Showing papers in "Addiction Research & Theory in 2009"
TL;DR: The authors found that AA and related 12-step treatment are at least as helpful as other intervention approaches, but they did not specify exactly how to evaluate the effectiveness of AA and its interventions.
Abstract: Rigorous reviews of the science on the effectiveness of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) indicate that AA and related 12-step treatment are at least as helpful as other intervention approaches. Exactly ho...
237 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present an in-depth study illuminating how experiences of addiction and accompanying feelings, thoughts and expressions appear to the participant in the context of her life, focusing on the participant's engagement with alcohol as an experience of flux and instability and how it impacts on her sense of self.
Abstract: This article presents an in-depth study illuminating how experiences of addiction and accompanying feelings, thoughts and expressions appear to the participant in the context of her life. It focuses on the participant's engagement with alcohol as an experience of flux and instability and how it impacts on her sense of self. The study reports data from semi-structured interviews with a female participant, analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). The results are considered in relation to relevant literature, including research on addiction and recovery, works on self and identity and theory and use of metaphor. It is suggested that IPA provides an opportunity to build up a rich picture of subjective-felt experience, and thus to contribute to existing psychological research a subjective perspective not often addressed in psychological accounts of addictive behaviour.
152 citations
TL;DR: A wider-ranging framework for understanding and explaining trends in alcohol consumption is proposed, illustrating the operation of the factors with historical or contemporary examples and the range of societal or cultural responses to alcohol problems.
Abstract: The term ‘saturation’ has often been used when alcohol consumption in a region stays the same despite there having been reason to expect an increase, e.g. after a decrease of taxation. However, the term ‘saturation’ has been used only descriptively, and in different ways. We therefore propose a wider-ranging framework for understanding and explaining trends in alcohol consumption, illustrating the operation of the factors with historical or contemporary examples. In the framework, we include not only taxes and other alcohol controls, but also situational and other norms on drinking and intoxication, competing responsibilities and attractions that demand or favour sobriety, structural changes, external influences and the range of societal or cultural responses to alcohol problems.
68 citations
TL;DR: This research demonstrates that believing in free will–that is, believing that one has control over one's actions–has societal implications and encourages a view of addiction that allows people to sustain a belief in freeWill and to take responsibility for choices and actions.
Abstract: Whether people believe that they have control over their behaviors is an issue that is centrally involved in definitions of addiction. Our research demonstrates that believing in free will - that is, believing that one has control over one's actions - has societal implications. Experimentally weakening free will beliefs led to cheating, stealing, aggression, and reduced helping. Bolstering free will beliefs did not change participants' behavior relative to a baseline condition, suggesting that most of the time people possess a belief in free will. We encourage a view of addiction that allows people to sustain a belief in free will and to take responsibility for choices and actions.
56 citations
TL;DR: It is argued for a third approach that utilizes the theoretical and methodological strengths of the cultural studies approach, while combining it with perspectives that allow us to comprehend the role that drugs play within these scenes and the roles of pleasure and risk within them.
Abstract: The public perceptions of clubs and drugs reveal the existence of two opposing discourses. One, an official discourse, characterizes dance events and taking drugs as spaces of excess risk, which need to be controlled and regulated. The other, as exemplified in accounts of the participants themselves, emphasizes the pleasures and importance of these activities. The dichotomous nature of the discourses is not that surprising as many researchers have noted that adult concerns with youthful practices have been witnessed many times before. What is more surprising is the extent to which a division between perspectives on and approaches to understanding raves and drug use can be found not just in the contrast between official/government approaches and dance event participants, but also within scholarly work. Scholarship on raves, the dance scenes, and club drugs can be divided into two immensely differing traditions: epidemiological and cultural studies approaches. The cultural studies approach acts as a much-ne...
47 citations
TL;DR: The wide majority of the population supported such measures suitable for community-based prevention as enforcement of the minimum legal age to purchase alcohol, surveillance of restaurants and shops, and the ban to sell alcohol to a drunken person.
