Relapse in Drug Addiction: A Review

Description

Page: 405-409

Sunita Devi and Sandeep Singh (Department of Applied Psychology, G.J.U.S.T., Hisar, Haryana)

Drug addiction is a worldwide problem which is increasing day by day. Both males and females suffer from drug addiction. Addiction treatment is a very serious matter. If treatment is not given properly, maintenance is not done, special treatment is not given according to the need, then relapse occurs. Re-emergence of initial symptoms of treatment is termed as relapse. Relapse is a complex phenomenon that is affected by various factors. In most of the cases, relapse occurs within three months after treatment. But the risk of relapse remains even after one year of treatment. Drug abuse has become an interesting topic for research nowadays. This has a lot of implications in the field of health. The current study includes a review about drug/substance abuse and post-treatment relapse. The purpose of this review is to highlight the psychosocial factors affecting relapse. After reviewing various research studies, it has been concluded that relapse is influenced by various personality traits including self-efficacy, concentration, self-esteem, curiosity, hopelessness, impulsivity, locus of control; learning factors (i.e., Positive reinforcement, motivation, outcome expectancy, conditioning); interpersonal and social factors including family problems, marital issues, interpersonal conflicts, friend support, divorce, social support, social stress, social media, lack of communication; and other psychological factors such as depression, anxiety, isolation, frustration, discomfort, sleep problems, sexual harassment, religious faith etc.