Social skills in crack users: Differences between men and women

Abstract

Low levels of social skills in drug users are reported in the literature. However, specific characteristics of these users need to be identified and comprehended. Thus, we aim to evaluate and compare the social skills of men and women crack users and to determine the existence or not of differences in these behaviors. A cross-sectional, quantitative, and comparative research was performed. A total of 127 (65 men and 62 women) crack users in treatment for drug use participated in the study. Results demonstrate significantly higher averages of social skills among women than among men in the total score (t = 2.020; p = 0.046), self-assertion in the expression of positive affect (t = 2.755; p = 0.007), and conversation and social confidence (t = 2.101; p = 0.038). In conclusion, there is a unique repertoire of social skills in men and women in this study, showing that among men crack users, there were greater difficulties in the expression of positive feelings and social confidence, while there was more difficulty in expressing unpleasantness and dealing with negative feelings among women. Thus, this study emphasizes the importance of the development of interventions focused on learning and improving social skills for the crack user population, considering the differences between men and women.