Original scientific paper
FEMALE ADDICTS – DIFFERENCES IN FAMILIAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENTAL FEATURES WITNESSED BETWEEN FEMALE AND MALE ADDICTS
Jadranka Ivandić Zimić
; Office for combating drugs abuse of the government of the Republic of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Insofar, female addiction onset has been only poorly explored, although a number of experts see the nature of female addiction as
distinctive and therefore mandating entirely different treatment approaches. In view of the foregoing, the primary aim of this study
was to investigate into possible differences between male and female addicts in institutional treatment in Croatia respective of their
socio-demographic, interaction and social familial features as well as some of their psychosocial developmental features, seen from
the earliest childhood up to adolescence. The study was carried out within 2008-2009 timeframe and embraced a total of 143 addicted
subjects, out of which 92 men and 51 women, treated at the time on-ward premises of the Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, Clinical Hospital
“Sisters of Mercy”, as well as in “Susret” and “Cenacolo” therapeutic communities. The results revealed several differences
between male and female addicts relative of their familial socio-demographic and interaction, as well as psychosocial developmental
features, in terms of far more frequent poor emotional relations and communication with their mothers seen across female addicts,
who were also more frequently molested as compared to male addicts, and were more frequently witnesses to domestic violence, while
their families had more frequent alcohol abuse and mental illness histories. In addition, unlike men, addicted women were more successful
during their schooling and committed fewer felonies, but were more often prone to suicidal thoughts or even suicide attempts.
Based on the foregoing, it can be concluded that familial and psycho - social risk factors are more often encountered across female
addicts, whose addiction onset and history takes a different course as compared to male addiction.
Keywords
women; drug addiction; family; differences between female and male drug addicts
Hrčak ID:
77211
URI
Publication date:
10.2.2012.
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