“Check-Out My Bottle Collection

Abstract

Alcohol and other drug (AOD) use behaviors of health professions students (HPS) were assessed by surveying both university-based HPS and other nursing programs in a Midwestern state in 1999. Response was 2,646 (56.4%) of surveyed students. Family history of alcohol-related and drug-related problems were reported by 39.8% and 13.9%, respectively, with 42.6% of respondents reporting one or both. Among nursing respondents, 48.1%, 19.2%, and 51.1%, respectively, reported family problems with alcohol, drugs, or one or both. Past-year alcohol use was comparable to undergraduate college students (UCS) nationally (83%); heavy drinking, tobacco, and recreational drug use by HPS were lower. Past year drug use was highest among medical students. Marijuana was the predominant illicit drug; medical students and males most often reported use. Health professions educational systems should proactively address student AOD prevention, education, and assistance needs.     

Survey of Alcohol and Other Drug Use Attitudes and Behaviors in Nursing Students

ABSTRACT

Statewide nursing student alcohol and other drug (AOD) use attitudes and behaviors were assessed. Response was 929/2017 (46%) (practical nursing [n = 173/301] 57.3%; diploma and associate degree in nursing [n = 282/417] 67.6%; bachelor of science in nursing [n = 474/1299] 36.5%). Nearly 44% reported inadequate substance abuse education. Past-year AOD use included tobacco 36.9%, marijuana 6.8%, sedatives 4.6%, and opioids 2.6%. Past-year AOD-related events included blackouts 19.8%, class/work under the influence 6.3%, patient care under the influence 3.9%, lowered grades/job evaluations 6.6%, and legal charges 3.6%. Heavy drinking was reported by 28.9%. Practical nursing (PN) students most often reported tobacco use and sedative use, whereas Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) students most often reported marijuana use. Family histories of alcohol-related problems and drug-related problems were reported, respectively, by 48.1% and 19.2% of respondents; 51.1% reported at least one of these. PN students most often reported such family histories. Nursing educational systems should proactively address student AOD prevention, education, and assistance.     

Problem solving styles among people who use alcohol and other drugs in South Africa

The present study examines the relationship between problem-solving styles, socio-demographic variables and risk of alcohol and other drug (AOD)-related problems among a South African population. The Social Problem-Solving Inventory–Revised, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) were administered to a convenience sample of 1000 respondents. According to the ASSIST, 32% and 49% of respondents met criteria for moderate to high risk of alcohol use and illicit drug use respectively. After adjusting for the effects of other variables in the model, respondents who were of “Coloured” ancestry (PR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.0–1.4), male (PR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.04–1.37), older (PR = 1.01, 95% CI 1.00–1.02), who adopted an avoidance style of coping with problems (PR = 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.05) and who met criteria for depression (PR = 1.42, 95% CI 1.12–1.79) were more likely to be classified as having risky AOD use. This suggests that interventions to improve problem solving and provide people with cognitive strategies to cope better with their problems may hold promise for reducing risky AOD use.     

Substance use by pharmacy and nursing practitioners and students in a northeastern state.

PURPOSE: The prevalence and predictors of substance use among pharmacists and nurses and pharmacy and nursing students were studied. METHODS: During summer 2002, pharmacists and nurses in a northeastern state were mailed an anonymous survey to determine their use of alcohol, tobacco, and commonly abused drugs; to determine their ease of access to controlled substances; and to measure their family history of alcohol and drug problems. A similar but not identical survey was distributed to pharmacy and nursing students during spring 2000. RESULTS: A total of 262 usable questionnaires were received from pharmacists and nurses (response rate, 72.8%), and 138 usable questionnaires were received from students (35.3%). Large majorities of nursing students, pharmacy students, and nurses were women. A higher percentage of pharmacists reported having used an opioid or an anxiolytic at least once in their lives (24.8% and 14.3%, respectively) than nurses (14.5% and 7.8%). Higher percentages of nursing students and nurses reported having ever used an unprescribed drug (74.5% of nursing students and 63.6% of nurses). CONCLUSION: A survey of pharmacy and nursing practitioners and students in a northeastern state provided important information on alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use among these groups and highlighted the need for prevention and intervention.     

