Benedict, Elysia (5/14) The role of insight in seeking treatment for cocaine use: relationship to cognitive functioning and reward sensitivity (Kevin B. Meehan, Ph.D.; Lisa Wallner Samstag, Ph.D.;Paul Michael Ramirez, Ph.D.)
This study aimed to examine the relationship between capacity and motivation for insight, psychological mindedness, cognitive functioning and treatment seeking. Cocaine nontreatment seeking participants (n = 30), and cocaine treatment seeking participants (n= 30) were administered measures of insight (Behavioral Insight Measure; BIM), executive function, working memory, a general cognitive screening measure, and psychological mindedness (Balanced Index of Psychological Mindedness; BIPM); archival BIPM data was collected from non-drug abusing treatment seeking participants (n = 30). The insight measure on the BIM was administered twice with confidence ratings, with and without monetary earnings. Contrary to hypotheses, there were no statistically significant between-group differences in self-reported psychological mindedness, or on performance on the insight task, regardless of cognitive task performance, or monetary contingency. The cocaine groups did not differ cognitively, except for performance on a visuospatial copy task. While not statistically significant, several findings showed small to medium effects, including differences in self-reported insight, executive function, verbal memory, and cocaine image selection. Also, cocaine nontreatment seekers rated their accuracy on the insight task with significantly more confidence than cocaine treatment seekers, with a medium to large effect size. In conclusion, among cocaine-abusing individuals, clinical differences according to treatment seeking status may be more state than trait dependent, and therefore cannot be consistently quantified. The discrepancy between self-perception and actual behavior among nontreatment seekers suggests an avenue for therapeutic intervention.