Abstract: Aim: This article looks at alcohol policy opinions from the point of view of the possibilities and frames for creating local alcohol control policy. Local action against harms related to drinking is a compromise between different points of view, and the question of public support is important for community-based prevention. Data and analyses: The respondents of a postal questionnaire were asked if they supported different alcohol policy measures, and logistic regression analyses were carried out to examine the impact of the demographic characteristics, drinking measures and observations of alcohol-related harms in the community. Results: The wide majority of the population supported such measures suitable for community-based prevention as enforcement of the minimum legal age to purchase alcohol, surveillance of restaurants and shops, and the ban to sell alcohol to a drunken person. Decreasing numbers of outlets of restaurants or their opening hours were least popular. There was a relationship between drinking habits and alcohol policy opinions. Abstainers and moderate drinkers were most likely to support all alcohol policy measures examined, whilst heavier drinkers were least likely to support them. There was a connection between awareness of alcohol problems in one’s locality, and favourable opinions on alcohol control measures. The result is similar with the ones found earlier in other countries. Conclusion: Potential members of local alcohol policy coalitions seem to have some similarities in different countries.
43 citations
TL;DR: Whether high-risk drinking patterns are restricted to a few high-volume drinkers or are evenly distributed across the population to inform discussion regarding the optimal mix of targeted versus universal prevention strategies is investigated.
Abstract: We investigated whether high-risk drinking patterns are restricted to a few high-volume drinkers or are evenly distributed across the population to inform discussion regarding the optimal mix of targeted versus universal prevention strategies. Drinking patterns reported in the 2004 Canadian Addiction Survey (CAS, n = 13,909) were assessed against various low-risk drinking guidelines. Under-reporting was assessed against known alcohol sales for 2004. Non-response bias due to the low response rate (47%) was investigated through comparisons with the 2002 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS). Self-reported alcohol consumption for the past week and past year accounted for between 31.9% and 37.0%, respectively of official alcohol sales data. Comparisons with the 2002 CCHS suggested only limited non-response bias. Many more respondents regularly placed themselves at risk of short-term harm (20.6%) than exceeded guidelines for avoiding long-term health problems (3.9%). Ten percent of respondents consumed more ...
43 citations
TL;DR: Findings indicate that even in a highly selected subset of young adults–undergraduates attending a prestigious private university–associations may be present between indices of prefrontal cortex dysfunction and alcohol consumption, perhaps reflecting traits that predispose to heavy drinking.
Abstract: Deficits of prefrontal cortex functioning and associated executive cognitive impairments are well-known correlates of chronic alcoholism and may reflect cumulative effects of high alcohol exposure. However, such associations may also reflect traits predating alcohol exposure which predispose to heavy drinking. In the present investigation, 60 university undergraduates aged 18–25 years were administered the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe), and Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ). All participants reported they were at least occasional drinkers who rarely or never used illicit drugs and had no reported history of head injury or neurological problems. All were sober at time of testing. AUDIT total scores were positively correlated with both FrSBe Disinhibition scores and SPSRQ Reward Sensitivity scores. The latter were negatively correlated with age at onset of regular alcohol use. High risk drinkers (as defined b...
42 citations
TL;DR: It is posited that demarginalization is a critical component in engaging “hard-to-reach” populations in substance abuse treatment and listening to consumer voices about what is/is not meaningful to them in treatment can reveal much about program uptake or disconnect.
Abstract: This article reports stories of demarginalization in treatment as told by participants of a nonabstinence-based treatment program based on a harm reduction model targeting homeless active users. The stories told are ones where drug users–marginalized due to their drug and/or alcohol use–experienced the treatment setting in a destigmatizing, normalizing, humanizing and nonjudgmental manner. The purpose of this article is to describe the sense of demarginalization that participants experienced and to posit that demarginalization is a critical component in engaging “hard-to-reach” populations in substance abuse treatment. It assumes that listening to consumer voices about what is/is not meaningful to them in treatment can reveal much about program uptake or disconnect.
41 citations
TL;DR: It is concluded that use of drugs is widespread among the MSM surveyed, and there is an urgent need for drug prevention and treatment interventions, which are accessible and acceptable to MSM.
