Research On The Evaluation System Of Mental Health In Drug Addicts

The mental health of drug addicts has an important role in the process of drug abuse, withdrawal and relapse. The psychological health assessment of drug addicts is helpful to better understanding of the physiological, psychological and social mechanism.The mental health of drug addicts is the comprehensive performance of physiological, psychological and behavioral response in stress. In the past, the evaluation of mental health by single use of psychological scale has significant limitations. It is necessary to comprehensive evaluation of addict mental health by combined using the physiological indicators of HPA axis function. Cortisol is an important biological indicator of HPA axis activity, and the long-term basic level of HPA axis function in the evaluation of hair cortisol has incomparable superiority. Therefore, this study will establish a comprehensive, objective assessment of the mental health through the comprehensive evaluation method from the psychological index, the physiological index of hair cortisol and the behavior index of drug addiction.In this study, the research object is drug addicts in the Jiangsu Province Women’s compulsory isolated drug rehabilitation center. Among them, heroin addicts represent traditional drug addicts and methamphetamine addicts represent new drug addicts. The first questionnaire survey and the collection of hair samples were collected at the time of isolation detention. After isolation detention for 6 months, second questionnaires and hair samples were collected. This study track the change of drug addicts psychological indicators (i.e., depression, anxiety and drug craving, reaction pressure, pressure self perception), behavior indicator (i.e. drug refusal self-efficacy) and hair cortisol and screen stable, reliable and sensitive evaluation index, controlling the influence of individual characteristics, life events, drug pressure, social support and other related factors. The research verified the psychological significance of the hair cortisol (i.e., the consistency of the psychological and physiological indicators). This study conducted a comprehensive evaluation of drug addicts, to provide the basis for diagnosis and evaluation in treatment. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, ANOVA analysis and regression analysis were conducted. It indicated that: Firstly, in the state of drug abuse, methamphetamine addict hair cortisol level is higher than the hair cortisol level in heroin addicts. The result is consistent with the pharmacological properties of these two drugs. The pharmacological effects of drugs covered the effects of age, BMI and so on.Secondly, in the stage of drug abuse and drug withdrawal, hair cortisol level of methamphetamine addicts are different. Because of the excitatory effects of methamphetamine, in drug abuse state, hair cortisol level of methamphetamine addicts is higher. In the first month of compulsory withdrawal, HPA axis is in acute stress and cortisol increase sharply. From the beginning of the second month of compulsory withdrawal, addicts gradually adapt to the state after detoxification, hair cortisol level began to decline, the HPA axis began to recover and the physiological function improved gradually. With the withdrawal time, the level of cortisol was decreased, and the level of cortisol in sixth months was significantly lower than that in drug abuse. The results show that the effect of methamphetamine addicts HPA axis may be dissipated by withdrawal. Hair cortisol level of methamphetamine addicts can reflect the stress status of addicts and can be used as a sensitive physiological indexes of evaluation in mental health level.Thirdly, perceived stress, refused to self-efficacy and hair cortisol levels can sensitively differentiate differences in mental health status between different years of methamphetamine addicts.Fourthly, after six months of compulsory withdrawal, addictive behavior and HPA axis function of drug addicts in a long period has improved obviously, but pressure level is still in high level. The HPA axis function of drug addicts in a shorter length has improved, but pressure level is still in high level and drug refused to self-efficacy decreased.In sum, the present study showed that mental health status of drug addict should be evaluated from three aspects:physical, psychological and behavioral. The results of this study will provide guidance for the intervention of withdrawal, and provide important theoretical basis for the prevention of relapse.