occupation, marital status, and income (P ≤ 0.05). However, in multivariate analysis a significant relationship was observed only between gender, socioeconomic status, and quality of life score. Conclusions: Although most studies have reported low and weak quality of life in addicts, the findings of this study shows that the life quality score of addicts is rather good. It seems that the maintenance treatment that addicts receive in addiction cessation centers has been effective in improving the quality of life of the patients. Hence, expanding methadone treatment centers can play a leading role in the improvement of life quality in addicts.
Dental Health Status of HIV-Positive Patients and Related Variables in Southeast Iran
(Brieflands, 2016-06-01) Shirin Saravani; Tahereh Nosrat Zehi; Hamideh Kadeh; Sarvar Mir
Background: Different factors can be responsible for the increased prevalence of dental caries and missing teeth in HIV-positive patients. Objectives: This study evaluates dental health status and its relationship with social, behavioral, and medical factors in HIV-positive patients under the coverage of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences in Southeast Iran. Patients and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, the dental health status of 119 HIV-positive patients was assessed in accordance with WHO indices and included decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT). A questionnaire on different social, behavioral, and medical variables was filled out for every case and the relationship and correlation of the variables to dental health status were investigated using One-way ANOVA, the Kruskal Wallis test, the t-test, the Mann-Whitney test, Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient, and Pearson correlation. Results: The mean value of DMFT index was 11.87 ± 8.08, where the mean values of decayed and missing teeth were 8.42 ± 5.44 and 3.43 ± 4.07, respectively. DMFT index, decayed, and missing teeth correlated only with age (P < 0.0001, P = 0.009, P < 0.0001) and duration of HIV involvement (P = 0.004, P = 0.031, P = 0.007). Conclusions: The dental health status of HIV-positive patients in this region was almost inappropriate. Most social, behavioral, and medical factors had no influence on dental health; only a correlation between dental health, age, and duration of HIV involvement was observed.
Temperament and Character Dimensions: Correlates of Impulsivity in Morphine Addicts
(Brieflands, 2015-12-01) Moslem Abassi; Abbas Abolghasemi
Background: Given the role of temperament and character dimensions on impulsivity in addicts, the purpose of this study was to temperament and character dimensions: correlates of impulsivity in morphine addicts. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine and verify the association of temperament and character dimensions with impulsivity in morphine addicts. Patients and Methods: The research method was descriptive and correlational. The study sample consisted of 120 morphine addicts referred to drug addiction treatment centers in Ardabil city in 2013. The participants were selected through convenience sampling method from 5 centers. We used impulsivity scale as well as temperament and character inventory to collect data. Results: The results showed that significant relationship existed between impulsivity and characteristics such as novelty seeking, harm avoidance, reward dependence, persistence, self-directedness, and cooperativeness, while no significant relationship between impulsivity and self-transcendence was observed. The results of the multiple regression analysis showed that 47% of the impulsivity variance was explained by temperament and character dimensions. Conclusions: These findings suggest that temperament and character dimensions are associated with impulsivity. The findings also have important implications for prevention, pathology, and treatment in the morphine addicts.
Comparative Study of the Activity of Brain Behavioral Systems in Methamphetamine and Opiate Dependents
(Brieflands, 2016-03-01) Marjan Alemikhah; Farhad Faridhosseini; Hassan Kordi; Morad Rasouli-Azad; Najmeh Shahini
Background: Substance dependency is a major problem for the general health of a society. Different approaches have investigated the substance dependency in order to explain it. Gray’s reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) is an advanced and important neuropsychological theory in this area. Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare three systems of the revised reinforcement sensitivity theory the behavioral activation system (r-BAS), the revised behavioral inhibition system (r-BIS), and the revised fight/flight/freezing system (r-FFFS) between patients dependent on methamphetamine and opiates, and a group of controls. Patients and Methods: This research was a causal-comparative study that was conducted in the first six months of 2012. The population of the study was males of Mashhad city, who were dependent on methamphetamine or opiates, and ruling out psychotic disorders and prominent Axis II. Twenty-five people were selected by the convenient sampling method. Also, 25 non-dependent people from the patients’ relatives were selected and matched for the variables of age, gender, and education to participate in this study. Participants were evaluated using a structured clinical interview (SCID) for DSM-IV, demographic questionnaire information, and a Jackson-5 questionnaire (2009). Data were analyzed by Chi-square, K-S, and independent t-test. Results: The methamphetamine dependent group had a higher sensitivity in the r-BAS, r-BIS, and the r-Fight and r-Freezing systems compared to the control group (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in r-Flight between the two groups (P > 0.05). “The scores of r-BIS were also significantly higher in the methamphetamine-dependent group than the opioid-dependent and control groups. For the r-Fight variable, the methamphetamine-dependent group was higher than the opioid-dependent group”. Conclusions: The personality patterns of patients dependent on methamphetamines were different from the controls. These people have a high sensitivity to punishment cues, such as being compared in social conditions and a tendency for reinforcement and reward, because of their higher sensitivity in the behavioral inhibition and activation systems.

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