Strategies and Coping Skills of Crack Users in Treatment

Abstract

is study aimed to depict the repertoire of anticipatory coping skills of crack users and describe the coping strategies used for abstinence sustenance. Twenty seven people, with diagnostic criteria for Sti- mulant-Related Disorders, admitted to therapeutic communities composed the sample and the mixed method was used, developed by applying the measurement tool Inventário de Habilidades de Enfren- tamento Antecipatório para a Abstinência de Álcool e outras Drogas (IDHEA-AD) and semi-structu- red group interview. Participants had a middle-lower repertoire in IDHE-AD and it was created four categories from transcripts of the interviews: “Assertive coping skills and plans for risk situations”, “Expression of feelings”, “Emotional self-control” and “Avoidance strategies”. It is recommended that crack addicts in treatment receive skills training in order to increase the repertoire of coping skills, expanding the possibilities of coping strategies under drug use risk situations.