A Study On Quality Of Life Of The Drug Abusers And Its Relations To Life Events And Coping Styles

Objective:To investigate quality of life (QOL)of the drug abusers' and the influences of coping styles and stress (e.g. life events) on QOL. To provide theoretical gists for more effective intervention. Method:Using questionnaire method to investigate the heroin abusers' life quality ,the improvement of life quality in three months, the reasons of the change of life quality. And to investigate the relationship of life quality, life events and cope style . To investigate local inhabitants' life quality, cope styles , this group is used as matched control group. Result:(l)The validity and the reliability of the SF-36 scale in drug abusers are acceptable. (2)The drug abusers' scores of QOL is lower than that of the normal control group. There is significant difference between the two groups. (3) The QOL-scores of the abusers' has changed three months later. There are significant differences in the following six factors: RP. BP. GH SF RE MH and the total score .There is no significant difference in the PF VT and MH factors. (4)The factors related to the drug abusers' QOL-scores are: life events in work and study, culture, coping style of remorse and fantasy,, style of drug abuse. (5)The factors related to the change of drug abusers' QOL-scores are: joblessness, smoking, the time of drug abuse, the style of drug use, alcohol use ,marriage,gender. (6)The comparison on coping style between drug abusers' group and control group shows that: there are significant differences in problem-solving , remorse, fantasy and retreat factors, there is not significant difference in help-seeking, rationalization. Drug abusers group has lower scores in the problem-solving, but higher scores of other factors(self abuse, fantasy and retreat). Negative life events , problems in work and study .sociality and other problems, and the total scores of the life event have relations to the QOL-scores . Conclusion:Drug abusers' quality of life measured with SF-36 is lower than that of the normal group. Three months later, the quality of life has been improved . There are many factors which have correlations to the change of drug abusers' QOL-scores including employment, marriage, family. Drug abusers usually use passive coping styles. Life events, especially negative events, have correlation to drug abusers' QOL-scores . The findings imply that the integrated and more effective interventions should be developed.