scholarly journals Alcohol Problems among Prisoners: Subgroup Variations, Concurrent Drug Problems, and Treatment Needs

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Hilde Pape ◽  
Ingeborg Rossow ◽  
Anne Bukten

<b><i>Background/Aims:</i></b> Alcohol problems in the prison population are understudied, underdetected, and undertreated. Our aims were to identify subgroups of inmates whose pre-prison drinking behavior indicated a high need for alcohol-related interventions, to assess the prevalence of concurrent alcohol and drug problems, and to compare dual-dependent inmates and those who were alcohol-dependent alone with respect to the severity of their drinking problems. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Data stemmed from the nationwide Norwegian Offender Mental Health and Addiction (NorMA) study. Both male (<i>n</i> = 1,356) and female (<i>n</i> = 90) inmates took part in the study, representing about 40% of the prison population in Norway at the time of the data collection (2013–2014). Pre-prison substance use problems were assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT). <b><i>Results:</i></b> A majority (55%) had an AUDIT positive screen (score ≥8), which is indicative of alcohol problems of some severity, and 18% were possible alcohol-dependent (score ≥20). A positive screen was associated with younger age, lower education, violent offending, driving while intoxicated (DWI), and previous criminal convictions. Two-thirds (68%) of those who screened positive on the AUDIT had also a DUDIT positive screen (score ≥6), and a similar overlap between possible alcohol dependence and possible drug dependence (score ≥25) was observed. Inmates with possible dual dependence (12% of all) had higher mean scores on the AUDIT than those with possible alcohol dependence only (7% of all). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> More than half of the prisoners in Norway had AUDIT scores that indicated they could benefit from alcohol-related interventions, and the prevalence was elevated in younger, less educated groups of previously convicted DWI, and violent offenders. Alcohol problems were most often combined with drug problems, and possible dual dependence was associated with particularly severe drinking problems.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Hyland ◽  
Anders Hammarberg ◽  
Erik Hedman-Lagerlöf ◽  
Magnus Johansson ◽  
Sven Andreasson

Abstract Introduction Alcohol dependence is a common disorder with a continuum regarding severity. Most alcohol dependent persons have a moderate level of dependence and live under socially orderly conditions. Treatment seeking in this group is low, mainly due to stigma and because treatment options are seen as unappealing. Alcohol is a relevant topic to discuss in many primary care (PC) consultations and PC is less stigmatizing to visit compared to addiction care units for people with alcohol problems. General practitioners (GP) hesitate to engage in treating alcohol problems due to time constraints and lack of knowledge. Screening and brief interventions are effective for high consumers but there are few studies on dependence. Methods This is a two-group, parallel, randomized controlled trial (RCT). The aim is to study whether an Internet based Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (iCBT) when added to treatment as usual (TAU) is more effective than TAU only for alcohol dependence in PC. 260 adults with alcohol dependence will be included. Participants are randomized to iCBT and TAU or TAU only. The primary study outcome is alcohol consumption in grams per week and heavy drinking days. Secondary outcomes include alcohol related problem severity, number of diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence, depression and anxiety symptoms, health related quality of life and biochemical markers for high consumption and liver pathology. Data will be analyzed using mixed-effect models. Discussion Internet based interventions are attractive to and have been shown to reach people with alcohol problems. Yet there are no studies investigating the efficacy of internet treatment of alcohol dependence in PC. In this study we hypothesize that iCBT when added to TAU will improve treatment outcome for alcohol dependence in PC, compared to TAU only. If effective, iCBT can be distributed to the public to a low cost for a stakeholder and has the opportunity to reduce both short term and long-term public health costs. Trial registration: ISRCTN69957414. Retrospectively registered 07/06/2018. http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN69957414


2002 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.P. Connor ◽  
R.McD. Young ◽  
B.R. Lawford ◽  
T.L. Ritchie ◽  
E.P. Noble

