Resumen

GARCIA-AURRECOECHEA, Raúl; RODRIGUEZ-KURI, Solveig E.  y  CORDOVA ALCARAZ, Alberto. Motivational protective factors for depression and drug abuse. Salud Ment [online]. 2008, vol.31, n.6, pp.453-459. ISSN 0185-3325.

As a part of a innovative research line on mental health and addictions focused to operationalize the clinical approach of Maslow's motivational theory, this study is focused to prove a theoretical multi-factorial model that presuppose a relationship between a set of psycho-social protective factors and affective disorders, attraction to drugs, and severity of legal and illegal drug use, all them mediated by the satisfaction degree of deficit needs and its pleasurable associated sensations. The study was implemented with a cross-sectional, ex-post-facto design, with a 241 sample made out by urban young adults that were actual illicit drug users, which used more than five times one of the next drugs: marijuana, cocaine, crack, inhalants, heroin or metamphetamine. These subjects had a 24,5 mean age (SD= 5,1), with a ratio of almost eight men at of each woman. More than half of them were single, a third part was married or lived together and the fifth part was separated or divorced. Half of participants had high school studies, a fourth part had college and 8% had superior level. Half of the subjects were employed, 10% were students, 4% were housemakers, 5% studied and worked simultaneously, and a third part did not work. A fourth part were referred to previous treatment(s) for drug abuse. Based on the diagnosis, marijuana was identified as a drug of greater impact (29,9%), followed by cocaine (27,4%), inhalants (16,2%), heroin (12.0%), crack (10%) and crystal (4,6%). It was applied a battery of instruments that included: a) A scale to test the Severity of drug abuse (alpha = .953), that included items to evaluate issues such as: the incapacity to control drug use; intense desire to use; increase in the consumption; inability to reject drugs; changes in mood; transgression of the rules; residual symptoms; fights, and self injures. b) The Beck Depression Inventory (alpha = .918), conformed by two factors, Affective-cognitive depression (alpha = .867), with items related to feeling punished, failed and guilty, and Physiological-behavioral depression (alpha = .853) with items associated to insomnia, feeling tired, irritable, unsatisfied and hesitated. c) A multifactorial scale of Degree of Satisfaction of Deficit Needs of Health and security (alpha = .876), with items such as: tranquility, confidence, order and education; authenticity (alpha = .878), with items like honesty, sincerity, respect and freedom; affective (alpha = .780), with items like affection, friendship and love; self esteem (alpha = .825), with items like recognition, work, success and money; and enjoyment (alpha = .910), with items like joy, amusement, happiness, play, laugh, sing and dance. d) A multi-factorial risk and protection scale of drug use and related syndromes (alpha = .794), with the following factors: satisfactory family relations (alpha = .850), satisfactory relation with friends (alpha =927) and individual ability for satisfaction (alpha = .841). e) A multi-factorial scale related with the attraction for legal and illegal drugs (alpha = .949), with a factor for alcohol attraction (alpha = .933), other factor for tobacco attraction (alpha = .890) and a factor for alcohol attraction (alpha = .926). Furthermore, two models were developed with three antecedent manifest variables: individual ability for satisfaction, satisfactory family relations and satisfactory relation with friends. Both models showed that individual ability for satisfaction predicts 17% of variance of the satisfactory family relations and 10% of the satisfactory relation with friends. The mediating latent variable Satisfaction degree of deficit needs showed different forms in each model because the first one included a) satisfaction degree of health and security needs, b) satisfaction degree of self esteem needs and c) satisfaction degree of enjoyment needs, whereas the second model, more parsimonious, kept the first two factors. Both models incorporate, as consequent latent variables, depression (explained in 53% of its variance in model 2) as well as the manifest variable of: severity of drug abuse (explained in 45%) and the mediating latent variable attraction for legal and illegal drugs with an explained variance of 32% (for example: <<I like them, they help you to feel relax, they are tasty, they produce pleasure, they help you to have friends, to have fun, to make you laugh and to have joy>>). The models provide conceptual validity to the clinical approach of Maslow's theory, because it verifies that the unsatisfaction of deficit needs is related to: the presence of affective disturbance like depression; the attraction by legal and illegal drugs; and the severity of alcohol consumption and drugs. Model one includes among others the mediating variable satisfaction of the needs of self esteem, showing the influence of Jonah's complex usually related to the fear of recognition, success, etc. Model 2 is more parsimonious and reaffirms the importance of satisfying physiological and security needs, and its associated enjoinment. In adittion, it stands out that the individual capacity of satisfaction is related to the satisfaction of deficit needs causing the appearance of moments of joy, amusement and happiness, possibly associated with the Reward Circuit Activation. On the other hand, the individual capacity of satisfaction also maintains a direct relation with satisfactory relations with family and friends. Both variables have as well a positive influence in the satisfaction of deficit needs. Moreover, the individual capacity of satisfaction is related to the satisfaction of the deficit necessities, causing the appearance of moments of joy, amusement and happiness possibly associated with the reward circuit activation. On the other hand, the individual capacity of satisfaction also maintains a direct relationship with satisfactory relations with family and friends, which have also a positive influence to the satisfaction of the deficit needs and their associated enjoyment sensations, such as laugh, singing and dancing, that usually take place in social interactions. Also, it was shown how the individual aptitudes as well as relationships with others were substantial sources for satisfaction of deficit needs. Additionally, it was observed that a deficient degree of needs satisfaction was related to an increment in affection disturbances and in the severity of drug use, supporting the Maslow's psycho-pathogenesis construct. Finally, it was observed how a deficient degree of satisfaction also shows a direct relationship with the attraction to legal and illegal drugs, and is stand out how the presence of affection disturbances increases the attraction to drugs, which at the same time increases the severity of drug use.

Palabras llave : Maslow; motivation; protection; drug abuse; depression.

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