Abstract: This article aims to examine patterns of and concerns about drug use among a convenience sample of MSM in 2005, and compare the prevalence of illicit drug use among 1999 and 2005 samples of MSM in England and Wales. It draws on data from cross-sectional surveys of MSM in gay community venues and services across England and Wales, 2480 in 1999 and 3913 in 2005. We report that in 2005, cocaine, cannabis and alkyl nitrites were the drugs most commonly used in the previous year by MSM inside and outside London. Drug use was significantly more common among men who were younger and resided in London, and among those who reported greater numbers of male sexual partners and were HIV-positive. Frequency of use was generally high among those who used a drug, and poly-drug use was also high. A substantial minority of men who used illicit drugs were worried about use. More men in 2005 than in 1999 reported using various drugs including cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine. We conclude that use of drugs is widespread among t...
39 citations
TL;DR: Analytical examination of poly-substance use patterns is a distinct challenge for meaningful drug use monitoring, also providing important evidence for targeted prevention and treatment interventions.
Abstract: ‘Poly-substance use’ is increasingly prevalent among street drug user populations. The objective was to employ latent class analysis (LCA) to empirically categorize and extract potential typologies of poly-substance users within a multi-site cohort of illicit opioid and other drug users (OPICAN) in Canada, and examine potential associations with social and health indicators. Drug use patterns of 582 participants from the most recent follow-up (2005) of the cohort study–focusing on drug use prevalence indicators in the past 30 days–were empirically analyzed via LCA. These classes were further examined for associations with social and health variables using chi-square, ANOVA. Binomial logistic regression models were used to predict class membership. LCA analysis resulted in eight distinct user typologies, characterized both by the distinct relative prevalence of different substances (e.g., including: heroin, prescription opioids, benzodiazepines, cocaine, crack, alcohol, cannabis, and others) used and admin...
TL;DR: Adolescent DU and intention of DU were significantly predicted by AIU, which is mediated by PDA, ADA, and perceived social norm of DU, which suggests that prevention education of DU should be strengthened among young internet users.
Abstract: Background: Drug use (DU) and addictive internet use (AIU) are two increasing risk behaviors among youth in China. However, little information is available on the relationship between addictive internet use and DU. Therefore, we investigate the role of AIU on DU behavior and its impact on the variables such as pro-drug attitude (PDA), anti-drug attitude (ADA), social norm of drugs and intentions on DU.Method: A total of 3018 students (47% boys, 53% girls), who were from 15 secondary schools (five middle schools, five academic high schools, and five vocational high schools) and one university in Wuhan, China, completed paper-and-pencil questionnaires during class-time. A conceptual model was developed based on Reasoned Behavior Theory. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the proposed model.Results: The prevalence rate of internet addiction and DU are 5 and 4%, respectively. In the SEM model (GFI = 0.920, AGFI = 0.907, RMSEA = 0.047), adolescent DU and intention of DU were significantly pred...
TL;DR: Investigating how adolescents learn to become alcohol users in a country like Denmark, characterised by extensive drunkenness among young people and a low number of abstainers among adults, reveals that crucial for becoming an alcohol user is the demystification of the risk experience associated with alcohol intoxication and the learning to find pleasure in losing control.
Abstract: This article investigates how adolescents learn to become alcohol users in a country like Denmark, characterised by extensive drunkenness among young people and a low number of abstainers among adults. Inspired by Howard Becker's study (1953) on marijuana use, the article reveals that just as a road to ‘becoming a marijuana user’ exists, so does a road to becoming an alcohol user. Integrating Becker's three learning steps with modern socio-cultural theories of risk and the notion of ‘controlled loss of control’ leads to findings that crucial for becoming an alcohol user is the demystification of the risk experience associated with alcohol intoxication and the learning to find pleasure in losing control. Both the adolescents and the parents of adolescents share this perception although for different reasons. The analyses are based on quantitative and qualitative material: A survey of 2000 adolescents aged 15–16 years, 28 focus group interviews with adolescents, and 8 focus group interviews with parents.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors considered Bourdieu's theory of symbolic violence in the context of public injecting environments in an urban location in the South West of England and found that symbolic violence was present in the policies and practices of the local municipal council in question but also in the attitudes and beliefs of a sample of its employees dealing directly with public injectors.