Substance use problems reported by historically Black college students: combined marijuana and alcohol use versus alcohol alone

Using secondary data analysis,this study compares alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems experienced by African-American students attending a historically Black university who use alcohol only versus those who use alcohol plus marijuana. Results indicate that students who used marijuana plus alcohol experienced more AOD problems than their counterparts who used alcohol only. The current findings are similar to previous research with a majority White college student population.     

The association of self-reported neighborhood disorganization and social capital with adolescent alcohol and drug use, dependence, and access to treatment

AIMS: This research examines adolescent perceptions of neighborhood disorganization and social capital to determine if they are associated with adolescent alcohol or drug (AOD) use, AOD dependence, and access to AOD treatment. DESIGN: This is a secondary analysis of data from the 1999 and 2000 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The NSDUH is a cross-sectional survey of a random sample of the non-institutionalized United States population and is conducted in respondents' homes. PARTICIPANTS: Youth between the ages of 12 and 17, yielding a sample size of 38,115 respondents. MEASUREMENTS: Neighborhood disorganization was self-reported by youth in response to eight items; 10 items measured social capital. AOD use was also self-reported. AOD dependence was assessed by a series of questions regarding symptoms and impairment that is consistent with the criteria specified in the DSM-IV. RESULTS: A little more than half of the youth reported never using alcohol or drugs (54.3%), 41.1% reported lifetime AOD use, and 4.6% were AOD dependent. Two percent reported receiving AOD treatment. Medium and high levels of social capital were negatively associated with AOD use and dependence. Social capital was unrelated to access to AOD treatment. Neighborhood disorganization was positively associated with AOD use, dependence, and access to treatment. CONCLUSIONS: After controlling for individual- and family-level characteristics, neighborhood disorganization and social capital were associated with AOD use and dependence. The findings suggest that subjective measures of social context may be an important component of the complex biopsychosocial model of adolescent AOD addiction and treatment utilization.     

Adolescents in transition: The role of workplace alcohol and other drug policies as a prevention strategy

Aims: To assess (1) the alcohol and other drug (AOD) consumption patterns of adolescent new entrants to the Australian workforce and (2) the association between these consumption patterns and workplace factors.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 300 first-year apprentices (aged 15-22 years) employed in South Australian workplaces was conducted.

Findings: More than 40% of apprentices surveyed reported cannabis and alcohol consumption patterns that placed them at risk of potential harm. In addition, 19% reported drinking alcohol and 6.7% reported using cannabis during work-related hours. Workplace alcohol availability and the existence of workplace AOD policies were significantly associated with apprentices' consumption patterns. Apprentices employed in workplaces where alcohol was available used alcohol more often than those reporting no alcohol availability at work. Apprentices reporting an alcohol policy at their workplace reported less alcohol use compared to apprentices reporting no policy. Apprentices reporting a drug policy at their workplace reported lower levels of cannabis and alcohol use compared to those reporting no policy.

Conclusions: Workplace factors, in particular workplace AOD policies, were significantly associated with adolescent AOD use both at and away from the workplace. These findings indicate that the workplace has potential as a setting for prevention strategies design to minimize AOD-related harms.     

Evaluating students' substance abuse assessment skills

Graduating nursing students' abilities to assess clients for substance use were evaluated using two standardized patient (SP) cases. In the comprehensive health history case (unprompted), 55% of the study participants assessed alcohol use and 20% assessed drug use. When prompted to conduct a substance use history, at least 90% of the subjects asked about the quantity and frequency of alcohol use and 80% asked about drug use. However, in the prompted case, fewer than 10% of the subjects linked current alcohol and drug (AOD) use with risks and consequences, nor did they ask the SP if he had considered decreasing substance use. The mean score for communication skills used in the two assessment interviews were 3.65 and 3.56 on a 1 to 6 Likert scale. These data point out the need for additional emphasis on instructing students to include AOD questions as part of routine assessments, what questions to ask in a substance use assessment, and how to act on the information received. The use of SPs is one way to obtain valid information about students' assessment competencies.     

