Studies suggest that the concepts that drug dependent persons have about th
eir problems could influence adherence to treatment and outcome. The object
ive of this study was to compare these concepts in different groups of pati
ents. Three groups of drug-dependent patients (diagnosed according to DSM-I
II-R criteria) were compared: 64 dependent on alcohol only, 56 dependent on
ly on other drugs and 39 dependent on both alcohol and drugs. They were ask
ed: "What do you think about your problem?" and the responses were qualitat
ively analyzed and classified into themes. For the whole sample, the main t
hemes mentioned were: the function of alcohol and drugs in their lives (50%
), the etiology of dependence (32%) and reasons for initial use (21%). Pati
ents dependent on alcohol associated their use with coping, while patients
dependent on other drugs reported pleasure seeking. In regard to etiology,
most patients classified their dependence as a habit. Patients dependent on
alcohol tended to attribute an organic etiology to their problem, while th
ose dependent on other drugs most frequently considered moral aspects as im
portant, This study suggests that there are differences between these three
groups in the appraisal of their problem. Professionals interested in trea
tment matching need to take these findings into account, as they may influe
nce compliance and treatment outcome.