SummaryThe A1 allele of the D2 dopamine receptor (DRD2) gene has been associated with alcohol dependence. However, the expression of this allele risk on the severity of drinking behavior in patients with alcohol dependence has not been systematically explored. The present study examines the association between DRD2 A1+(A1/A1 and A1/A2 genotypes) and A1– (A2/A2 genotype) allele status and key drinking parameters in alcohol-dependent patients. A sample of Caucasian adults was recruited from an alcohol detoxification unit. A clinical interview and the Alcohol Dependence Scale (ADS) questionnaire provided data on consumption, dependence, chronology of drinking and prior detoxification. A1+ allele compared to A1– allele patients consumed higher quantities of alcohol, commenced problem drinking at an earlier age, experienced a shorter latency between first introduction to alcohol to the onset of problem drinking and had higher ADS scores. Moreover, A1+ allele patients had more detoxification attempts than their A1– allele counterparts. In sum, alcohol-dependent patients with the DRD2 A1 allele compared to patients without this allele are characterized by greater severity of their disorder across a range of problem drinking indices. The implications of these findings are discussed.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Hyland ◽  
Anders Hammarberg ◽  
Erik Hedman-Lagerlöf ◽  
Magnus Johansson ◽  
Sven Andreasson

Abstract Introduction Alcohol dependence is a common disorder with a continuum regarding severity. Most alcohol dependent persons have a moderate level of dependence and live under socially orderly conditions. Treatment seeking in this group is low, mainly due to stigma and because treatment options are seen as unappealing. Alcohol is a relevant topic to discuss in many primary care (PC) consultations and PC is less stigmatizing to visit compared to addiction care units for people with alcohol problems. General practitioners (GP) hesitate to engage in treating alcohol problems due to time constraints and lack of knowledge. Screening and brief interventions are effective for high consumers but there are few studies on dependence. Methods This is a two-group, parallel, randomized controlled trial (RCT). The aim is to study whether an Internet based Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (iCBT) when added to treatment as usual (TAU) is more effective than TAU only for alcohol dependence in PC. 260 adults with alcohol dependence will be included. Participants are randomized to iCBT and TAU or TAU only. The primary study outcome is alcohol consumption in grams per week and heavy drinking days. Secondary outcomes include alcohol related problem severity, number of diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence, depression and anxiety symptoms, health related quality of life and biochemical markers for high consumption and liver pathology. Data will be analyzed using mixed-effect models. Discussion Internet based interventions are attractive to and have been shown to reach people with alcohol problems. Yet there are no studies investigating the efficacy of internet treatment of alcohol dependence in PC. In this study we hypothesize that iCBT when added to TAU will improve treatment outcome for alcohol dependence in PC, compared to TAU only. If effective, iCBT can be distributed to the public to a low cost for a stakeholder and has the opportunity to reduce both short term and long-term public health costs. Trial registration: ISRCTN69957414. Retrospectively registered 07/06/2018. http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN69957414


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 241-258
Author(s):  
Ewa Wojtynkiewicz ◽  

Aim: The aim of the studies was to verify whether an alcohol-dependent group differs in terms of retrospectively assessed parental attitudes from a non-dependent group (study 1) as well as whether there are differences between individuals with alcohol dependence having or not having an addicted parent in terms of the retrospectively assessed parental attitudes (study 2). Materials and methods: 121 individuals with alcohol dependence and 121 people with no dependence took part in study 1 (in both groups there were 37 women and 84 men). 221 individuals with alcohol dependence (55 women and 166 men) participated in study 2. Mieczysław Plopa’s Questionnaire of Retrospective Assessment of Parental Attitudes (KPR-Roc) and Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) were used in the studies. Results: The outcome of study 1 proved that the individuals with alcohol dependence score higher in comparison with those non-dependent in terms of variables Mother Protectiveness, Father Demanding and Father Inconsequence and score lower for variables Father Acceptance/Rejection and Father Autonomy. The results of study 2 show that alcohol-dependent women with a family history of alcohol addiction tended to score lower for variables Mother Acceptance/Rejection, Father Acceptance/Rejection, Father Autonomy and Father Protectiveness in comparison with the non-dependent women with no family history of alcohol addiction. Whereas men addicted to alcohol with a family history of alcohol addiction score higher for the variable Father Acceptance/Rejection and higher concerning variables Father Demanding and Father Inconsequence in comparison with the addicted male group with no family history of alcohol addiction. Conclusion: Alcohol-dependent individuals have a tendency to assess more adversely the father’s attitude in comparison with the non-dependent group. Having an alcohol-dependent parent among individuals with alcohol dependence differentiates mainly the retrospective assessment of the father.