Incidence of Bulimia in Substance Misusing Women in Residential Treatment

This study is a preliminary examination of the reliability of adolescent self-reported pretreatment alcohol and other drug (AOD) use frequency. Assessments of self-reported pretreatment AOD use were conducted at admission and discharge (approximately a 1-month time period) at an adolescent drug misuser treatment program. The sample consisted of 197 male and female adolescents. There were statistically significant increases between admission and discharge assessments of pretreatment AOD use frequency. The greatest discrepancy was found for alcohol use, in which three-fourths (76%) of the sample reported a higher level of pretreatment alcohol use frequency at discharge assessment as compared to their admission assessment. Over one-third (35%) of the sample was found to have a significantly higher level of pretreatment alcohol use frequency at discharge assessment. The cause of this response discrepancy is unknown, but if it represents underreporting at admission, it may cause diagnostic and referral errors, as well as attenuate effect sizes in treatment outcome studies.     

Health and Social Difficulties in High School Students using High Amounts of Alcohol and Drugs: Implications for Screening

The use of frequency-based criteria to detect harmful substance use in adolescents is rare despite its potential to identify young people at risk. We compared high school students who use high amounts of substances to students with lower levels (or nil) of use across health and well-being indicators to explore the feasibility of this kind of categorization. Based on survey questions from Youth'12, a cross-sectional adolescent health survey involving 3% (8,500) of New Zealand high school students, we selected criteria indicative of substance use that would warrant specialist alcohol and other drugs (AOD) treatment. Two sets of “high-use” criteria (e.g., drinking “alcohol most days a week or more”) for both older and younger adolescents were selected. Eleven percent of students met criteria for “high use,” with higher rates in males and older students. Rates of high use were similar across high-, medium- and low-deprivation neighborhoods. Binge alcohol use (9.2%) was the predominant form of “high use.” Students with “high use” reported poorer health outcomes across numerous areas including mental health, physical health, risk behaviors, and access to health care. Only 5% of “high-use” students had accessed an AOD service. The wide range of negative health outcomes associated with a high level of substance use suggests that brief screening focusing on the level of substance use may help in identifying young people at risk. Simple and brief processes may improve the uptake and implementation of screening in primary care and other settings, and further research in this area is recommended.     

Alcohol and drug problems in the schools: results of a national survey of school administrators

A mail survey of public high-school administrators in the United States was conducted to gather information about the nature and extent of school problems with student alcohol and drug use. Of the 728 schools selected for the national metropolitan probability sample, 543 (75%) returned a completed questionnaire. The results indicated that from 1980 to 1985, about one in six students attended schools that reported a serious problem with student alcohol use. In contrast, the proportion of students attending schools with a serious drug problem decreased from about one in four in 1980-81 to about one in seven in 1984-85. The most common explanation provided for a decreasing student alcohol or drug problem was changes in the school's discipline policy or increased enforcement of the existing policy. Few respondents attributed a reduction in student alcohol or drug problems to prevention or treatment programs. Limitations of the survey data are discussed as well as directions for future research.     

