%0 Journal Article %@ 1708-0428 %A Yoder, Ruth %A MacNeela, Padraig %A Conway, Ronan %A Heary, Caroline %D 2017 %F ndc:28007 %I Springer %J Obesity Surgery %T How do individuals develop alcohol use disorder after bariatric surgery? A grounded theory exploration. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/28007/ %V Early online %X BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for severe obesity. However, following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery, a small minority of patients develop new-onset alcohol use disorder (AUD), the aetiology of which is poorly understood. AIM: The aim is to construct a theory to explain the development of AUD among a sample of individuals who reported problematic drinking following RYGB. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight RYGB patients diagnosed with AUD attending a multi-disciplinary outpatient weight management service at a public hospital in the Republic of Ireland. A constructivist grounded theory methodology was used to analyse interview transcripts. RESULTS: Participants' main concern was identified as 'unresolved psychological issues' which were managed by 'external coping mechanisms', namely, 'eating to cope'. After RYGB, comfort eating was no longer possible to the same extent. Following a 'honeymoon period', participants' need for an external coping mechanism resurfaced. 'Filling the void' provides a framework to explain how participants managed the symptoms of their unresolved psychological issues through 'behavioural substitution', that is, drinking alcohol instead of eating. CONCLUSION: The theoretical framework of 'filling the void' adds to contemporary research that conceptualises AUD behavioural substitution as 'addiction transfer' by describing the process by which the phenomenon occurs as well as the characteristics of participants. The clinical implication of this research is to advocate for a reshaping of treatment of RYGB patients, with increased psychological input following surgery. %0 Generic %C London %D 2017 %F ndc:27631 %I Drug and Alcohol Findings %N 21 July 2017 %T UK trial tests personality-based approach to preventing drinking. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27631/ %X The Adventure Trial tested the impact of a personality-targeted intervention delivered by teachers on substance use and misuse among pupils in London. This followed the reported success of the Preventure trial, which found that personality-targeted interventions were effective in reducing motivations for drinking that involve coping with negative feelings, and reducing symptoms of problem drinking during a two-year period. Key points From summary and commentary: • The Adventure Trial examined whether personality-relevant coping skills could prevent drinking problems among London high school pupils. • High-risk young people were allocated to receive an intervention matched to their specific vulnerability (‘hopelessness’, ‘anxiety-sensitivity’, ‘impulsivity’, or ‘sensation-seeking’). • Long-term benefits were observed, with reduced odds of high-risk pupils in the intervention group reporting drinking, ‘binge’ drinking, and problem drinking, compared to peers allocated to receive standard drug education %0 Generic %A Public Health England, %C London %D 2017 %F ndc:27469 %I Public Health England %T People with learning disabilities: making reasonable adjustments. Guidance: substance abuse. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27469/ %0 Generic %C London %D 2017 %F ndc:27384 %I Drug and Alcohol Findings %N 5 May 2017 %T Intervention targets personality traits of high-risk London pupils. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27384/ %X School staff trained to deliver personality-targeted substance use interventions to London high school pupils – effectively delaying cannabis use among a subset (those identified as ‘sensation-seekers’). Key points from summary and commentary • The Adventure Trial tested the impact of personality-relevant coping skills on cannabis use among London high school pupils. • High-risk young people were allocated to receive an intervention matched to their specific vulnerabilities (‘hopelessness’, ‘anxiety-sensitivity’, ‘impulsivity’, or ‘sensation-seeking’). • Cannabis use was effectively delayed only among a subset – those identified as ‘sensation-seekers’ %0 Report %A Ni Ogain, Eibhlin %A Hodgson, Linsay %B %C London %D 2017 %F ndc:27096 %I Catch Impact %T Drug and alcohol recovery outcomes framework. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27096/ %X Shared measurement involves using common tools to track outcomes across similar organisations and settings. It is both a process to understand a sector’s shared outcomes and a tool that can be used by multiple organisations to track social impact. Drug and Alcohol Task Forces (DATF) fund and run a number of services tackling various issues related to substance misuse. To date, many task forces have used logic models to understand their outcomes and have evaluated their work in different ways. However, as of yet there has not been a consistent approach to measuring outcomes across the many local and regional taskforces. This project aims to develop a shared outcomes framework and a set of common measures for taskforces to begin tracking the impact of their work in a consistent way. It is hoped that this will enable better understanding of what works to promote recovery from drug and alcohol misuse, enable learning across services, taskforces and regions and allow evidence of what interventions are effective at a local context to be fed into national strategy. %0 Journal Article %A Murphy, Donnchadh %A Hennessy, Ellis %D 2017 %F ndc:26845 %I Taylor & Francis %J International Journal of Mental Health Promotion %N 1 %P 14-25 %T Promoting college students to seek help for mental health difficulties: a social normative approach. