A study to assess and compare self-esteem and health outcomes across opiate misusers in methadone maintenance and drug free treatment
Authors
Smyth, Sarah
Issue Date
2005
Degree
BA in Psychology
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights holder
Rights
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Abstract
This study's aim is to assess and compare self-esteem and health outcomes across opiate misusers undergoing two different types of treatment. The conditions of the independent variable are methadone maintenance (N =25 ) and drug free treatment (N =25 ). The dependent variables are self-esteem and physical and mental health. It is hypothesized that patients in the drug free treatment will have higher self-esteem and fewer physical and mental health symptoms than patients in methadone maintenance. The hypoFinal Year Project is based on the fact that drug free treatment's main aims are achieving personal growth, realising a more meaningful and responsible life, and developing social learning that increases ability to empathise with others. Between-group differences are examined through unrelated t-tests. The results concluded that participants in methadone maintenance had higher self-esteem, however participants in drug free treatment had decreased physical and psychological health symptoms, thus supporting the hypoFinal Year Project. The implications of this study were the participants who were receiving methadone maintenance treatment were also receiving counselling, thus this may have contributed to them having increased self-esteem.