COULD WORK REHABILITATION HELP DRUG USERS IN TREATMENT?

1. Livani Fernanda MC, MD - Occupational Health physician São Paulo - Brazil fernanda.livani@hotmail.com ABSTRACT The following inquiry intends to analyse working conditions, drug use and stress, among formal and informal workers, taking part in Treatment Programmes for drug addicts, in São Paulo- Brazil. As measurement instrument a questionnaire based on the European Working Condition Survey1 and the Irritation Scale2s was used for it, examining working, health and stress conditions. The mean objective was work-related strain statements among drug users. DISCUSSION INTRODUCTION The cognitive déficit caused by alcohol and cocaine (subtle, but serious), results in disabilities and defficits in planning capacity, both skills that should give a basis for a life without drugs This is one of the factors for the low adherence to treatment and it is also lowering the work capacity. The high level of stress might be another factor driving people back to drugs, affecting, emotional and cognitive skills. The treatment of drug users implies mobilization of resources, mostly financed by Public Health. This group is vulnerable to others complex problems with long histories of disadvantage and social exclusion. Studies have shown that up to 80% of problem drug users in England are unemployed, at the same time work has been shown to be an important component of rehabilitation and reintegration into society, reducing the likelihood of relapse and problems with the Criminal Justice System. In Brazil, a study conducted by CEBRID, showed that one in four young people is involved with drugs. The physical and mental problems caused by these drugs may impact the users ability to achieve and sustain employment. The main objective of this study is to identify, in a district of São Paulo, including an industrial zone, the number of people under treatment with formal or informal work and analyze the drugs used most by them as well as possible work-related strains. With this data we expect to help the addicted employees and their employers to ensure every worker is healthy enough, to safety fulfill his or her tasks in the job. At the same time, potential risks for the businesses themselves, arising from drug use, shall be reduced. COULD WORK REHABILITATION HELP DRUG USERS IN TREATMENT? CONCLUSION Drug users, when they finish their specialized treatment should be maintained in a recovery program, by the Government, Community or Productive Sector, once they could potentially be part of a work force again. It is important to be realistic about the time to be back in a position to participate in the formal job market, as the physical and mental problems experienced by this group may impact on their ability to achieve and sustain employment. Commissioners of drug treatment and employers should be aware and consider the need of adequate training and job replacement for this client group, as the risk associated with drug use. Many employers are reluctant to recruit problem drug users, particularly those who admit to current use, but there are opportunities to increase employment. Furthermore research should be conducted to evaluate the benefits of mentoring and coaching programs within the companies. METODOLOGY The study was conducted at Treatment Centers for drug users, with appoval by the ethics Committee from KLINIKUM der Universität München (LMU) and informed consent assigned by each participant. A study with 200 men, aged 18 or older currently under treatment is being conducted, but at this moment only 100 interviews were considered. A validated questionnaire was applied. For data analysis EpiInfo version 3.5.3 was used. RESULTS 71,8% of the participants are aged 20-29 years old, being considered the active economic population (AEP) in Brazil. 24,1% were older than 40 years. In total 75% indicated being formal workers, including those currently under treatment for the disease. The drug used most were alcohool and cocaine (75%); followed by marijuana (64,6%) and crack (55,2%). Others drugs in question were LSD and ecstasy taken by 14,6% and 12,5% respectively. Preliminar analysis of work-related strain showed us that the participants do not disconnect from work, even when they are at home (48%); they react ill-tempered when they are addressed by others (60,2%); they are nervous (68,4%); easily distressed (56,1%) and indicate undesirable exasperation (59,1%). BIBLIOGRAPH REFERENCES • Agostinho Rodrigues Silvestre, Celina Manita. Relação drogas-trabalho na construção de carreiras desviantes Revista Toxicodependências 2008;14-2:3-14. • French T.M., Popovici I., Tapsell L. The economic costs of substance abuse treatment: Updated estimates and cost bands for program assessment and reimbursement. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 35 (2008)462-469. • JCVVS-Joint Center on Violence and Victim Studies, 2009. http://www.washburn.edu/ao/jcvvs/research-analysis/drug-court-evaluation-full.html 13/07/2011. • Marsden J et al. Effectiveness of community treatments for heroin and crack cocaine addiction in England: a prospective, in-treatment cohort study. The Lancet oct 2009 V37/9697;1262-70 Acknowledgements The Ttreatment Centers and all who accepted to participate My friend Pedro Manoel Santiago Costa working hard in this field. My friend Rodrigo Rio Branco master in Poster design Prof Katja Radon, MSc and Susanne Brilmayer, research Assistant from Klinikum der Universität München (LMU)