Abstract: The concept of symbolic violence as developed by Pierre Bourdieu concerns the way in which social and cultural control is tacitly maintained by the dominating and the dominated within a given milieu. This article considers Bourdieu's theory of symbolic violence in the context of public injecting environments in an urban location in the South West of England. Specifically, symbolic violence was considered to be present in the policies and practices of the local municipal council in question but also in the attitudes and beliefs of a sample of its employees dealing directly with public injectors. Similar structures and views were also noted within the local private sector (businesses and retail stores). Consequently, symbolic violence was interpreted in the displacement of public injecting sites, dispersal of drug users and within the negative opinions held of public injecting drug users. It is through these practices that symbolic violence precedes ‘micro-spatial structural violence’ involving the exacerba...
TL;DR: The majority of the participants indicated backgrounds of intense psychosocial and socio-structural hardship, an unstable family life, childhood abuse and environments where drug use is prominent all helped to reinforce a sense of inevitability in some participants.
Abstract: Previous literature has identified several factors associated with the initiation of injection drug use; we add to this literature by focussing on the biological, psychosocial, socio-cultural and socio-structural processes that play a role in injection initiation. We identified three necessary processes. Firstly, one must already have developed a conception of drugs as creating desired effects. Secondly, initiation is born out of a social context through interaction with injection drug users. Lastly, the medical mismanagement of pain was a necessary process for a small number of participants. This article also sheds some light on how and why such necessary processes develop. In general, the majority of the participants indicated backgrounds of intense psychosocial and socio-structural hardship. An unstable family life, childhood abuse and environments where drug use is prominent all helped to reinforce a sense of inevitability in some participants.
TL;DR: In this article, the prevalence of self-reported alexithymia in a group of newly abstinent substance abusers (N = 40) was found to be 50%, which was considerably higher than that found in normal and psychiatric outpatient samples.
Abstract: Substance abusers report that they have deficits in emotional processing (“alexithymia”; Taylor et al. ), but is their actual emotional processing performance actually deficient? The prevalence of self-reported alexithymia in a group of newly abstinent substance abusers (N = 40) was 50%, which is considerably higher than that found in normal and psychiatric outpatient samples. However, the actual performance of this group on a task that required them to identify and describe feelings was not significantly different from either a group of university students (after controlling for IQ, age, and gender) or a normal group of adults. In addition, there was no relationship between self-reported and actual emotional processing performance, which is contrary to what has been found in a normal sample. Substance abusers believe they are more alexithymic than others, but do not perform as if they are so.
TL;DR: It is shown how crystal meth filled a functional niche in the lives of many young men, alleviating boredom and anomie linked to recent socioeconomic changes and changing labor opportunities, and intersecting with local understandings of masculinity and forms of military identity.
Abstract: Rural areas and American Indian reservations are hotspots for the use of crystal methamphetamine ("meth") in the United States, yet there is little ethnographic data describing meth use in these areas. This study draws upon three years of ethnographic work conducted with American Indian and White youth in Appalachia during the height of the meth epidemic. It describes how historical, cultural, and socioeconomic processes influence vulnerability to meth use in Appalachia, and highlights the role of social relationships and meaning-making in facilitating desistance and recovery from meth use. The first section shows how crystal meth filled a particular functional niche in the lives of many young men, alleviating boredom and anomie linked to recent socioeconomic changes and labor opportunities in the region, and intersecting with local understandings of masculinity and forms of military identity. Here, ethnographic and interview data converge to illustrate how social role expectations, recent socioeconomic change, and meth's pharmacological properties converge to create vulnerability to meth use in Appalachia. The second section draws upon two American Indian narratives of desistance. These youth described recently severed social relationships and acute feelings of social isolation during the initiation of meth use. Both also described dramatic close calls with death that facilitated their eventual desistance from use, involving repaired social relationships and the establishment of new lives and hope. These interviews illustrate how changes in social relationships were linked with both initiation and desistance from meth use, and how religious interpretations of near-death experiences structured narratives of cessation and redemption.