Mothers' alcohol and other drug problems and their punitiveness toward their children.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between mothers' alcohol or other drug (AOD) problems and their punitiveness toward their children is examined in this study. METHOD: Women (N = 170) were recruited from five different sources, including clinical interventions and the community. Women's punitiveness toward their children was assessed by three different maternal self-report measures: Conflict Tactics Scale, Parental Punitiveness Scale and Child Abuse Potential Inventory. Women's histories of AOD problems, violent victimization and hostility were assessed using standardized assessment tools. RESULTS: Women were categorized by their AOD problems as follows: current problem (22.4%), past only problem (44.7%) or no problems (32.9%). Results indicate that mothers with current or past AOD problems are more punitive toward their children, controlling for potentially confounding demographic factors. Mothers' histories of partner violence and parental violence also predicted higher levels of mother-to-child punitiveness. However, histories of childhood sexual abuse predicted lower levels of mothers' punitiveness. Hostility served as a predictor of mothers' punitiveness and moderated some of the relationships between their AOD problems and their punitiveness. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that women with AOD problems are more likely to be punitive toward their children, but other factors may also contribute to this risk. Treatment and prevention interventions need to be developed to decrease the risk of violent victimization among children whose mothers have alcohol and other drug problems.     

Do attitudes about unhealthy alcohol and other drug (AOD) use impact primary care professionals' readiness to implement AOD‐related preventive care?

Introduction and Aims. To explore the association between primary care professionals' (PCPs) attitudes towards unhealthy alcohol and other drug (AOD) use (from risky use through dependence) and readiness to implement AOD‐related preventive care. Design and Methods. Primary care professionals from five health centres in Sao Paulo were invited to complete a questionnaire about preventive care and attitudes about people with unhealthy AOD use. Logistic regression models tested the association between professional satisfaction and readiness. Multiple Correspondence Analysis assessed associations between stigmatising attitudes and readiness. Results. Of 160 PCPs surveyed, 96 (60%) completed the questionnaire. Only 25% reported implementing unhealthy AOD use clinical prevention practices; and 53% did not feel ready to implement such practices. Greater satisfaction when working with people with AOD problems was significantly associated with readiness to implement AOD‐related preventive care. In Multiple Correspondence Analysis two groups emerged: (i) PCPs ready to work with people with unhealthy AOD use, who attributed to such patients lower levels of dangerousness, blame for their condition and need for segregation from the community (suggesting less stigmatising attitudes); and (ii) PCPs not ready to work with people with unhealthy AOD use, who attributed to them higher levels of dangerousness, blame, perceived level of patient control over their condition and segregation (suggesting more stigmatising attitudes). Discussion and Conclusions. More stigmatising attitudes towards people with unhealthy AOD use are associated with less readiness to implement unhealthy AOD‐related preventive care. Understanding these issues is likely essential to facilitating implementation of preventive care, such as screening and brief intervention, for unhealthy AOD use. [Amaral‐Sabadini MB, Saitz R, Souza‐Formigoni MLO. Do attitudes about unhealthy alcohol and other drug (AOD) use impact primary care professionals' readiness to implement AOD‐related preventive care? Drug Alcohol Rev 2010;29;655–661]     

Similarities of substance use between medical and nursing specialties

This paper reviews and compares alcohol and other drug involvement findings in two professions, medicine and nursing, by specialty. Health care providers are naturally subgrouped by specialty, as this is a major work environment factor. The evidence indicates an association exists between practicing in certain medical or nursing specialties and substance use. In addition, similarities in specialty membership and substance use across medicine and nursing suggests there may be common risk factors related to substance use that could be addressed using interdisciplinary approaches.     

Substance-Using Health Professionals: Similarities of Substance Use between Medical and Nursing Specialties

This paper reviews and compares alcohol and other drug involvement findings in two professions, medicine and nursing, by specialty. Health care providers are naturally subgrouped by specialty, as this is a major work environment factor. The evidence indicates an association exists between practicing in certain medical or nursing specialties and substance use. In addition, similarities in specialty membership and substance use across medicine and nursing suggests there may be common risk factors related to substance use that could be addressed using interdisciplinary approaches.     

Sexual identity and substance use among undergraduate students

This study examined the association between sexual identity and use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) among college undergraduate students. A survey regarding AOD use was administered to a random sample of 3607 undergraduate students. The sample included 65 self‐identified lesbian or bisexual (LB) women and 54 self‐identified gay or bisexual (GB) men. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that while alcohol use did not differ for LB and heterosexual women, LB women were significantly more likely to experience certain AOD‐related consequences, smoke cigarettes, and use marijuana, ecstasy, and other drugs. GB men were significantly less likely than heterosexual men to drink heavily but were more likely to use some drugs. These findings provide evidence that sexual identity is an important predictor of AOD use among undergraduate students. These findings support the need for continued research and intervention efforts that target LGB collegians.     

