Health and risk behaviors of drug addicts in internment situation in therapeutic communities

Abstract

Objectives

This study aims to obtain health and risk behaviors of drug abusers (addicts), when in confinement situation in therapeutic communities;

Methods

Using quantitative methods, the study focused on a group of 75 addicts, all male, with ages 19 to 51 years (average: 34.07), mostly unmarried (77.30%), living in Lisbon (40.00%) and with a past marked mainly by consumption of cocaine (80.00%) and heroin (69.30%). As an instrument to measure the behaviors we used the “Health and Risk Behaviour Scale” (Albuquerque, 2004).

Results

It was found that addicts in hospital:

• a) practice little exercise/physical activity,

• b) care little for the food component,

• c) the majority continues to use semi-legal drugs, and

• d) express little concern about the effects associated with consumption of alcohol and tobacco.

Conversely, we found that they care a lot about their sexual behavior, adopting preventive behaviors against sexually transmitted diseases.

Conclusions

The evidence presented here should be taken into account by several health professionals (doctors, nurses, psychologists,) in an assistance model reorientation and multidimensional accompanying underlying the internment addict and their families.