TL;DR: Although most inmates intended to remain abstinent from heroin after their release, the relapse rates among individuals who had not commenced treatment were high, and Naltrexone implants were regarded as a valuable treatment option.
Abstract: Opioid-dependent individuals are frequently incarcerated and relapse rates following their release are high. Evidence of the effectiveness of prison-based treatments and community aftercare is limited. We report the preliminary findings of a randomized controlled trial that encountered specific challenges inherent in prison research. Naltrexone implants were compared with methadone maintenance treatment among pre-release inmates. Naltrexone implants have not previously been evaluated in prison settings. Approximately 41% of eligible inmates volunteered to participate; 27 of the total 46 participants commenced treatment according to the protocol. Although most inmates intended to remain abstinent from heroin after their release, the relapse rates among individuals who had not commenced treatment were high. Naltrexone implants were regarded as a valuable treatment option. During the study, several problems were encountered regarding enrollment, treatment initiation and aftercare. These findings have importa...
TL;DR: The aim of this study was to investigate whether drug abusers are subject to a higher-than-usual risk of fatal overdose immediately after release from prison, to assess the length of the high-risk period and to investigate the net effect of imprisonment–the pooled effect of both imprisonment and release–on overdose death.
Abstract: This study was designed to supplement knowledge of three aspects of fatal overdose and imprisonment. Our aims were to investigate whether drug abusers are subject to a higher-than-usual risk of fatal overdose immediately after release from prison, to assess the length of the high-risk period and to investigate the net effect of imprisonment–the pooled effect of both imprisonment and release–on overdose death.The analyses were conducted on the basis of data from a cohort of 338 imprisoned Norwegian drug abusers. Cox regression models were applied including the explanatory time-dependent covariate for imprisonment and the post-release period. We find that the risk of death from overdose during the 2 weeks after release from prison was 10 times higher, and during the 3-week period six times higher, than during other time spent outside prison. An elevated risk was also indicated for the fourth week. Taking into account findings in the literature, the period of elevated risk should be considered to last up to ...
TL;DR: In this paper, an exploratory investigation of client factors associated with treatment attrition and failure 6 months following treatment by female pathological gamblers was carried out and the results indicated that participants displaying uncontrolled treatment outcomes reported significantly more severe gambling behaviour than participants achieving abstinent or controlled treatment outcomes.
Abstract: The current study was an exploratory investigation of client factors associated with treatment attrition and failure 6 months following treatment by female pathological gamblers. The sample comprised 77 females attending a cognitive-behavioural treatment program for pathological gambling. Participants were compared on selected client factors that have been traditionally associated with attrition and outcome in the alcohol and substance dependence literature. The results indicate that although treatment dropouts and completers did not differ on any client factor, participants displaying uncontrolled treatment outcomes reported significantly more severe gambling behaviour than participants achieving abstinent or controlled treatment outcomes. Clinicians can respond to these indicators of higher risk of treatment failure by increasing the emphasis of relapse prevention approaches in pathological gambling interventions.
TL;DR: Although frequent users are at increased risk of harms, greater balance of sensitivity with specificity is obtained with the ASSIST screening tool using a somewhat higher threshold than what is suggested in clinical applications of the instrument.
Abstract: Health and social harms from cannabis use typically are assessed by comparing those who use to those who do not use. Recognizing that not all use of cannabis is necessarily problematic, we examine rates of self-reported harms as a function of frequency of use. Second, we assess the effectiveness of the cannabis portion of the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) as a screening tool for identifying problematic cannabis users. Data come from the Canadian Addiction Survey (CAS; N = 13,909) and the 2006 NWT Addictions Survey (2006 NWTAS; N = 1235). Results from both surveys indicate that harms are most likely among weekly and daily users. Although frequent users are at increased risk of harms, greater balance of sensitivity with specificity is obtained with the ASSIST screening tool using a somewhat higher threshold than what is suggested in clinical applications of the instrument. Implications for this higher threshold for public policy are discussed.
TL;DR: The findings complement theoretical assertions of the critical role of alcohol cognitions in directly influencing alcohol consumption and strengthen support for the influence of environmental context on retrieval of alcohol Cognitions in memory and on drinking behavior.
