The Use of Cooperative Games to Treat Crack- Dependent Patients Hospitalized at a Detoxication Unit

Mailing address: Rua Pedro Oliveira Bittencourt, 171/04, Bairro Tristeza 91900-230 Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of cooperative games to help dealing with craving and anxiety, as well as to motivate change in the addictive behavior of crack/cocaine-dependent patients hospitalized at a detoxication unit. In order to do that, a quasi-experimental clinical trial, involving 30 male subjects, age ranging from 18 to 50 years, crack/cocaine-dependent users, distributed in 8 groups, was carried out. The instruments used were: social and demographic data sheet; mini-mental state examination; University of Rhode Island Change Assessment scale (URICA); Beck anxiety inventory (BAI) and visual analogue scale (VAS). Cocaine transformed into crack images and videos were presented with the objective to induce craving and, after that, the VAS, URICA and BAI were applied. Afterwards, a Cooperative Game workshop was carried out, and the above instruments used again. A significant difference concerning craving and anxiety symptoms after the use of cooperative games (p < 0.001) was found; however, there was no difference in motivation to change the addictive behavior. Therefore, we conclude that cooperative games can be an important instrument to treat crack/cocaine-dependent patients.