Cogitare Enfermagem (Sep 2013)
THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF THE ABUSIVE USE OF DRUGS FOR ADDICTS REGISTERED IN MEDICAL RECORDS
Abstract
This descriptive, cross-sectional research was undertaken in a rehabilitation center for drug addicts. The objective was to identify the social impact of the abusive use of drugs for drug addicts. The data was collected in 350 medical records referent to the year 2010. The results showed that 60% of the addicts were aged between 20 and 39 years old, and that the most prevalent clinical diagnosis was mental and behavioral disorders due to the use of multiple drugs and other psychoactive substances with early onset. As a result of the addiction to drugs, 54% of the cases had problems related to their families, 29.4% had marital conflicts, 63.2% had problems with work, 20.6% had broken the law and 26.6% practised violence. It is concluded that drug addiction transforms family relationships, causes social and work problems, and contributes to the development of delinquency and violence, it being necessary to adapt, and invest in, public policies for restructuring these systems.
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