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/26845/ %V 19 %X The aim of this study was to test whether an online social normative intervention would promote college students’ help seeking attitudes and intentions. To investigate this, a between-group, post-test, experimental design consisting of 207 students (69 males, 138 females), aged 18–25 years (M = 20.46, SD = 1.96) was used. Students who received the social normative feedback reported more positive help-seeking attitudes, with students who had mental health problems also reporting more positive help-seeking intentions. The findings of this study are discussed with respect to methodological considerations, and recommendations for practice and future research are provided for student counselling clinics. %0 Journal Article %@ 1090-2139 %A Straley, Megan E %A Van Oeffelen, Wesley %A Theze, Sarah %A Sullivan, Aideen M %A O'Mahony, Siobhain M %A Cryan, John F %A O'Keeffe, Gerard W %D 2016 %F ndc:25661 %I Elsevier %J Brain, Behavior, and Immunity %T Distinct alterations in motor & reward seeking behavior are dependent on the gestational age of exposure to LPS-induced maternal immune activation. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/25661/ %V epub ahead of print %X The dopaminergic system is involved in motivation, reward and the associated motor activities. Mesodiencephalic dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) regulate motivation and reward, whereas those in the substantia nigra (SN) are essential for motor control. Defective VTA dopaminergic transmission has been implicated in schizophrenia, drug addiction and depression whereas dopaminergic neurons in the SN are lost in Parkinson's disease. Maternal immune activation (MIA) leading to in utero inflammation has been proposed to be a risk factor for these disorders, yet it is unclear how this stimulus can lead to the diverse disturbances in dopaminergic-driven behaviors that emerge at different stages of life in affected offspring. Here we report that gestational age is a critical determinant of the subsequent alterations in dopaminergic-driven behavior in rat offspring exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced MIA. Behavioral analysis revealed that MIA on gestational day 16 but not gestational day 12 resulted in biphasic impairments in motor behavior. Specifically, motor impairments were evident in early life, which were resolved by adolescence, but subsequently re-emerged in adulthood. In contrast, reward seeking behaviors were altered in offspring exposed MIA on gestational day 12. These changes were not due to a loss of dopaminergic neurons per se in the postnatal period, suggesting that they reflect functional changes in dopaminergic systems. This highlights that gestational age may be a key determinant of how MIA leads to distinct alterations in dopaminergic-driven behavior across the lifespan of affected offspring. %0 Generic %A Walsh, Sophie D %A Bruckauf, Zlata %A Gaspar, Tania %C Florence %D 2016 %F ndc:26943 %I UNICEF Office of Research %T Adolescents at risk. Psychosomatic health complaints, low life satisfaction, excessive sugar consumption and their relationship with cumulative risks. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/26943/ %X Adolescence is a time of transitions when experimentation, risk taking and active peer interactions can be viewed as a part of the development process. Yet, for some groups of young people with reported poor psychosomatic health, low life satisfaction or unhealthy eating habits these experiences may be different. Empirical evidence is limited in recognising the overlapping and cumulative risks of adolescents’ health disadvantage and multiple externalized risk behaviours and outcomes (smoking, drinking, binge drinking, regular fighting, injuries and bullying). Drawing on the most recent 2013/2014 data of the Health Behaviour of School Children (HBSC) study, this paper examines the risks of individual and cumulative risks (three or more types) associated with being in the bottom group of psychosomatic health complaints, life satisfaction and unhealthy eating (excessive sugar consumption) across 29 countres. Using multivariate logistic modelling, the association that was the strongest, most consistent and independent of family affluence (FAS) was that between cumulative risks and high levels of psychosomatic health complaints. Similarly consistent, although weaker, is the association found between adolescents’ low life satisfaction and unhealthy eating. Only in Greece and Hungary does the association between cumulative risks and life satisfaction seem to be mediated by family socio-economic status (SES). This is also the case for Denmark and Malta in the case of unhealthy eating. %0 Journal Article %@ 1532-2793 %A Deasy, Christine %A Coughlan, Barry %A Pironom, Julie %A Jourdan, Didier %A Mannix-McNamara, Patricia %D 2016 %F ndc:25129 %I Elsevier %J Nurse Education Today %P 427-433 %T Predictors of health of pre-registration nursing and midwifery students: findings from a cross-sectional survey. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/25129/ %V 36 %X BACKGROUND: Student nurses/midwives evidence less than exemplary lifestyle habits and poor emotional health, despite exposure to health education/promotion during their educational preparation. Knowledge of the factors that predict nursing/midwifery students' health could inform strategies to enhance their health and increase their credibility as future health promoters/educators. OBJECTIVE: To establish the predictors of nursing/midwifery student emotional health. SETTING: Cross-sectional survey took place at a university in Ireland. PARTICIPANTS: We involved a total sample (n=473) student nurses/midwives. METHODS: Participants completed the General Health Questionnaire, Lifestyle Behaviour Questionnaire and Ways of Coping Questionnaire to determine their self-reported emotional health, lifestyle behaviour and coping processes. Multivariate regression was performed to identify the predictors of student emotional health (dependent variable). The independent variables were demographics, coping, lifestyle behaviour and students' perceptions of determinants of their health. RESULTS: Many respondents reported significant emotional distress (48.71%) and unhealthy lifestyle behaviours including smoking (27.94%), physical inactivity (34.29%), alcohol consumption (91.7%) and unhealthy diet (28.05%). Multivariate regressions indicated that the predictors of emotional distress included gender, year of study, smoking, passive coping and beliefs that their student life was stressful or/and that worry stress and boredom adversely impacted their diet. CONCLUSIONS: Targeting student's beliefs regarding influences upon their health, promotion of positive lifestyles and adaptive coping is necessary to facilitate health gain of future health professionals. %0 Generic %A Greer, Alissa M %A Luchenski, Serena A %A Amlani, Ashraf A %A Lacroix, Katie %A Burmeister, Charlene %A Buxton, Jane A %D 2016 %F ndc:25764 %I BioMed Central %N 1 %P 452 %T Peer engagement in harm reduction strategies and services: a critical case study and evaluation framework from British Columbia, Canada. