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Biomedical subjects

M Galanter

Publications and source records attributed to M Galanter.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Social network therapy for cocaine dependence.

The article describes an approach to the treatment of cocaine dependent patients in which the patient's social network is used to bolster his attempts to achieve stable abstinence. The network is drawn from persons close to the patient, typically members of his immediate family or close friends, and is used for social support in assuring compliance with the treatment regimen and in undercutting denial. The function of the regimen is explained to the patient and network members: It is conducted to assure the patient's abstinence from the outset of treatment, to mitigate against the occurrence of slips, and to support reintegration into treatment should relapses to alcohol or drug use occur.

Cocaine↗
PubMed1985

Self-destructive behavior in the substance abuser.

This article considers some of the psychophysiologic mechanisms that underlie the driven, apparently self-destructive behavior of addicted persons. The authors review the available literature on the association between suicidal behavior and substance abuse. These issues are discussed in the context of the epidemiology and phenomenology of self-destructive behavior.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Self-help groups for parents of young drug and alcohol abusers.

A national movement of parent self-help groups has recently emerged to combat drug abuse in children and adolescents. This innovative modality addresses a major mental health problem in an area where manpower shortages are anticipated. On the basis of self-report data from 135 parent group members, the drug and behavior problems of their children were evaluated. Improvement was reported in the community at large but more frequently in the children of members. The parent groups differed notably in structure and activities; nonetheless, the underlying psychology of membership, i.e., the shared attitudes and social cohesiveness of the members, facilitated the achieving of common goals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Engaged members of the Unification Church. Impact of a charismatic large group on adaptation and behavior.

This project was designed to study the psychological nature of compliance with unusual behavioral norms among members of a charismatic religious sect. Three hundred twenty-one members of the Unification Church had been placed into marital engagement a year previously in a highly unusual fashion: their partners were assigned to them by the group's leader as part of a religious ritual. The abrogation of contemporary norms for mate selection was not associated with increased psychological distress. Church-related life experiences, however, were perceived as being of considerable psychological impact. Multiple regression analyses further revealed that the vulnerability of respondents to perceived life disruption was relived by their affiliation to the sect. This "relief effect," associated with social and religious ties to the sect, apparently reinforces compliance with the group's behavorial norms, particularly since the manner of reinforcement is integrated into the social structure of the group.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1983

Physicians in alcoholism: a study of current status and future needs.

Members of the American Medical Society on Alcoholism were studied to shed light on medical manpower needs in the alcoholism field. Findings were compared to AMA and federal survey data for all American physicians. AMSA respondents were broadly distributed among specialties: primarily psychiatrists, internists, and family practitioners. They were evenly divided between office-based and institutional practice, and most were on medical school faculties. Regarding alcoholism treatment, they generally agreed that Alcoholics Anonymous is necessary and that nonmedical counsellors are effective, although their attitudes on the etiology of alcoholism were divided. This sample of physicians in alcoholism, although not inclusive of all in the field, represents a diverse group, with differing clinical and educational needs.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1983

Unification Church ("Moonie") dropouts: psychological readjustment after leaving a charismatic religious group.

Of 66 persons who left the Unification Church (the "Moonies"), twenty-three (36%) reported that they had had serious emotional problems after leaving. After an average of 3.8 years, however, the former members studied here had apparently achieved a stable adjustment. Most of them retained a notable fidelity toward the sect and its beliefs, but those who had been "deprogrammed" had more negative views and themselves had coerced other members to leave. The author examines the impact of group membership on individual development and looks at departure in relation to the psychopathology, such as depression and paranoid ideation, that may emerge.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1982

Charismatic religious sects and psychiatry: an overview.

Phenomena associated with contemporary charismatic religious sects raise questions about the combined impact of group influence and intensely held beliefs on group members' psychological functioning. The author considers the stages of membership in these sects, with emphasis on psychiatric aspects of conversion, long-term membership, and leaving. He discusses options for psychiatric intervention, including psychotherapy, conservatorships, and deprogramming. Systems theory is used to provide a psychological model for the relationship between group influence in these sects and current conceptions of individual psychopathology and normal adaptation.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1981

Alcoholism programs in the USSR and Yugoslavia: effects of the social context on treatment.

The social context in which alcoholism treatment takes place contributes greatly to its nature and outcome. This issue is examined in two socialist countries, based on site visits and literature review. A hospital-based treatment program and its related social Club system in Yugoslavia are part of a close-knit national treatment network oriented toward self-help and peer therapy. The principal approaches to alcoholism treatment in the USSR are closely integrated into the Communist social and political structure, and include sobering-up stations, factory-based clinics, hospital-based inpatient and outpatient facilities, and a quasi-penal system for recidivists. The impact of the following issues on alcoholism treatment is discussed: (1) the public information system, in both ideology and propaganda; (2) the state's regulation of deviant behavior, as a component of the medical treatment system; and finally, (3) the acceptable role for peer treatment in a given social context.

Aftercare↗
PubMed1980

Psychological induction into the large-group: findings from a modern religious sect.

The author studied the psychological aspects of religious conversion during structured 21-day workshop sequences designed to introduce people to the Unification Church. Subjects were given a battery of tests at different times during the sequence. After the initial 2-day workshop, 71% dropped out; the 29% who chose to continue had greater affiliative feelings toward the group and greater acceptance of the church's creed than these early dropouts. The 9% who ultimately joined the church had weaker outside personal ties than the later dropouts, although their beliefs in and cohesiveness toward the church were the same as the late dropouts. These results are also compared with long-standing members of the church and matched nonmembers. The induction procedures used by the church are discussed with regard to those used by large therapeutic groups, such as self-help organizations.

Group Processes↗
PubMed1980

Large group influence for decreased drug use: findings from two contemporary religious sects.

This paper reports on studies designed to clarify the role of large cohesive groups in effecting diminished drug use among their members. Subjects were drawn from two contemporary religious sects and data were obtained by administering self-report questionnaires under controlled conditions, in cooperation with the sects' leadership. Data which bear directly on changes in drug use are reported here. Members of the Divine Light Mission (DLM), many of whom had been involved in the "counterculture" of the early 1970s, reported incidence of drug use prior to joining which was much above that of a nonmember comparison group. Reported levels were considerably lower after joining, and the decline was maintained over an average membership of 2 years. Unification Church (UC) members showed a similar pattern but their drug use began at a somewhat lower level and declined further still; this reflects a stricter stance toward illicit intoxicants in the UC, and relatively less openness to transcendental altered consciousness, which is an integral part of DLM meditation. Data from persons registered for UC recruitment workshops corroborated retrospective reports of the long-standing members. Changes in the consumption of tranquilizers were also considered. Data on caffeine consumption reflected less strict commitment to controls over this agent. The decline in drug use was considered in relation to feelings of social cohesiveness toward fellow group members, which was a significant predictor of change in drug use in multiple regression analysis. The findings are examined in relation to the interplay between behavioral norms in a close-knit subculture and the role of its beliefs and values in determining levels of drug use.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Clinical fellowships in substance abuse: a new curriculum strategy.

Recognizing the effectiveness of substance abuse treatment is made easier when there is a steady supply of newly trained medical professionals who are competent in this specialty. University-based substance abuse treatment facilities have a clear obligation to educate such professionals. This article shows how three different medical colleges were able to establish new clinical fellowships in substance abuse so that teaching activities could be fostered at preexisting treatment sites. Fellowship activities varied from one place to the next, but at all three schools important momentum was generated on behalf of substance abuse education. These experiences provide models for those academicians and administrators who face the task of integrating educational and serivce delivery missions in the substance abuse field.

Community Mental Health Centers↗