Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of psychiatric comorbidity and severity of dependence on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods: One hundred and ninety-eight substance use disorder (SUD) patients were recruited from an outpatient center that provides treatment for SUD. The International Personality Disorder Examination Screening Questionnaire (IPDE-SQ), Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), Substance Dependence Severity Scale (SDSS) and Health-Related Quality of Life for Drug Abusers test (HRQoLDA test) were administered. Results: Patients with psychiatric comorbidity evaluated their HRQoL more negatively than patients without psychiatric comorbidity. An analysis of the relationship between severity of dependence and HRQoL scores indicated significant correlations among alcohol-, cocaine-, heroin- and cannabis-dependent patients. According to multivariate analyses, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, severity of dependence on alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, paranoid, borderline and avoidant personality disorders (PDs) were observed to have a major impact on HRQoL. Conclusions: SUD (severity of dependence on alcohol, cannabis and cocaine) and other mental disorders (anxiety disorders; mood disorders; paranoid, borderline and avoidant PDs) are involved in the deterioration of the SUD patients’ HRQoL. This study demonstrates the need for integrated treatment for SUD patients. Treating only a part of the problem (whether SUD or other mental disorders are present) is insufficient for improving quality of life.
The main goal of this study was to identify acculturation preference profiles using cluster analysis in public and private areas of culture in the host and immigrant populations, and to find out the relationship between these profiles and prejudice levels. Four hundred and ninety-nine Spaniards and 500 Romanians participated in a survey. The sampling of Spaniards was multistage random and the sampling of Romanians was by quota. The results confirm our predictions. Romanians who are less prejudiced against Spaniards prefer assimilation in public areas and integration in private areas. Romanians who are more prejudiced against Spaniards prefer integration in public areas and separation in private areas. Spaniards who are less prejudiced against Romanians prefer integration in both public and private areas. Spaniards who are more prejudiced against Romanians prefer assimilation in both areas.
6 January 2017 in Scandinavian Journal of Psychology
This research is based on the work of Berry, Bourhis, Piontkowski, and their colleagues on general immigrant acculturation attitudes. The main purpose is to show that the division of the general acculturation attitude into different areas provides more complete information on the acculturation process undergone by immigrants. A new acculturation model, Relative Acculturation Extended Model, (RAEM) has been designed and tested. The model establishes seven areas of acculturation and differentiates among the acculturation strategies adopted (real situation) and the acculturation attitudes preferred (ideal situation) by immigrants. Eight hundred thirteen African immigrants (residents in the south of Spain, Andalusia) who responded to a questionnaire participated in the study. The results show that the general acculturation attitude is one of integration; however, the strategies adopted and the attitudes preferred vary depending on the areas of acculturation considered.