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/25764/ %V 16 %X BACKGROUND: Engaging people with drug use experience, or 'peers,' in decision-making helps to ensure harm reduction services reflect current need. There is little published on the implementation, evaluation, and effectiveness of meaningful peer engagement. This paper aims to describe and evaluate peer engagement in British Columbia from 2010-2014. METHODS: A process evaluation framework specific to peer engagement was developed and used to assess progress made, lessons learned, and future opportunities under four domains: supportive environment, equitable participation, capacity building and empowerment, and improved programming and policy. The evaluation was conducted by reviewing primary and secondary qualitative data including focus groups, formal documents, and meeting minutes. RESULTS: Peer engagement was an iterative process that increased and improved over time as a consequence of reflexive learning. Practical ways to develop trust, redress power imbalances, and improve relationships were crosscutting themes. Lack of support, coordination, and building on existing capacity were factors that could undermine peer engagement. Peers involved across the province reviewed and provided feedback on these results. CONCLUSION: Recommendations from this evaluation can be applied to other peer engagement initiatives in decision-making settings to improve relationships between peers and professionals and to ensure programs and policies are relevant and equitable. %0 Journal Article %@ ISSN 1465-9891 print/ISSN 1475-9942 online %A Morton, Sarah %A O'Reilly, Laura %A O'Brien, Karl %D 2016 %F ndc:25354 %I Informa healthcare %J Journal of Substance Use %N 5 %P 521-526 %T Boxing clever: utilizing education and fitness to build recovery capital in a substance use rehabilitation program. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/25354/ %V 21 %X Aims: To explore the change processes for participants engaging in a 20-week integrated fitness and education substance-use rehabilitation program, with a particular focus on elements of social and community capital that supported and sustained recovery from problematic substance use. Program participants were a mix of abstinent and current substance users. Methods: Two focus groups conducted with program participants midway (n = 17) and two focus groups on completion (n = 14) of the program. Transcripts were coded and themes identified. Results: Three themes emerged from the analysis: the importance of fitness and education to build personal and social capital; the role of education in reducing substance use and its impact on families to aid recovery capital; and positive re-engagement with communities. Conclusions: Findings support the use of education and fitness in developing social and personal capital in the lives of those seeking recovery from substance use. The unintended positive impacts on participant’s families and their own community engagement would suggest a wider value in building social capital than may previously have been recognized. %0 Generic %A Bonell, Chris %A Dickson, Kelly %A Hinds, Kate %A Melendez-Torres, GJ %A Stansfield, Claire %A Fletcher, Adam %A Thomas, James %A Lester, Katrina %A Oliver, Elizabeth %A Murphy, Simon M %A Campbell, Rona %C Southampton %D 2016 %F ndc:27523 %I National Institute for Health Research %N 5 %T The effects of Positive Youth Development interventions on substance use, violence and inequalities: systematic review of theories of change, processes and outcomes. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27523/ %V 4 %X BACKGROUND: Positive Youth Development (PYD) delivered outside school aims to enable young people to develop positive assets such as relationships and confidence, rather than to merely address risk. Existing reviews of PYD effects on substance use or violence are old and unsystematic. OBJECTIVES: To systematically review evidence to answer the following questions: what theories of change inform PYD interventions addressing substance use and violence? What characteristics of participants and contexts are identified as barriers to and facilitators of implementation and receipt in process evaluations of PYD? What is the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of PYD in reducing substance use and violence? What characteristics of participants and contexts appear to moderate, or are necessary and sufficient for, PYD effectiveness? DATA SOURCES: A total of 21 bibliographic databases; 35 websites and contacting authors. REVIEW METHODS: We included reports published in English since 1985 and reporting on theories of change, as well as process, outcome and economic evaluations of PYD targeting 11- to 18-year-olds and addressing substance use or violence. References were screened on title/abstract and, where appropriate, on full report. Data extraction and quality assessment used Critical Appraisal Skills Programme, Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre and Cochrane tools. Theories of change and process evaluations were qualitatively metasynthesised. Outcome evaluations were synthesised narratively and meta-analytically. RESULTS: 32,394 unique references were identified and 48 were included. A total of 16 reports described theories, 13 (10 studies) evaluated processes and 25 (10 studies) evaluated outcomes. THEORIES OF CHANGE: PYD interventions aim to offer opportunities for young people to develop positive ‘assets’ such as skills and confidence. These are theorised to promote and be promoted by young people’s ‘intentional self-regulation’, which involves reflecting on behaviour; determining goals; using existing resources to pursue