Adolescent substance use and hospital presentations: a record linkage assessment of 12-month outcomes

AIMS: To examine the prevalence of different substances used by adolescents admitted to hospital emergency departments (ED); to evaluate the impact of an ED based brief intervention (BI) on hospital events; to compare outcomes for those using "alcohol alone", "alcohol plus illicit+/-licit drugs" ("alcohol plus"), or "other drugs" excluding alcohol, and investigate the relationship between hazardous alcohol consumption patterns and hospital events. DESIGN: We used hospital record linkage to follow-up a randomised control trial cohort. PARTICIPANTS: Adolescents (12-19 years) recruited in ED with presentations involving alcohol or other drugs (AOD): 67 received usual care and 60 a BI that facilitated attendance at community drug agencies. MEASUREMENTS: Drug-use categories were assigned from the substances used at the baseline presentation. Outcomes were assessed as hospital admissions plus ED presentations in the 12-month post-intervention. "Hazardous" alcohol use was categorised via the AUDIT-3. RESULTS: The drug-use categories were "alcohol alone" (n=67, 53%), "alcohol plus" (n=31, 24%) and "other drugs" (n=28, 22%). In the 12-month post-intervention, the randomisation groups had similar numbers of AOD hospital events. A Cox regression showed that in the usual care but not the BI group, for "other drugs" there was a 8-fold increased hazard ("risk") of an AOD hospital event compared with "alcohol alone" and a 10-fold increase compared to 'alcohol plus'. Each pre-recruitment AOD event doubled the hazard of an AOD event. For the BI group, these were not significant predictors. The "other drugs" group had more AOD events than either of the other groups. "Hazardous" (77%) alcohol use was common but was not a predictor of AOD hospital events. CONCLUSIONS: BI can be delivered in ED and reduce hospital AOD morbidity associated with the use of drugs other than alcohol. Interventions should focus on those with prior AOD events and "other drugs" presentations.     

Sexual identity and prevalence of alcohol and other drug use among Australians in the general population

BackgroundInternational research assessing differences in the prevalence of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use among Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBTI) and heterosexual populations shows elevated prevalence rates of substance use among LGBTI people. To date no research has been published investigating these differences at a population level among both men and women in Australia.MethodsThe 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, a multistage stratified population sample collecting data on AOD use in the Australian population over 14 years of age, was analysed for differences between gay and bisexual (GB) men and lesbian/gay and bisexual (LGB) women and their heterosexual counterparts in: (1) the prevalence of lifetime and past year tobacco and AOD use; (2) age of initiation of tobacco and AOD use; and (3) frequency of alcohol and cannabis use, and history of AOD treatment.ResultsThere were elevated rates of past year cannabis (22.4%), ecstasy (11.8%) and methamphetamine (9.7%) use among GB men compared to heterosexual men (12.4%, 2.9% and 2.5%). LGB women also reported elevated rates of past year use (tobacco – 23.7%; cannabis – 24.6%) compared to heterosexual women (10.6% and 7.1%). LGB women initiated tobacco (15.2 years) and alcohol (15.5 years) at an earlier age than heterosexual women (16.6 and 17.7 years), and were significantly more likely to report daily alcohol consumption (OR 3.2, 95% CI: 2.1, 5.1), and weekly or more frequent cannabis use (OR 1.7, 95%CI: 1.1, 3.1).ConclusionsThese findings are indicative of the need for more responsive and targeted AOD harm reduction and treatment services for LGBTI communities in Australia. Of concern is the elevated risk among LGB women for earlier initiation of substance use, and the development of problematic consumption patterns. Further research, investigating the risk and protective factors for AOD use among LGB women is warranted.