Relationship between Psychological factors and Drug Abuse both in prison and probation population

Relationship between Psychological factors and Drug Abuse both in prison and probation population

2^nd International Conference on Central Nervous System and Therapeutics
June 10-11, 2019 | Edinburgh, Scotland

Duygu Altin and Mehmet Murat Akin

Ministry of Justice, Turkey

Scientific Tracks Abstracts : J Neurol Neurorehabil Res

Abstract:

Aim: Addiction, as The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) defines, is a brain disease. Brain, as the main part of Central Nervous System(CNS) is a target organ for drugs of abuse. Brain chemistry and circuitry is affected, which then leads to compulsive drug-seeking and using behaviors. Cannabis, cocaine, and other illicit drugs can have substantial negative effects on the structure and functioning of the brain. In this study certain psychological factors associated with drug abuse is examined in both prison and probation population, where drug addicts can be accessed more efficiently since addiction is a highly corralated issue with crime and prevalance of drug addiction is high in those cases.

Method: The sample includes 200 participants from probation and 102 participants from prison service chosen by random sampling method, following written permission taken from General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Houses.

Fındıngs: Statistically significant results are obtained between treatment, suicide, psychiatric disorder history of the person and his drug abuse risk level(p=0.00; p=0.01; p=0.01 respectively p<0.05). For prison population it is seen that 4% of participants have reported a suicide attempt depending on drug withdrawal.

Results: It is seen that certain psychological risk factors, like suicide history is strongly related to drug abuse. This is an issue which is needed to be taken into account both in prevention and intervention work.

Biography:

Duygu Altin has completed her MSc from Ege University, Turkey in field of drug addiction and studied in collaboration with World Health Organization. She has also completed addiction counselling education at Capa Medical Faculty, Istanbul and advanced addiction counselling education which lasted for 2 years each. She had her B.A. in field of psychology from Bosphorus University which gives 100% education in English. She works as a probation expert/psychologist/addiction counsellor since foundation of the probation system in Turkey. As an executive member of Turkish Probation Officers Association and an official trainer for colleagues within Turkish Ministry of Justice, she has attended many international study visits, congresses, EU projects as a speaker. Mehmet Murat Akin, has completed his doctorate degree in sociology department in Pamukkale University. He has been working for Ministry of Justice as a manager in Training Centers, Probation Branches, and several Prisons for 18 years. He also has several academic work on human rights, suicide and offenders. He is a manager at Bitlis closed type prison and has been working on several international and national projects.

E-mail: duygu.altin@gmail.com

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