Profile and pattern of crack consumption among inpatients in a Brazilian psychiatric hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Crack cocaine use is associated with polydrug abuse, and inpatients dependent on crack exhibit profiles of serious consumption patterns. Use of alcohol and tobacco and other drugs is a risk factor for experimentation of additional drugs, including crack cocaine.Objectives:The present study describes the characteristics and crack consumption patterns among inpatients in treatment during 2011 and 2012 at the Hospital Psiquiátrico São Pedro (Porto Alegre, Brazil). An additional objective was to identify the sequence of alcohol and tobacco consumption prior to crack use.Methods: The participants were 53 male inpatients addicted to crack with a mean age of 27.5±7.3 years. A sociodemographic questionnaire; the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test and the Mini Mental State Examination were all administered to participants. Inclusion criteria were crack cocaine dependency (based on the 10th edition of the International Classification of Diseases [ICD-10]) and being abstinent for 7 days. Patients with cognitive difficulties who were unable to understand and/or respond to the questionnaires were excluded from the sample.Results: The participants were young male adults with low educational level and low incomes and were polydrug users. The majority had made more than one attempt to quit. Use of legal drugs in early adolescence, prior to crack use, was identified.Conclusions: The profiles of the inpatients addicted to crack treated at this hospital indicate a serious usage pattern among those who seek specialized support. Crack use is frequent and is associated with use of other drugs and with difficulty sustaining abstinence. The pattern of progression from alcohol and tobacco use to crack cocaine dependency demands the attention of those responsible for prevention policies.

Drug use by men admitted to a psychiatric hospital*

“…The multiple drug use found in the sample corroborates the findings of other studies (23)(24) , in which a trend of multiple drug use as observed in hospitalized individuals for the treatment of alcoholism (23) . In those hospitalized for crack addiction, involvement with legal drugs was observed during adolescence (24) .…”

Assessment of inhibitory control in crack and/or cocaine users: a systematic review

“…[4][5][6] The profile of crack users is generally young adults who are users of multiple PS, but adopt crack as their drug of choice. [7][8][9] The most common pattern of crack consumption described in the literature is characterized by loss of control, seeking behavior (despite obvious harm to various aspects of life), intense craving, and frequent relapses. 10 These characteristics are associated with changes to neural circuits that manage behavioral processes, such as reward and conditioning behaviors;…”

“…However, eight studies were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion In response, it was decided to use the term "cocaine and/or crack users", since the majority of study samples comprised users of multiple PS, which is consistent with the profile generally described in the literature. [7][8][9] With relation to the instruments employed to evaluate inhibitory control, the majority of these instruments use Table 3 lists the instruments used in the articles reviewed and the frequency of use.…”

Factors Associated with Crack Cocaine Early Initiation: A Brazilian Multicentric Study

“…The rst experience with crack cocaine usually occurs in the transition to adulthood, often following the exposure to alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and snorted cocaine 10,11 . The age of onset of consumption is in uenced by numerous combinations of protective and risk factors, within a system that integrates social environments, relationship groups, individual characteristics and behavioral patterns 11,12 .…”