Discourse and autobiographical memory in drug users adolescents - São Paulo, 2007 / Discurso e memória autobiográfica em adolescentes usuários de drogas

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2007

RESUMO

Autobiographical memory is a long-term memory related to the individual and collective history that reflects cognitive, linguistic and affective skills. It becomes more elaborated in adolescence, phase of life during which most part of people experiment with alcohol and drugs. The aim of this thesis was to describe and relate the profile of the free verbal and stimulated autobiographical discourses of facts occurred during childhood in 77 adolescent drug users and non-users of both genders. Alcohol and/or drug users (n=37) were recruited from the Outpatient Clinic for Adolescents and Drugs of the Childhood and Adolescence Psychiatric Service (SEPIA) of the Psychiatry Institute (IPq) of Hospital das Clínicas of Sao Paulo University Medical School (HCFMUSP) and non-users (n=40) attended public elementary school in São Paulo city. Free verbal autobiographical discourse was analyzed based on two models: Peterson and McCabe (1983) - which privileges the discourse structure through the identification of the elements setting, complication, internal response, attempt, consequence and reaction - and Brown et al. (1986) - which verifies the themes of memories (personal, public and occupational). Furthermore, questionnaires for the evaluation of the autobiographical (Borrini et al., 1989) and semantic memory with autobiographical characteristics (Kihlstrom and Schacter, 1995) were applied. Although significant differences related to the themes (Brown et al., 1986) were not found, in accordance with the model proposed by Peterson and McCabe (1983), users, in general, presented lower incidence of discourse structures than non-users and male users had worse performance than other subjects. This result was similar for the semantic memory with autobiographical characteristics (Kihlstrom and Schacter, 1995). For the autobiographical memory questionnaire (Borrini et al., 1989), similar performances between users and non-users were found. However, male users presented fewer memories than both male non-users and female users. Moreover, male non-users also presented fewer memories than female non-users. This thesis verified that, although all subjects talk about similar themes, mainly related to personal issues, drug users had greater difficulty to access their autobiographical memories, both in the free verbal and stimulated autobiographical discourses of facts occurred during childhood. This data is seemingly indicative of cognitive and linguistic impairment resulting from the drug use and also of questions related to the impact drugs have in the search processes for new knowledge and socialization. Females (users and non-users) apparently have a more homogeneous profile than males (users and non-users). semantic memory with autobiographical characteristics (Kihlstrom and Schacter, 1995). For the autobiographical memory questionnaire (Borrini et al., 1989), similar performances between users and non-users were found. However, male users presented fewer memories than both male non-users and female users. Moreover, male non-users also presented fewer memories than female non-users. This thesis verified that, although all subjects talk about similar themes, mainly related to personal issues, drug users had greater difficulty to access their autobiographical memories, both in the free verbal and stimulated autobiographical discourses of facts occurred during childhood. This data is seemingly indicative of cognitive and linguistic impairment resulting from the drug use and also of questions related to the impact drugs have in the search processes for new knowledge and socialization. Females (users and non-users) apparently have a more homogeneous profile than males (users and non-users).

ASSUNTO(S)

transtornos relacionados ao uso de substâncias language linguagem adolescent autobiografia adolescente autobiography memória memory substance- related disorders

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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