these; and redirecting effort when thwarted. This enables ‘developmental regulation’, namely individuals capitalising on other opportunities to promote personal development. Positive assets thus accrued reduce health risks by reducing the impact on individuals of environmental risk or by ameliorating the impact of such risks. The literature offers limited insights beyond these general ideas. PROCESS EVALUATIONS: Community engagement ensured that programmes were accessible and appealing. Staff capacity and continuity were crucial factors but often challenging when programmes could not offer full-time jobs. Tensions arose between a desire to empower participants to choose activities and a requirement for them to undertake a breadth of activities. OUTCOME EVALUATIONS: Meta-analyses of all combined outcomes and of short-term alcohol use, illicit drug use and smoking found no significant effects. There were small, statistically significant, short-term effects for an omnibus measure of substance use and for violence. We could not undertake metaregression to assess sociodemographic moderators but narrative synthesis suggested no clear pattern of effects by sex. We found no economic evaluations. LIMITATIONS: Insufficient studies precluded qualitative comparative analyses. CONCLUSIONS: How PYD might promote health is currently undertheorised. Implementation can be challenging. We found little evidence that current PYD interventions delivered outside school reduce substance use or violence. However, these may not constitute a test of the effectiveness of the PYD model, as some included interventions that, although meeting our inclusion criteria, were not exemplars of PYD. %0 Journal Article %A Parchetka, Caroline %A Strache, Nicole %A Raffaelli, Bianca %A Gemmeke, Isabel %A Weib, Katharina %A Artiges, Eric %A Banaschewski, Tobias %A Bokde, Arun L W %A Bromberg, Uli %A Buechel, Christian %A Conrod, Patricia %A Desrivières, Sylvane %A Flor, Herta %A Frouin, Vincent %A Garavan, Hugh %A Gowland, Penny %A Heinz, Andreas %A Ittermann, Bernd %A Lemaitre, Herve %A Martinot, Jean-Luc %A Mennigen, Eva %A Nees, Frauke %A Paillère-Martinot, Marie-Laure %A Papadopoulos, Dimitri %A Paus, Tomas %A Poustka, Luise %A Jurk, Sarah %A Smolka, Michael N %A Vetter, Nora C %A Walter, Henrik %A Whelan, Robert %A Schumann, Gunter %A Gallinat, Jurgen %D 2016 %F ndc:27988 %I Springer %J Journal of Public Health %N 6 %P 489 -495 %T Predictive utility of the NEO-FFI for later substance experiences among 16-year-old adolescents. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27988/ %V 24 %X Purpose: The onset of substance use mostly occurs during adolescence. The aim of the present study is to investigate the relevance of personality on the basis of the NEO-Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) to future experiences with tobacco, alcohol and cannabis. Methods: The test data were derived from the baseline assessment and first follow-up of the IMAGEN study, a European multicenter and multidisciplinary research project on adolescent mental health. In the present study 1004 participants were tested. The characterization of personality was conducted with the NEO-FFI at the age of 14 (T1). The data on substance use were collected with the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) questionnaire at the age of 16 (T2). For the statistical analysis, t-tests and univariate analyses of variance were performed. Results: The scores of Conscientiousness at T1 were significantly lower for adolescents with tobacco, alcohol and cannabis experiences at T2. We found lower scores of Agreeableness at T1 in participants with tobacco and cannabis use at T2. Extraversion at T1 was significantly higher for adolescents with smoking experiences at T2. No significant associations between Neuroticism or Openness and future substance use were observed. Conclusion: Low scores of Conscientiousness and Agreeableness seem to have the greatest value for a prediction of later experiences with substance use. As the present study is the first one to examine the predictive value of the NEO-FFI for future substance use in an adolescent sample, further studies are necessary to enable a better applicability in a clinical context. %0 Generic %A Schlossarek, S %A Kempkensteffen, J %A Reimer, J %A Verthein, U %D 2016 %F ndc:24786 %I Karger %N 3 %T Psychosocial determinants of cannabis dependence: a systematic review of the literature. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24786/ %V 22 %0 Generic %A Semczuk, Megan %A Shakeshaft, Anthony %A Knight, Alice %A Maple, Myfanwy %A McKay, Kathryn %A Shakeshaft, Bernie %C Sydney %D 2015 %F ndc:24997 %I National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre %T An analysis of the relationship between a community-based prevention program for young people with multiple and complex needs and the prevalence of crime. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24997/ %0 Generic %A Terry, Lucy %A Cardwell, Vicki %C London %D 2015 %F ndc:24900 %I Revolving Doors Agency %T ‘Understanding the whole person’: the first in a series of literature reviews on severe and multiple disadvantage. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24900/ %X Because many people experience multiple and complex needs, it is important to understand the cross-cutting and distinct themes across the journeys of recovery from mental illness, recovery from substance misuse, and desistance from crime. The key themes highlighted in our paper are based on a review of the literature within three separate disciplinary fields: mental health, criminology and substance misuse. Common themes emerging from the literature • The three areas are processes, not events, involving setbacks, lapses, and trying again. While they are difficult many people eventually achieve lasting success - we should all be optimistic about people’s potential. • These journeys are about moving towards something positive: this is as if not more important than rejecting or moving away from bad experiences. These are inherently hopeful journeys looking towards the future. • The journeys are highly subjective and about the reality of people’s lives, not top-down interventions or treatments. A person must perceive an opportunity or event as