Dependência química: avaliação das funções executivas, nível de fissura e estratégias de coping utilizadas por usuários de crack.

Abstract

The disorder related to the use of psychoactive substances or chemical dependence generates devastating consequences in the lives of people who are affected by this problem, in addition to having a harmful impact on family members and society. Among the cognitive variables related to chemical dependency, the executive functions of cognitive flexibility and attention tend to show altered functioning, with an impact on the repertoire of coping strategies used by users at the time of craving. The research problem was structured around the question of how the variables cleft level, executive functions and coping strategies can explain cognitive aspects of the phenomenon of chemical dependency in crack users. The objective of this research was, therefore, to identify the relationships between the executive functions of cognitive flexibility and attention, the level of craving and the coping strategies used by crack users. Divided into two stages, the research followed a quantitative design, framed in the survey format and with a cross-section. Stage 1, entitled “Crack addiction: harmful repercussions on executive functions and coping strategies”, had 26 adults aged 20 to 53 years old who answered four instruments: (1) Concentrated Attention Test (TEACO FF) to measure attention, (2) Wisconsin Card Classification Test (WCTS) to investigate impairment in cognitive flexibility, (3) the Obsessive Compulsive Cocaine Scale (OCCS) to categorize the level of craving and (4) the Inventory of Strategies for Coping to map the strategies used at the time of the crack. The data were processed and analyzed using the statistical test called Spearman's Correlation. The results showed that 53.85% of the participants had impaired cognitive flexibility and attention. The 26 participants used Coping strategies with low intensity. It was concluded that users with more severe deficits in cognitive flexibility and attention showed less developed repertoire of strategies. The more preserved cognitive flexibility and attention were associated with a more developed repertoire. Step 2, entitled “Crack dependence: coping strategies used by users” identified that more severe levels of crack were associated with reduced repertoires and less severe levels of crack were associated with broader repertoires of Coping strategies. These results suggest the need to invest in actions that expand the repertoire of Coping strategies for the adaptive management of crack in crack users. In view of the above, the Suggestions for an intervention program aimed at amplifying coping strategies are presented in the Final Considerations as a product