SELF-CONFIDENCE STUDY ON A GROUP OF DRUG CONSUMER AND NON-CONSUMER FEMALE ADOLESCENTS

Citation
Bel. Salgado et al., SELF-CONFIDENCE STUDY ON A GROUP OF DRUG CONSUMER AND NON-CONSUMER FEMALE ADOLESCENTS, Salud mental, 17(4), 1994, pp. 31-37
Citations number
19
Categorie Soggetti
Psychiatry
Journal title
ISSN journal
01853325
Volume
17
Issue
4
Year of publication
1994
Pages
31 - 37
Database
ISI
SICI code
0185-3325(1994)17:4<31:SSOAGO>2.0.ZU;2-X
Abstract
This investigation studied the relationship between self confidence ba sic trust and drug-abuse amongst female teenagers gathered at a centre of attention and treatment for women. The test group was constituted by 49 teenagers with criminal behaviour who were divided into two grou ps: 25 drug addicts and 24 nondrug addicts with ages ranging from 14 t o 18. The Thematic Aperception Test (TAT, Murray, 1938) was used, and sheets 1, 2, 3NM, 4, 5, 6NM, 7NM, 12M, 18NM, 19 and 20 were classified in order to carry out a content analysis. The content analysis was ca rried out according to areas that measure basic trust in themselves ta ken from Erikson's Theory of Development (1950, 1963 and 1968) and Eri kson's Inventory of Psychosocial Stages (Rosenthal, 1981) which includ e the following areas: self-control, worry, perception, self-confidenc e, social empathy, success in life, optimism, confidence in other peop le and drug abuse. Scores were obtained from each one of the obtained variables, and the t Student test was assigned in order to establish t he differences between both test groups. Regarding the areas that meas ure basic trust, these were divided into basic positive- indicative se lf-confidence variables, and negative-indicative variables in basic tr ust alterations. Thus, it was possible to determine that there were di fferences between the two groups studied. These differences allow us t o state that the rejection for drugs is partly determined by a more su ccessful advance in the first stage of development postulated by Eriks on, and the establishment of a greater feeling of self confidence that results in a better empathy with other people, a feeling of success i n life, and a feeling of confidence in others.