meaningful for it to make a positive impact. • Success is associated with developing a strong, positive identity. This means overcoming labels like ‘offender’ and ‘patient’ and believing in one’s own agency and capability. • Healthy relationships are crucial. They give emotional and practical support as well as providing meaningful roles and opportunities to give back. But social networks are unhelpful in some cases, and often positive relationships are rare for certain groups such as drug-using offenders and other people facing multiple needs. • It is key to believe in one’s role in the wider community and society, and internalised stigma can be a big barrier to recovery and desistance. Distinctive themes: • Recovery in mental health focuses on recovery from institutions and the effects of being a mental health patient; whereas the other two domains focus more on processes of behaviour and motivational change taking place in a social context. • Recovery in mental health also emphasises the need for socially inclusive policies and adaptations that allow people with an ongoing severe mental illness to still participate on their own terms. • Some of the variation in themes is partly due to the particular research methods used by each domain. The review concludes that some of the themes distinctive to mental health recovery have potential relevance to all three domains. It also highlights the literature’s relevance to multiple needs policy and reiterates that there are many ways to support people on their complex but often successful journeys towards change. %0 Generic %A No One Left Out: Solutions Ltd, %C London %D 2015 %F ndc:24711 %I Westminster City Council %T Creating a psychologically informed environment. implementation and assessment. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24711/ %X A Psychologically Informed Environment (PIE) “... is one that takes into account the psychological makeup – the thinking, emotions, personalities and past experience - of its participants in the way that it operates.” It’s an approach to supporting people out of homelessness, in particular those who have experienced complex trauma3 or are diagnosed with a personality disorder. It also considers the psychological needs of staff: developing skills and knowledge, increasing motivation, job satisfaction and resilience. Many of the clients homeless services work with seem to have difficulty managing their emotions, appear impulsive and do not consider the consequences of their actions. Some may be withdrawn, isolated and reluctant to engage or exhibit anti-social behaviour. The purpose of a PIE is to help staff understand where these behaviours are coming from and therefore work more creatively and constructively with challenging behaviours. A PIE has 5 key elements: 1. Relationships 2. Staff support and training 3. The physical environment and social spaces 4. A psychological framework 5. Evidence generating practice %0 Generic %A United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, %C Vienna %D 2015 %F ndc:19481 %I United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime %T International standards on drug use prevention. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/19481/ %X Prevention strategies based on scientific evidence working with families, schools, and communities can ensure that children and youth, especially the most marginalized and poor, grow and stay healthy and safe into adulthood and old age. For every dollar spent on prevention, at least ten can be saved in future health, social and crime costs. These global International Standards summarize the currently available scientific evidence, describing interventions and policies that have been found to result in positive prevention outcomes and their characteristics. Concurrently, the global International Standards identify the major components and features of an effective national drug prevention system. It is our hope that the International Standards will assist policy makers worldwide to develop programmes, policies and systems that are a truly effective investment in the future of children, youth, families and communities. This work builds on and recognizes the work of many other organizations (e.g. EMCDDA, CCSA, CICAD, Mentor, NIDA, WHO) which have previously developed standards and guidelines on various aspects of drug prevention. [For appendices, click on website link above] %Z Minor editorial amendments have been made to this publication, however the content remains the same as the earlier version, first published in 2013. %0 Generic %A Mentor International, %C London %D 2015 %F ndc:24107 %I Mentor %T Drug prevention for parents. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24107/ %X This guide is divided into three sections to provide parents with tips to raise happy and healthy kids in their home, the school and the community: 1) HOME: Helping you to teach your children to develop good behaviours and social skills to promote a healthy lifestyle and reduce the likelihood of them abusing substances. Focusing in particular on: • Building your child’s resilience • Establishing good communication • Monitoring your child’s behaviour • Healthy relationships • Knowing the facts on alcohol and other drugs 2) Helping you ensure your child is connected to SCHOOL 3) Helping you ensure your child is connected to your COMMUNITY %0 Generic %A Alcohol and Drug Education and Prevention Information Service, %C London %D 2015 %F ndc:24075 %I Mentor ADEPSIS %T Building resilience and character in young people. Alcohol and drug prevention briefing paper. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24075/ %X Building resilience in children and young people is one of the key principles of good education, and a necessary requirement in facilitating personal growth, whilst enabling children and young people to successfully navigate life and life challenges. This briefing paper looks at resilience in the context of universal educational settings (both formal and informal). By giving definitions of key terms to provide a better understanding, it will then explore ways in which these can be contextualised and translated into practice. %0 Report %9 Other %A O’Neill, Siobhan %A Armour, Cherie %A Bolton, David %A Bunting, Brendan %A Corry, Colette %A Devine, Barney %A Ennis, Edel %A Ferry, Finola %A McKenna, Aine %A McLafferty, Margaret %A Murphy, Sam %A Ulster University, %B %C Belfast %D 2015 %F ndc:23530 %I Commission for Victims and Survivors %T Towards a better future: the trans-generational impact of the Troubles on mental health. