This paper reviews research using the Collett-Lester fear of death scale and finds that the scale has acceptable reliability and validity. A revised version of the scale includes a more balanced number of items in each subscale, and a simplified scoring system. This paper presents both the original and the revised versions of the scale.

The collett-lester fear of death scale: The original version and a revision

Acute poisoning with organic solvents and other volatile compounds now usually follows deliberate inhalation (volatile substance abuse) or ingestion of these compounds. Solvents from adhesives, typewriter correction and dry cleaning fluids, cigarette lighter refills (butane) and aerosol propellants are commonly abused. The major risk is that of sudden death. Arrhythmias leading to cardiac arrest are thought to cause most deaths, but anoxia, respiratory depression and vagal stimulation leading to cardiac arrest may also contribute, as may indirect causes such as aspiration of vomit or trauma.

An introduction to the clinical toxicology of volatile substances.

Inhalants, a chemically heterogeneous group of psychoactive substances found in adhesives, lighter fluids, spray paints, cleaning fluids and typewriter correction fluid, may be used by up to 10% of young people. This article reviews the health effects, epidemiology, risk of other substance use and addiction and psychiatric co-morbidity associated with the practice of inhalant use.

Abuse of inhalants: a review

The possibility that chronic abuse of volatile substances can cause permanent neurological, psychiatric, and intellectual sequelae is critically reviewed. Toluene, present in the commonly used adhesives, is most often implicated in 'glue sniffing'; this review focuses on its potential long-term effects. Many criticisms--particularly poor matching of control samples and inability to distinguish between acute and chronic effects--can be levelled at the available studies, while no adequate follow-up studies have been performed. In the light of present knowledge, the possibility that permanent structural brain damage, with accompanying psychiatric manifestations, results from solvent abuse remains inconclusive.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/EB52963EEC057E4240F135B060A15B4E/S0007125000210040a.pdf/div-class-title-volatile-substance-abuse-a-review-of-possible-long-term-neurological-intellectual-and-psychiatric-sequelae-div.pdf

Volatile substance abuse: a review of possible long-term neurological, intellectual and psychiatric sequelae

Background: Medical care at the end of life remains poor. One approach to improving end-of-life care is through education of medical trainees. However, evidence regarding the structure of an ideal educational intervention is sparse. Objective: To test an innovative curriculum designed to improve medical resident knowledge and decrease anxiety surrounding end-of-life care. Methods: Quasiexperimental study of medical trainees in a large academic internal medicine residency. Attitudes and knowledge were measured at baseline and at completion of a 1-month clinical ward rotation for both control (n = 40) and intervention groups (n = 30) using the Collett-Lester Death Anxiety Scale (C-LDAS), the Semantic Differential Scale (SDS), and a 16-question knowledge-based test. Residents in the intervention group completed four 1-hour sessions focused on end-of-life issues. Results: Baseline anxiety levels were high while knowledge scores were poor. Linear regression modeling demonstrated that pretest scores were the st...

Palliative care education: an intervention to improve medical residents' knowledge and attitudes.

Sociodemographic, drug-taking history and psychological test data were collected from 133 male heroin addicts in treatment programs. Those addicts who had ever sniffed glue (26.4%) were characterized by a unique orientation toward death. Not only were they significantly more likely to have attempted suicide, but also they more often fantasized about death both while on heroin and when clean, and they acknowledged less fear of the pain/deterioration involved in dying as measured by the Collett-Lester Scales. In addition, they had on the average abused more than twice as many different substances as addicts without a glue use history.

Christopher D'amanda

Papers

Heroin Addicts with a History of Glue Sniffing: A Deviant Group within a Deviant Group

l-alpha-acetylmethadol and methadone in Buffalo: safety and efficacy.