Abstracts Psychology

The use of the cognitive-behavioral relapse model in understanding individuals with relapse in inhalant abuse, a preliminary study

by Chantal Louise. Lisowski

The purpose of this preliminary study was to explore the usefulness of Marlatt's Cognitive-Behavioral Relapse model in understanding inhalant abuse relapse. Understanding the nature of relapse through an existing model is fundamental to exploring and understanding inhalant abuse relapse. The present qualitative study consisted of two in depth interviews, one with an Aboriginal adult female and the other with an Aboriginal adult male. Both are recovering inhalant abusers who had received treatment, although relapsed the day they returned to their community. Analysis of the reports suggest these two individuals report similar relapse factors to those described in the literature by Marlatt's Cognitive-Behavioral Relapse Model (e.g., low perceived self-control/self-efficacy, ineffective cognitive and behavioral responses in the high-risk situation, attending to the positive outcome expectancies for the initial effects of the substance, dissonance conflict and self-attribution). However, the validity of one participant's results may have been compromised due to social desirability factors, lack of rapport with the examiner, and the difficulty in expressing one's true feelings. As the relapse factors are similar, it seems that Marlatt's model could be useful in understanding and explaining inhalant abuse relapse. Both interviewees felt they needed more support in aftercare and stressed that this be "quality" support in addition, very strong themes of "personal challenges" (e.g., peer pressure to sniff inhalants, extreme difficulty in quitting-sniff ) were found.