Abstract: The present experimental study sought to demonstrate the effects of environmental context on accessibility of alcohol-related cognitions and immediate alcohol consumption. Fifty-six males were randomly assigned and exposed to either a simulated bar (alcohol contextual prime) or a neutral laboratory (neutral prime). Memory accessibility was measured using implicit memory association measures and immediate drinking behavior was measured unobtrusively using a taste-rating task. Contextually primed participants reported significantly more alcohol-related memory associations to ambiguous stimuli and exhibited significantly greater alcohol consumption than controls. These results strengthen support for the influence of environmental context on retrieval of alcohol cognitions in memory and on drinking behavior. Our findings complement theoretical assertions of the critical role of alcohol cognitions in directly influencing alcohol consumption.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe the relative effectiveness of contingency management and 12-step treatments for substance dependence from the perspective of picoeconomics, and discuss other implications of behavioral economics for the field of addiction.
Abstract: The branch of behavioral economics called “picoeconomics” (Ainslie ) models behavior as the competition between successive motivational states within the individual. This approach is particularly well suited for investigating addiction and recovery from addiction. We begin by outlining behavioral findings that provide the foundation for picoeconomics. Next we discuss strategies of self-control available to the individual guarding against her own anticipated preference reversals, and also consider negative side effects of these self-control strategies. These generally overlooked side effects include the tendency for lapses to lead to binges – the “abstinence violation effect”. Finally, we describe the relative effectiveness of contingency management and 12-step treatments for substance dependence from the perspective of picoeconomics, and discuss other implications of picoeconomics for the field of addiction.
TL;DR: What keyworkers perceive as going on in drug working sessions in the criminal justice system is assessed, providing little support for the delivery of evidence-based psychosocial interventions in mandated drug treatment services.
Abstract: There is evidence that treatment for opiate addiction is effective in reducing drug use and offending (Prendergast et al. ; Gossop et al. ), based on effective combinations of substitution prescribing and evidenced psychosocial treatments (McLellan et al. ), yet concerns that few structured interventions are delivered in ‘real life’ settings. The current study assessed what keyworkers perceive as going on in drug working sessions in the criminal justice system. To assess what is actually delivered, cross-sectional case reviews were undertaken of 344 files of drug-using offenders in treatment, and interviews with the 35 keyworkers delivering case management and psychosocial interventions to the clients in these cases. This constituted all the active cases in the Drug Intervention Programme (DIP) in Birmingham, UK. Clients were typically seen for a mean of 44.3 min per session, in which time a range of tasks were undertaken, and workers estimating that evidenced interventions accounted for an average of 10 ...
TL;DR: This paper examined the utility of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in explaining intentions and behavior to remain smoke-free, and found that intentions to remain smoking-free were significantly predicted by attitudes and perceived behavioral control (PBC).
Abstract: This study, the first to examine the utility of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in explaining intentions and behavior to remain smoke-free, generated smoke-free related beliefs in adolescents and examined their association to the TPB global constructs (i.e., attitudes, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control (PBC), intention, and behavior) 1 month later in a population of intermediate students (N = 214) in Prince Edward Island, Canada. The results showed that intentions to remain smoke-free were significantly predicted by attitudes and PBC, whereas smoke-free behavior was determined by PBC. From a global TPB perspective, PBC appears to be the dominant variable within the TPB framework on which to guide a smoke-free adolescent intervention. These results have the potential to inform new interventions that address remaining smoke-free that are relevant to adolescents. However, the preliminary nature of these findings warrant further study before any firm conclusions can be drawn.
TL;DR: In this paper, a substance abuse treatment sample of 53 adolescents in the Washington, DC, area was used to investigate the influence of individual and neighborhood characteristics on substance use utilizing logistic regression.