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/23530/ %X • Chapter 1: The impact of the conflict’s legacy on children in Northern Ireland: A review of the research 27 • Chapter 2: The impact of the conflict’s legacy on early years’ development of children and young people 36 • Chapter 3: Latent profiles of childhood adversity, exposure to Troubles/ conflict related trauma and mental health disorders in the Northern Ireland population 50 • Chapter 4: Trans-generational trauma in Northern Ireland: Results from the Northern Ireland Study of Health and Stress 60 • Chapter 5: The impact of the legacy of the Troubles on suicidal behaviour 68 • Chapter 6: Treating trans-generational trauma and building resilience among young people in Northern Ireland 80 • Chapter 7: A survey of organisations in Northern Ireland concerned and working with the trans-generational impact of the Troubles on children and young people 93 P.11 At a societal level the research provided evidence that identified the following key findings: • The majority of people who experienced traumatic events and violence are not adversely affected in the long term; • However a group of people have developed problems including mental disorders which have impacted on their functioning at family and community levels. The most recent figures estimate that this group represents around 14% of the adult population; • Alcohol and other drugs are commonly used among those adversely affected by the Troubles; • Economic deprivation constitutes an additional stressor which in turn impacts negatively on mental and general health; and • The political and social divisions in Northern Ireland impact upon social integration and are associated with sectarianism and increasingly racism, homophobia and “hate crime”. %0 Journal Article %@ 0790-9667 %A Darker, Catherine D %A Palmer, Deirdre %A O'Reilly, G %A Whiston, Lucy %A Smyth, Bobby P %D 2015 %F ndc:23180 %I Medmedia Group %J Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine %N 3 %P 247-258 %T Young people in drug treatment in Ireland: their views on substance use aetiology, trajectory, parents’ role in substance use and coping skills. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/23180/ %V 32 %0 Journal Article %@ 1543-6136 %A O'Connor, Maebh %A Dooley, Barbara %A Fitzgerald, Amanda %D 2015 %F ndc:24962 %I Wiley %J Archives of Suicide Research %N 1 %P 1-16 %T Constructing the Suicide Risk Index (SRI): does it work in predicting suicidal behavior in young adults mediated by proximal factors? %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24962/ %V 19 %X Suicide is a key concern among young adults. The aim of the study was to (1) construct a suicide risk index (SRI) based on demographic, situational, and behavioral factors known to be linked to suicidal behavior and (2) investigate whether the association between the SRI and suicidal behavior was mediated by proximal processes (personal factors, coping strategies, and emotional states). Participants consisted of 7,558 individuals aged 17-25 years (M = 20.35, SD = 1.91). Nearly 22% (n = 1,542) reported self-harm and 7% (n = 499) had attempted suicide. Mediation analysis revealed both a direct effect (ß = .299, 95% CI = [.281, .317], p < .001), and a mediated effect (ß = .204, 95% CI = [.186, .222], p < .001), between the risk index and suicidal behavior. The strongest mediators were levels of self-esteem, depression, and avoidant coping. Interventions to increase self-esteem, reduce depression, and encourage adaptive coping strategies may prevent suicidal behavior in young people. %0 Journal Article %@ 1535-7228 %A Castellanos-Ryan, Natalie %A Struve, Maren %A Whelan, Robert %A Banaschewski, Tobias %A Barker, Gareth J %A Bokde, Arun L W %A Bromberg, Uli %A Büchel, Christian %A Flor, Herta %A Fauth-Bühler, Mira %A Frouin, Vincent %A Gallinat, Jurgen %A Gowland, Penny %A Heinz, Andreas %A Lawrence, Claire %A Martinot, Jean-Luc %A Nees, Frauke %A Paus, Tomas %A Pausova, Zdenka %A Rietschel, Marcella %A Robbins, Trevor W %A Smolka, Michael N %A Schumann, Gunter %A Garavan, Hugh %A Conrod, Patricia J %D 2014 %F ndc:23984 %I American Psychiatric Association %J The American Journal of Psychiatry %N 12 %P 1310-1319 %T Neural and cognitive correlates of the common and specific variance across externalizing problems in young adolescence. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/23984/ %V 171 %X Longitudinal and family-based research suggests that conduct disorder, substance misuse, and ADHD involve both unique forms of dysfunction as well as more specific dysfunctions unique to each condition. Using direct measures of brain function, this study also found evidence in both unique and disorder-specific perturbations. %0 Generic %A Galvani, Sarah %A Livingston, Wulf %A Morgan, Hannah %A Wadd, Sarah %C London %D 2014 %F ndc:26967 %I Alcohol research UK %T Substance use and sight loss: a guide for professionals %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/26967/ %X This was an exploratory study of the relationship between substance use – alcohol and other drugs – and sight loss. Its origins lay in practice-based concerns about the extent to which service provision met the needs of people with sight loss who were experiencing problematic substance use. A preliminary review of the international literature found limited evidence relating to medical or clinical associations between sight loss and substance use but almost no literature that explored the experiences of those living, or working with, sight loss and substance use. Therefore, this study sought to answer three key research questions: • What does current evidence reveal about the nature and extent of the relationship between substance use and sight loss? • What is the role substance use plays in the lives of people with sight loss? • What are the experiences of professionals working with people who have sight loss and substance problems? Key findings: • People with