SELF-EFFICACY AND RELAPSE IN HEROIN ABUSE

Abstract

In the first study, focus group interviews were conducted. The focus groups consisted of heroin users who were undergoing rehabilitation in the halfway houses. Two focus groups were held with Chinese males and the third group consisted of Chinese females. Participants were asked about their past experiences with relapses and the situations which preceded the relapses. The summarized transcripts from these group interviews were subsequently used to construct the Relapse Self-Efficacy scale. The Relapse Self-Efficacy (RSE) scale was intended to measure the drug addict's evaluation of his or her ability in resisting drng use when confronted by high-risk relapse situations. In the second study, the RSE scale wasadministered together with the Generalized Self-Efficacy (GSE) scale and Heroin AbuseSeverity Profile to 210 inmates in the DRC. Overall, the scale showed good internalconsistency (a= .96). The scale was validated against the GSE but the correlation was low (r = .20). The number of times the inmate had been in the DRC was operationalized as a proxymeasure for past relapse behaviour. RSE correlated poorly with this criterion variable (r = -.067). However, RSE correlated well with another proxy of relapse, the severity profile (r = -.53). The exploratory factor analysis found that the RSE was largely unidimensional. TI1efirst largest principal component accounted for 36. 7% of the variance. Finally, the profile fora high relapse risk was high severity of heroin abuse. Younger males who had high severity ofabuse and had taken drugs for longer time were identified to have a high risk for relapse. Forfemales and for Malays, the willingness to participate in the survey predicted higher RSEscores. This could be reflecting a general positive attitude towards treatment or that themotivation levels had systematicaly affected the responses. Among Chinese, a later of thedrug career predicted high RSE scores.