scholarly journals Use of Alcohol and Unprescribed Drugs after Suicide Bereavement: Qualitative Study

Author(s):  
Jessica Eng ◽  
Lauren Drabwell ◽  
Fiona Stevenson ◽  
Michael King ◽  
David Osborn ◽  
...  

Studies describing the impact of suicide bereavement report an excess risk of suicide, suicide attempt, psychiatric illness, and drug and alcohol use disorders compared with the general population. However, the nature of patterns of drug and alcohol use after suicide bereavement is unclear. We used an online survey to collect qualitative data to understand whether and how drug and alcohol use changes after suicide bereavement. We conducted thematic analysis of free-text responses to a question capturing their use of alcohol and drugs after the suicide of a family member or a close friend. Analysing data from 346 adults in Britain aged 18–40, we identified three main themes describing the relationship of suicide bereavement to alcohol or drug use: (1) control over drug or alcohol use, (2) the perceived purpose of using drugs or alcohol, and (3) the attribution of drug or alcohol misuse to external factors. Overlying these themes were dimensions of control and of awareness of potential harms. This study highlights that increased use of drugs and alcohol after suicide bereavement may form part of a bereaved person’s coping strategies, and that sensitive approaches are needed when judging whether and when to intervene.

Author(s):  
Nancy J. Stone

To evaluate students’ online learning environments, the relationship between personality and online learning success, and students’ perceptions about online proctoring during mandatory remote delivery due to the pandemic, students responded to an online survey. Learning environments generally included houses and rarely included on-campus housing. The specific room type was predominantly the bedroom. Only conscientiousness was related positively to anticipated semester GPA. The positive relationship between anticipated and overall GPA supports the notion that more conscientious students tend to be successful in online learning situations, as online education was rated as slightly ineffective. A majority of students did not see a need for online proctoring due to the inability or time required to search for materials, which would only harm one’s performance. There is a need to research further the impact of the study environment, relationship of the students’ personality to learning success, and consequences of online proctoring during remote learning.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 352-369
Author(s):  
Louisa L. Foss-Kelly ◽  
Margaret M. Generali ◽  
Michael J. Crowley

The consequences of adolescent drug and alcohol use may be serious and far-reaching, forecasting problematic use or addictive behaviors into adulthood. School counselors are particularly well suited to understand the needs of the school community and to seamlessly deliver sustainable substance use prevention. This pilot study with 46 ninth-grade students investigates the impact of the Making Choices and Reducing Risk (MCARR) program, a drug and alcohol use prevention program for the school setting. The MCARR curriculum addresses general knowledge of substances and their related risks, methods for evaluating risk, and skills for avoiding or coping with drug and alcohol use. Using a motivational interviewing framework, MCARR empowers students to choose freely how they wish to behave in relation to drugs and alcohol and to contribute to the health of others in the school community. The authors hypothesized that the implementation of the MCARR curriculum would influence student attitudes, knowledge, and use of substances. Results suggest that the MCARR had a beneficial impact on student attitudes and knowledge. Further, no appreciable increases in substance use during the program were observed. Initial results point to the promise of program feasibility and further research with larger samples including assessment of longitudinal impact.


Author(s):  
Valeriya Azorina ◽  
Nicola Morant ◽  
Hedvig Nesse ◽  
Fiona Stevenson ◽  
David Osborn ◽  
...  

People bereaved by suicide have an increased risk of suicide and suicide attempt, yet report receiving less support than people bereaved by other sudden deaths. Reductions in support may contribute to suicide risk, yet their nature is unclear. We explored the impact of suicide bereavement on the interpersonal relationships of young adults in the UK using an online survey to collect qualitative data. We conducted thematic analysis of free-text responses from 499 adults to questions capturing the impact of bereavement on relationships with partners, close friends, close family, extended family, and other contacts. We identified four main themes describing the changes in relationships following the suicide: (1) Social discomfort over the death (stigma and taboo; painfulness for self or others to discuss; socially prescribed grief reactions); (2) social withdrawal (loss of social confidence; withdrawal as a coping mechanism); (3) shared bereavement experience creating closeness and avoidance; (4) attachments influenced by fear of further losses (overprotectiveness towards others; avoiding attachments as protective). These findings contribute to understanding deficits in support and pathways to suicidality after suicide bereavement. Such disrupted attachments add to the burden of grief and could be addressed by public education on how to support those bereaved by suicide.


