Library

Notes: Summary A total of 351 drug-users (127 in-patients of the university hospital for nervous diseases Frankfurt a. Main, 124 out-patients of the special health centre in the city of Frankfurt a. Main) were steadily investigated between the years 1969/70 with the aid of a fixed catalogue consisting of 386 single criterions with quantitative and qualitative alternatives. The informations for instance on the development of the drug-user, his familiar and social situation, sexuality, drug-use, vegetative nervous system, constitution were registered by widely pre-defined lists of data. The psychological investigation was done among other examinations by the modified Hamburg-Wechsler-intelligence-test. Subsequently the facts of the investigation were evaluated with the aid of an electronic computing station; the analysis of the data obtained took place by aspects of statistical correlations. Complementary to our study Hausner investigated in the same way 100 drug-users directly accosted at the so-called “scene”. General characteristics of the drug-users: 80% were aged between 16 and 24 years (just under 25% till 16, 50% till 21, 25% above 25 years). There were each 20% female drug-users among the in- and out-patients, but 40% among the population of the “scene”. Only 3% of all drug-users exclusively took cannabis, just under 50% in addition halluzinogenic drugs, some more than the half opiates too. All drug-users took stimulants, most often the opiate-users; in number: two thirds of the stimulants were taken by them. 60% were addicted or respectively suspected. According to the particular social level there was a special affinity to certain drugs (working people prefered stimulants, pupils and students cannabis and halluzinogenic drugs). University education of the father was dominating at the users of hallucinogenic drugs, half of them became addicted during the time of observation. Opiate-users more often had fathers without university education, they planned their profession more frequently not themselves and had more often a social decline. Social situations of the drug-users: 36% were pupils or students, 12% in vocational training, 8% professional active. 42% pursued no more any job. The so-called “drop-outs” more frequently had stopped going to school or stopped their professional course of education, they planned their profession more often not themselves and their future more seldom longtermed, pupils of secondary schools or students had only an average or even more modest intelligence-quotient. Overstrain and absence of suitable helps for the choice of profession seem to be important factors as to a disadvantageous progress of the drug-career. Only 50% of the drug-users visiting secondary schools or universities had the intelligence-quotient required. The drug-use seems to become encouraged by conflicts concerning high demands standards combined with actual overstrain. 43% of the drug-users had a social decline in comparison with their descent family. Hence follow level-specific endangering patterns to the development of addictions which primary are multidimensional applied. 49% of all drug-users investigated were likely to have a progressive course of their drug-career. This average-probability augmented to 68%, when the parents were left in conflicts, and declined to 40%, when there was a harmonic atmosphere in the parent's house. Only 1% of the drug-users was not impaired in their social connections after a drug-use of 6 months. The following factors were able to inhibit these social detractions: The factor retardation (including a corresponding reaction of the environment) and the factor constitution. Further on it appeared that the taking of drugs in community decreased to 50% in the last 6 months of the drug-use compared with more than 80% in the first half year of the drug-use. That means: The operation of drugs does not lead to the primary intended partner-ship but to a disappearing in the world of own experiences. 19% of the investigated people were criminal before starting the drug-use (special concerning prosperity delicts); after that 52% were criminal, special concerning violations of the narcotic law, 25% of them because of dealing with drugs. In general it is to say that there are to consider interactions for instance between negative social development and drug operation on the central nervous system when analysing the constellations of risks in direction of adverse progresses.