1975 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 344-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus Mäkelä

Sociologists, particularly in the United States, have devoted little attention to the impact of centrally directed alcohol policies on drinking problems. Sociocultural studies of religious and ethnic differences In drinking behavior appear to suggest that the liberalization of alcohol policies would favor the growth of moderate drinking patterns at the expense of excessive drinking. However, this “substitution hypothesis” receives less support in Scandinavian research on alcohol policy than does an alternative “addition hypothesis.” When policy controls on alcohol are relaxed, increases in moderate consumption occur in addition to and not at the expense of relatively stable patterns of heavy drinking.


Trials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Hyland ◽  
Anders Hammarberg ◽  
Erik Hedman-Lagerlöf ◽  
Magnus Johansson ◽  
Sven Andreasson

Abstract Background Alcohol dependence is a common disorder with a continuum regarding severity. Most alcohol-dependent persons have a moderate level of dependence and live under socially orderly conditions. Treatment-seeking in this group is low, mainly due to stigma and because treatment options are seen as unappealing. Alcohol is a relevant topic to discuss in many primary care (PC) consultations and PC is less stigmatizing to visit compared to addiction care units for people with alcohol problems. However, general practitioners (GPs) hesitate to engage in treating alcohol problems due to time constraints and lack of knowledge. Screening and brief interventions are effective for high consumers but there are few studies on dependence. Methods This is a two-group, parallel, randomized controlled trial (RCT). The aim is to study whether an Internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (iCBT) when added to treatment as usual (TAU) is more effective than TAU only for alcohol dependence in PC. Two hundred and sixty adults with alcohol dependence will be included. Participants are randomized to iCBT and TAU or TAU only. The primary study outcome is alcohol consumption in grams per week and heavy-drinking days. Secondary outcomes include alcohol-related problem severity, number of diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence, depression and anxiety symptoms, health-related quality of life and biochemical markers for high consumption and liver pathology. Data will be analyzed using mixed-effect models. Discussion Internet-based interventions are attractive to, and have been shown to reach, people with alcohol problems. Yet there are no studies investigating the efficacy of Internet treatment of alcohol dependence in PC. In this study we hypothesize that iCBT when added to TAU will improve treatment outcome for alcohol dependence in PC, compared to TAU only. If effective, iCBT can be distributed to the public to a low cost for a stakeholder and has the opportunity to reduce both short-term and long-term public health costs. Trial registration ISRCTN69957414. Retrospectively registered on 7 June 2018.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S360-S361
Author(s):  
C. Thanikachalam ◽  
A. Dhandapani ◽  
S. Choudhury ◽  
A. Sankaran ◽  
E. Subramaniam

IntroductionChildren of alcohol dependent individuals are affected by disturbed parent-child relationship and exhibit externalizing symptoms, arrhythmicity, negative mood and low persistence.ObjectivesTo assess the temperament and resilience of children of alcohol dependent individuals and to study their relationship with the father's severity and problems of alcohol intake.AimsTo assess the psychological profile of children of alcohol dependent individuals.MethodsCross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary care centre from January to August 2015. Severity of alcohol dependence in father and problems related to it was assessed using ‘short alcohol dependence data’ and ‘alcohol problems questionnaire’; the temperament and resilience of their children (n = 31) was assessed using ‘temperament measurement schedule’ and ‘strengths and difficulties questionnaire’ respectively.ResultsThe sample comprised of 48% boys and 52% girls with mean age (SD) of 9.32 (3.02) years. Eighty-one percent belonged to lower socioeconomic status. Their fathers’ mean age (SD) was 37.13(4.9) years and duration of alcohol dependence being 16.32 (5.7) years, average use/day being 19.19 (14.9) units with moderate (45.2%) to high (41.9%) dependence. Significant association was observed between severity of alcohol dependence and temperamental domain-threshold of responsiveness (χ2 = 17.272, P value = 0.002) (Fig. 1). The average units of alcohol consumed/day were a significant predictor for the presence of emotional problems in the child (OR = 30.12; 95%CI 1.33–677.86).ConclusionThere's a significant association between father's alcohol use and child's psychopathology which indicates the need for preventive and curative mental health measures.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Hyland ◽  
Anders Hammarberg ◽  
Erik Hedman-Lagerlöf ◽  
Magnus Johansson ◽  
Sven Andreasson