1976 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 915-919 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garry M. Schaeffer ◽  
Marc A. Schuckit ◽  
Elizabeth R. Morrissey

The relationship between drug and alcohol use and self-esteem was investigated using students living in a co-ed dormitory. A questionnaire was distributed containing four sections including demographic information, the Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory (1967), an A Priori Identity Crisis scale, and a frequency of drug/alcohol use scale. 66% of the questionnaires were returned, yielding a sample of 171 males and 219 females. Heavy use of alcohol was related to low self-esteem. No relationship, however, was found between drug use and self-esteem. The relationship between drug and alcohol use and psychopathology is discussed as being a continuum.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Abbos Utkirov ◽  
Rauf Salahodjayev

This paper investigates the impact of the Learning Resource Centre activities of Westminster International University Tashkent (WIUT) graduated students on the labour market outcome. WIUT library provides a learning environment that helps students to create practical teams and individual projects to support the agenda of employability. The study aims to clarify the relationship between library activities and labour market outcomes. This proposes the improvement of a commercial responsiveness workshop, in collaboration with other services, and alumni voices in an employability guide. A quantitative research approach was employed; an online survey questionnaire was distributed to alumni students to obtain the data. It was a semi-structured questionnaire designed using a Likert Scale to collect data from 607 graduates. The study revealed that LRC activities have a significant impact on labour market outcomes for students. LRC activities such as presentation skills, information technology skills, problem-solving skills, research skills were mostly expected in the labour market. Research limitations– The study was focused only on graduates of WIUT, which may limit the generalizability. Therefore, the researcher proposed to study and compare other graduates of universities in Uzbekistan. The insights are valuable for planning the curriculum of LRC activities and developing teaching practices at WIUT. Moreover, current and graduate students can learn market-oriented skills and labour market demands. This is the first-ever study in Uzbekistan that explores the relationship of university library activities on employability skills of alumni.


2009 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Bletzer ◽  
Norman Weatherby

Agricultural workers in general face the impact of daily structural and symbolic violence, which can lead to excessive use of drugs and alcohol. "Watermelon Men" who dedicate themselves to watermelon harvesting have high use levels owing to the way that accommodations and work are organized over a labor-intensive short season. This article combines data from a risk assessment of 681 individuals in a winter home-base community and multi-site ethnography that generated interviews with 140 individuals to discuss factors that lead to excessive drug and alcohol use during peak season in high-wage crops such as watermelon.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Li ◽  
Marwan H Sallam ◽  
Yinghua Ye

We explored WeChat use intensity and possible addiction level among Yemeni international students in China, including the impact of their gender and educational level on WeChat use, and the relationship of WeChat intensity and addiction with academic performance. Participants were 427 Yemeni international students in China randomly invited to participate in an online survey. Results revealed that (a) both gender and educational level had a significant impact on participants’ WeChat use intensity and WeChat addiction; (b) WeChat use intensity, WeChat addiction, and academic performance significantly correlated with one another; and (c) WeChat addiction fully mediated the relationship between WeChat use intensity and academic performance. These findings enrich social networking site studies by providing evidence of the impact of WeChat use intensity on the academic performance of international students.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bojana Vilus ◽  
Tania Perich

Abstract Self-stigma may have an important impact on people living with alcohol use disorders, however, few studies have explored the relationship between rumination and depression on self-stigma for people with hazardous drinking. This study aimed to explore the relationship between rumination, self-stigma and depressive symptomatology for those with hazardous drinking levels and the relationship between these and alcohol use severity. Participants were recruited online between February and May of 2019 through paid advertising on a page created on Facebook by the researcher. Two hundred and one participants completed the online survey questionnaires, with 114 (56.7%) meeting the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) criteria with a score of 8 or above indicating hazardous drinking. Multiple regression analysis found that self-stigma was significant predictor of alcohol severity. Depression was not found to be a significant predictor of self-stigma; however, rumination was a significant predictor of self-stigma, explaining 36.7% of the variance. Although rumination was not a significant predictor of alcohol use severity in this study, it appeared to play an important part in the self-stigma for people engaged in hazardous drinking. More research is needed to determine the mediating factors in this relationship and the impact of these for people with hazardous drinking levels over time.


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