Abstract: A substance abuse treatment sample of 53 adolescents in the Washington, DC, area was used to investigate the influence of individual and neighborhood characteristics on substance use utilizing logistic regression. Cross-validation evaluated model performance. Results of separate individual and neighborhood models indicate that subjects’ race and family history of psychological problems influence the likelihood of substance use, as does the racial makeup and population density of subjects’ home neighborhoods. In models that combine individual and neighborhood factors, however, proximity to crime was found to offer a greater degree of explanatory power than a subject's race or neighborhood population density. This finding suggests that the influence of race on substance abuse appears to be mediated in part by geographic characteristics of adolescents’ home neighborhood, particularly urban crime. Results provide support for combining individual and neighborhood variables, or an ecological framework, when exa...
TL;DR: In this paper, a study included 37 international experts on gambling, 34 nonpathological gamblers and 32 pathological gamblers, who were asked about impaired control on electronic gambling machines.
Abstract: How do experts in the field of gambling and lay people represent the notion of impaired control (IC) on electronic gambling machines? This study included 37 international experts on gambling, 34 non-pathological gamblers and 32 pathological gamblers. Participation took place in the form of focus groups for gamblers and on the Internet for experts. The mixed methodology of concept mapping was used for comparing the representation of IC by the different groups. It relied on multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis. Qualitative and quantitative analysis revealed an important similarity between experts’ and gamblers’ representation of IC. When respondents were asked about IC, they referred essentially to excessive gambling, irrational cognitions surrounding gambling and negative consequences following excessive gambling. Although considered as central in the conceptualization of problem gambling and often relied upon in clinical practice, IC is not a straightforward and unidimensional concept. Therefore,...
TL;DR: Investigations should serve primarily to help IDUs recognize the advantages of adopting this behaviour and develop skills to overcome certain obstacles, and show that perceived behavioural control and attitude predicted intention.
Abstract: Beyond the risk of HIV and HVC transmission associated with needle sharing, re-using one's own syringe constitutes an additional risk for injection drug users (IDUs). This practice can lead to serious infections such as cellulitis and endocarditis. In order better to target interventions promoting the adoption of this behaviour, this study attempts to identify factors associated with IDUs’ intention always to use a new syringe. The Theory of Planned Behaviour was applied in the development of the questionnaire administered to 117 IDUs during an interview. Over a period of 1 week, 35.7% of respondents failed to consistently use new syringes and only 39% of the entire sample indicated a firm intention to adopt this behaviour. A regression analysis demonstrated that perceived behavioural control and attitude predicted intention. Results indicate that interventions should serve primarily to help IDUs recognize the advantages of adopting this behaviour and develop skills to overcome certain obstacles.
TL;DR: The survey found little evidence of hazardous illegal drug-related litter (number of sets of needles/syringes) in comparison to alcohol litter such as broken bottles, and it is recommended that certain off-trade alcohol distributers switch from glass to plastic bottles.
Abstract: This article investigates the nature and extent of alcohol and other drug-related litter in a residential community. This was done by means of a survey of such litter conducted in the social housing ‘schemes’ of a Scottish town, piloting the use of interpretive photography to assess the threat that these pose in the community (n = 1239 pictures of such items). The survey found little evidence of hazardous illegal drug-related litter (number of sets of needles/syringes) in comparison to alcohol litter such as broken bottles. The photographs taken also illustrated the ways in which the risks posed by such litter could vary, according to the type of items concerned (e.g. plastic vs. glass, especially screw-cap, bottles) and their locations. It is also suggested that brand identifiable alcohol litter may act as form of free advertising. These findings are discussed in terms of community safety, and the need to raise awareness of the issues surrounding alcohol-related glass in a community setting as has alread...
TL;DR: This paper examined urban adolescents' experiences of completing a brief, substance use treatment protocol and found common themes of new awareness of self in relation to substance use, utility of social networks in providing ongoing support, and hopeful future self-narratives.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine urban adolescents’ experiences of completing a brief, substance use treatment protocol. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2006 with 23 patients to better understand their treatment experience, the subsequent impact on their social networks and self-narrative reflections. Results suggest common themes of new awareness of self in relation to substance use, utility of social networks in providing ongoing support, and hopeful future self-narratives. Participants named and evaluated all the substances that they could think of, with marijuana most frequently named and rated as good (65% of patients), indicating a positive attitude toward this drug. In general, we conclude that these qualitative data provide evidence of the effectiveness of brief substance abuse treatment for urban adolescents.