Self-Perceptions of Heroin Addicts and No Addicts

The present research was designed to compare the self­ perception of hospitalized heroin addicts with that of nonaddicts. Both groups consisted of 40 males with ages between 17 to 28 years. The two groups were matched in terms of residential area, occupation, income and education. Both the groups were given Urdu Adjective Check List (UACL) in the form of a rating scale. The results indicated that heroin addicts differed significantly from the nonaddicts on each of the nine UACL scales used. The heroin addicts were significantly higher on the need for Aggression, Succorance and Abasement and significantly lower on the need for Achievement, Nurturance, Affiliation, Dominance, Intelli­gence and Emotional Stability. Analysis of some other items of UACL, not included in these scales, showed the heroin addicts to have an unfavorable body image and a poor perception of their ability in interpersonal relationships. They also perceived themselves as having high feelings of guilt and sin. The implications of these findings for treatment and rehabilitation of addicts have been discussed.