Introduction
Substance and drugs are a global issue with the current social, economic and cultural lifestyles. Millions of individuals suffer from addiction to one or more substances, the most abused being alcoholism and using opium. Drug addiction affects many aspects of individuals’ lives, such as health, social interactions, education, economic stability, and family issues. As a global concern, therapists and clinicians need to understand the causative factors and effective treatment methods according to the substance disorders. Treatment approaches include motivational interviews, psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and family or group therapy. Before undergoing treatment, clinicians need to assess the clients’ symptoms severity through assessment models to determine the most effective treatment. This paper uses various drug addiction assessment methods to examine the drug addiction severity of two clients, John and Jackie, to give clinicians insight into the problem, to assist in psychotherapy.
Problem Statement
John and Jackie are parents but have drug use disorders. The two clients were referred to social services by Jackie’s parents, who feared for the well-being of their grandchildren. According to Jackie’s parents, the couple has many problems, including dysfunctional family setup, financial instabilities, forcing them to sell almost everything in the house to manage effectively. Apart from drugs and economic issues, the couple has an incapacitated child requiring the presence of an adult for constant care, feeding and medical attendance. Although Jackie’s parents are willing to take care of their grandchildren, they live in a housing facility that may be inappropriate to accommodate children. Consequently, the couple also wants to take care of the children as responsible parents despite their drug and financial problems. Thus, this study aims at assessing the extremity of the couple’s addiction offer treatment to better their health and enhance good parenting.
Methodology
Informal Assessment
Mental examination
The informal assessment included mental examination, which provides a foundation for clinical and psychological evaluation. During the first visit, clinicians perform cognitive checks, examining a client’s physical and verbal problems such as appearance and communication ability ((Vigna-Tagliani et al., 2017)). During the visit, the clients were clean, but their clothes looked old and rundown. They had drooping eyes with red rims, and their general health looked deteriorated. John had a few scars on his face and arms. The client’s verbal ability was a bit slurry during communication, but they were willing to give their addiction as much information as possible. While Jackie demonstrated clear memory and intellectual ability, John was not clear-headed and avoided most questions.
Clinical interview
Clinical interviews offer face to face responses and behavioral observations. Discussions seek to find more information about the client’s history regarding drug problems and lifestyles that may have led to the addiction (Vigna-taglianti et al., 2017). Both clients were open to discussing their past regarding family and drug use by answering the following questions willingly.
- What substances are you using currently?
- How often do you use each substance?
- What pushes you to use drugs?
- Has your addiction led to any social problems such as fighting, marital issues or disagreements?
- At what age did you start using the drugs?
- How long ago did you realize you had addiction problems?
- How often do you experience withdrawal symptoms such as mood change, fatigue and nausea?
- Have you ever sought medical or social help to quit the addiction?
- How has addiction affected your relationship with family, particularly the children?
- Do you have other family members who have addiction problems?
Formal assessment
Substance Abuse Screening Test
Drug abuse screening assessments question the client’s drug use during the past 12 months. The question regards the client’s drug use and its effects on social, Medical and economic aspects. These questions help assess the severity of the drug problem, such as the frequency of drug use, to determine the therapeutic approach. Questions include a ‘yes or ‘no answer sheet as follows.
Analysis
All data was analyzed through qualitative analysis to show the severity of the problem. Given the comparison range of 0-10, the severity of the drug addiction in the Substance Abuse Screening Test was measured by determining the average frequency of the scores. Average scores above six indicate that the problem is severe, while nine and ten show extremity. Cognitive assessment and clinical interviews were analyzed by comparing observational reactions and recorded responses to determine the severity of the problem.
Findings and Diagnosis
According to the couple responses on all assessments, they may not be happy with their marital relationship leading to unhappiness in their life. Apart from relationship issues, the couple is straining financially due to losing jobs leading to more friction. John’s father was an addict and may cause his son’s drug use from an early age. Jackie started using drugs after meeting John for about five years now. The couple could be using drugs as a method of escaping unhappiness or as a stress reliever. The couple has never sought any treatment before, but they know the various types of addiction therapies. Although Jackie abuses drugs, she feels guilty towards her parents and children and wants to get better. She feels like they neglect their children, particularly Ruby, who needs constant care. Both clients are willing to cooperate with clinicians and social workers to treat and care for their children and gain financial stability. According to this report, the couple has severe drug addiction problems that require a practical treatment approach that monitors their mental, emotional and social factors.
Therapeutic Approach
Therapy helps clients resolve addiction problems through motivation, step by step adjustment in the quitting process and mending social interactions. According to the findings and diagnosis, the couple needs psychotherapy for effective treatment. Psychotherapy effectively implements the best techniques that reduce stress while provoking inner thoughts to enhance change (Vigna-taglianti et al., 2017). Clients who report streets as a contributing factor to drug use need psychological therapy that boosts positive emotions and promotes relaxation. Promoting positivity during therapy sessions also help in avoiding relapses and eases the withdrawal symptoms leading to a smooth transition. The couple can solve marital problems through psychotherapy and take care of the children and parents as responsible adults.
Conclusion
Assessing the client’s problem severity required formal and informal assessments to get more insight, which helps decide the treatment. Informal assessments include a cognitive examination and clinical interviews, which help collect information about the client’s history, lifestyle and mental abilities. Formal assessment consists of a drug test that determines the severity of the abuse. Both clients demonstrate critical addiction that affects all aspects of their life, such as social and economic capabilities. Thus, psychotherapy is the most suitable treatment since it helps in mending social relationships through probing into life experiences and relationship conflicts, which help provide insight and a solution.
Reference
Vigna-taglianti, F., Mathis, F., Diecidue, R., Trogu, E., Kirchmayer, U., Ghibaudi, J., Piras, G., Camposeragna, A., Saponaro, A., Amato, L., Davoli, M., Faggiano, F., & Pani, P. P. (2017). Factors Predicting Patient’s Allocation to Short- and Long-Term Therapeutic Community Treatments in the Italian VOECT Cohort Study. Community Mental Health Journal, 53(8), 972-983.