Abstract Introduction Alcohol dependence is a common disorder with a continuum regarding severity. Most alcohol dependent persons have a moderate level of dependence and live under socially orderly conditions. Treatment seeking in this group is low, mainly due to stigma and because treatment options are seen as unappealing. Alcohol is a relevant topic to discuss in many primary care (PC) consultations and PC is less stigmatizing to visit compared to addiction care units for people with alcohol problems. General practitioners (GP) hesitate to engage in treating alcohol problems due to time constraints and lack of knowledge. Screening and brief interventions are effective for high consumers but there are few studies on dependence. Methods This is a two-group, parallel, randomized controlled trial (RCT). The aim is to study whether an Internet based Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (iCBT) when added to treatment as usual (TAU) is more effective than TAU only for alcohol dependence in PC. 260 adults with alcohol dependence will be included. Participants are randomized to iCBT and TAU or TAU only. The primary study outcome is alcohol consumption in grams per week and heavy drinking days. Secondary outcomes include alcohol related problem severity, number of diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence, depression and anxiety symptoms, health related quality of life and biochemical markers for high consumption and liver pathology. Data will be analysed using mixed-effect models. Discussion Internet based interventions are attractive to and have been shown to reach people with alcohol problems. Yet there are no studies investigating the efficacy of internet treatment of alcohol dependence in PC. In this study we hypothesize that iCBT when added to TAU will improve treatment outcome for alcohol dependence in PC, compared to TAU only. If effective, iCBT can be distributed to the public to a low cost for a stakeholder and has the opportunity to reduce both short term and long-term public health costs. Trial registration: ISRCTN69957414. Retrospectively registered 07/06/2018. http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN69957414


1996 ◽  
Vol 169 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Moncrieff ◽  
D. Colin Drummond ◽  
Bridget Candy ◽  
Ken Checinski ◽  
Roger Farmer

BackgroundThere is evidence that people with a history of sexual abuse may have an increased risk of developing alcohol and drug problems.MethodA self-completion sexual abuse questionnaire was designed and administered to a sample of attenders at three London alcohol services. Drinking behaviour was assessed using the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire and the Alcohol Problems Questionnaire, and additional data were derived from case notes.ResultsFifty-four per cent of women and 24% of men identified themselves as victims of sexual abuse or assault. For the majority this had started before the age of 16 and involved non-relatives. Subjects with a history of sexual abuse were younger, reached drinking milestones earlier, were more likely to have a family history of alcohol misuse and had more alcohol-related problems than non-abused subjects. Sexual abuse, age and alcohol dependence predicted level of problems in a regression analysis.ConclusionsThe high rates of sexual abuse and its association with indications of increased morbidity suggest it is an important issue for the management of alcohol problems. More use could be made of self-completion questionnaires for the investigation of sexual abuse.


Author(s):  
Anu Mary Mani ◽  
K. Srinivasan ◽  
Priya Sreedaran

Background: Few studies have compared the pattern of alcohol use in Alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS) patients with and without co-morbid depression. Assessing the pattern may throw light into prevention of relapses more effectively in alcohol dependent patients with co-morbid depression. This study was undertaken to assess the difference in pattern of drinking of alcohol in patients with alcohol dependence with and without co-morbid depression.Methods: A descriptive comparative study was designed to compare the difference in pattern of alcohol use in alcohol dependent patients with co-morbid depression and without co-morbid depression. Severity of dependence on alcohol was assessed using Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Drinking pattern was assessed using Timeline Follow back Calender and Drinking Pattern Questionnaire. The data were statistically analysed.Results: Total 96 alcohol dependent patients (24 had co-morbid depression and 72 without co-morbid depression) were included in the study. There were no significant differences in alcohol use in both the groups in terms of AUDIT scores, amount of drinking, abstinence days or binge drinking. More frequent drinking was observed in circumstances related to emotional, physiological, financial and children related situations in patients with co-morbid depression (p<0.05).Conclusions: Drinking circumstances like emotional, physiological, financial and children related situations require more attention while assessing, treating and aiming at relapse of prevention in ADS patients with co-morbid depression.


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