sight loss are more likely than their sighted peers to abstain from drinking alcohol. Analysis of two UK datasets showed that they are also more likely to drink fewer units of alcohol per week. • An international review of the literature found very little evidence for substance use leading directly to sight loss. • There was evidence that substance use may be a risk for sight loss conditions such as ‘tobacco-alcohol amblyopia’ or ‘toxic amblyopia’ where heavy substance use is combined with other risk factors including smoking or poor nutrition. • Among the people we spoke to who were living with sight loss and current or past substance use, some had been told by sight loss professionals that their alcohol or other drug use caused their sight loss. • For some people their substance use was a way of coping with the negative experiences of sight loss. • Among the professionals we spoke to, the number of people they worked with who had sight loss and substance problems was small but those who did posed considerable professional challenges. • In general, professionals in sight loss and substance use services felt they were not adequately equipped with the knowledge, professional guidance or organisational policy frameworks, to help them to identify and respond confidently when working with someone with both sight loss and substance problems. • Professionals identified partnership working as key to providing support and to stopping people falling through the gap in services. Joint training and resources for staff and individuals are recommended. %0 Journal Article %A Keane, Martin %D 2014 %F ndc:22907 %I Health Research Board %J Drugnet Ireland %P 6-7 %T Addiction recovery: a contagious paradigm. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/22907/ %V Issue 51, Autumn 2014 %0 Generic %A Institute of Health Equity, %C London %D 2014 %F ndc:22757 %I Public Health England %T Building children and young people’s resilience in schools. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/22757/ %X Summary 1. Resilience is the capacity to bounce back from adversity. Protective factors increase resilience, whereas risk factors increase vulnerability. Resilient individuals, families and communities are more able to deal with difficulties and adversities than those with less resilience. 2. Those who are resilient do well despite adversity, although it does not imply that those who are resilient are unharmed – they often have poorer outcomes than those who have low-risk background but less resilience. This applies to health outcomes and affects success in a range of areas of life across the life course. Evidence shows that resilience could contribute to healthy behaviours, higher qualifications and skills, better employment, better mental well-being, and a quicker or more successful recovery from illness. 3. Resilience is not an innate feature of some people’s personalities. Resilience and adversity are distributed unequally across the population, and are related to broader socio-economic inequalities which have common causes – the inequities in power, money and resources that shape the conditions in which people live and their opportunities, experiences and relationships. 4. Those who face the most adversity are least likely to have the resources necessary to build resilience. This ‘double burden’ means that inequalities in resilience are likely to contribute to health inequalities. 5. Schools have a key opportunity to build resilience among children and young people, and there is a range of ways in which local authorities can support and encourage schools to take action. 6. Actions to increase resilience can be targeted at different levels - they can aim to increase achievements of pupils; to support them through transitions and encourage healthy behaviours; to promote better interpersonal relationships between people – particularly parents or carers and children; and to create more supportive, cohesive schools that support both pupils and the wider community. %0 Report %9 Other %A SAOL Project, %B %C Dublin %D 2014 %F ndc:22052 %I SAOL Project %T RecoverMe. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/22052/ %0 Journal Article %@ 1723-8617 %A Carli, Vladimir %A Hoven, Christina W %A Wasserman, Camilla %A Chiesa, Flaminia %A Guffanti, Guia %A Sarchiapone, Marco %A Apter, Alan %A Balazs, Judit %A Brunner, Romuald %A Corcoran, Paul %A Cosman, Doina %A Haring, Christian %A Iosuec, Miriam %A Kaess, Michael %A Kahn, Jean Pierre %A Keeley, Helen %A Postuvan, Vita %A Saiz, Pilar %A Varnik, Airi %A Wasserman, Danuta %D 2014 %F ndc:22790 %I World Psychiatric Association %J World Psychiatry %N 1 %P 78-86 %T A newly identified group of adolescents at "invisible" risk for psychopathology and suicidal behavior: findings from the SEYLE study. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/22790/ %V 13 %X This study explored the prevalence of risk behaviors (excessive alcohol use, illegal drug use, heavy smoking, reduced sleep, overweight, underweight, sedentary behavior, high use of Internet/TV/videogames for reasons not related to school or work, and truancy), and their association with psychopathology and self-destructive behaviors, in a sample of 12,395 adolescents recruited in randomly selected schools across 11 European countries. Latent class analysis identified three groups of adolescents: a low-risk group (57.8%) including pupils with low or very low frequency of risk behaviors; a high-risk group (13.2%) including pupils who scored high on all risk behaviors, and a third group ("invisible" risk, 29%) including pupils who were positive for high use of Internet/TV/videogames for reasons not related to school or work, sedentary behavior and reduced sleep. Pupils in the "invisible" risk group, compared with the high-risk group, had a similar prevalence of suicidal thoughts (42.2% vs. 44%), anxiety (8% vs. 9.2%), subthreshold depression (33.2% vs. 34%) and depression (13.4% vs. 14.7%). The prevalence of suicide attempts was 5.9% in the "invisible" group, 10.1% in the high-risk group and 1.7% in the low-risk group. The prevalence of all risk behaviors increased with age and most of them were significantly more frequent among boys. Girls were significantly more likely to experience internalizing (emotional) psychiatric symptoms. The "invisible" group may represent an important new intervention target group for potentially reducing psychopathology and other untoward outcomes in adolescence, including suicidal behavior. %0 Journal Article %@ eISSN-1932-6203 %A Larkin, Celine %A Di Blasi, Zelda %A Arensman, Ella %D 2014 %F ndc:21381 %I Public Library of Science %J PLoS ONE %N 1 %T Risk factors for repetition of self-harm: a systematic review of prospective hospital-based studies. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/21381/ %V 9 %0 Report %9 Other %A Mind, %A Mental Health Foundation, %B %C London %D 2013 %F ndc:20392 %I Mental Health Strategic Partnership %T Building resilient communities: Making every contact count for public mental health. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/20392/ %X Mental health should be a key part of every public health strategy. There is a strong moral and economic case for tackling the rising challenge of mental health problems for communities and the people who experience them. There are also clear, evidence-based and cost-effective steps that can be taken to build resilience, promote wellbeing and help to prevent mental health problems. This report focuses on resilience; setting out the types of services, resources and infrastructure that need to be in place locally to support resilient communities, helping people to ‘feel good and function well’. It will be of interest to those who commission (or aim to influence the commissioning of) local services, those who provide services that impact on the wellbeing and resilience of their local community and those who use these services. Resilience should be central to any public mental health strategy but is only one element; it is essential that structural inequalities, like income or access to affordable housing, are also tackled. Evidence for this report was gathered through interviews, focus groups and a selected literature review. %0 Generic %A Martin, Kerry %A Nelson, Julie %A Lynch, Sarah %C Slough %D 2013 %F ndc:21008 %I National Foundation for Educational Research %T Effectiveness of school-based life-skills and alcohol education programmes: a review of the literature. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/21008/ %X The review explores: • the impact of alcohol education/life-skills programmes in developing school-age children’s: knowledge of, and attitudes towards, alcohol; skills (including confidence, assertiveness, resistance skills; decision-making, and ability to stay safe and healthy); and behaviours (particularly related to consumption patterns, including frequency of drinking and episodes of drunkenness) • which alcohol education/life-skills programmes offer greatest value for money • the processes that facilitate or inhibit the implementation, sustainability and impact of alcohol education/life-skills programmes. The review builds on a variety of previous literature reviews, which present a mixed picture of the effectiveness of alcohol education initiatives for school-aged pupils. For full details of these reviews, see Section 2 of the report. Review findings: Which programmes have greatest impact on children and young people? • Previous literature reviews of alcohol education and life-skills programmes present a mixed picture of their effectiveness for school-aged pupils. • There are difficulties in judging impact due to: − the challenge of generalising about effective programme ingredients − issues related to programme fidelity. If fidelity has not been investigated through a thorough process evaluation, it is difficult to ascertain whether outcomes are a result of the effectiveness (or otherwise) of the programme, or of the way in which it has been implemented. • This review found substantial evidence relating to the positive effects of school-based alcohol education and life-skills programmes on pupils’ alcohol related-knowledge. • Few of the sources specifically measured the impacts on pupils’ attitudes. Those that did, have variable and inconclusive findings. • There is little evidence of the effectiveness of alcohol education and life-skills programmes in improving pupils’ alcohol-related decision-making skills. • There is a degree of evidence of the effectiveness of alcohol education and life-skills programmes in reducing the frequency of alcohol consumption and episodes of drunkenness among school-aged children. There are, however, limitations to several of the research studies cited. Which programmes are most cost effective? • Very few studies have investigated the cost benefits of universal school-based alcohol education programmes. • There is some limited analysis of the costs incurred in running individual programmes, but no evidence as to how these compare to those of alternative programmes. • World Health Organisation research suggests that school-based alcohol education is not cost effective in reducing alcohol-related harm in any European region. In contrast, alcohol pricing and taxation policy are cost-effective throughout Europe. • However, some authors hypothesise that with just a very small effect size in reduced alcohol consumption rates among young people as a result of alcohol education programmes, the cost benefits to society could be substantial. • There is evidence of one targeted residential programme in the USA (ChalleNGe), and of one specialist drug and alcohol service in the UK that have provided substantial cost benefits to individuals and society. These are not universal alcohol education programmes however. What factors facilitate or inhibit the success of programmes? • Programmes are not always transferrable from one situation or context to another. There needs to be caution when transferring lessons from effective programmes. • Effective alcohol education curricula achieve a good balance between: accurate and consistent information giving and knowledge building; skills development; and sensitivity to factors influencing student attitudes and behaviours. • Effective teaching and learning approaches include those that are interactive rather than didactic. Passive teaching approaches are associated with less favourable results. • Course delivery by external professionals such as health workers and counsellors can sometimes lead to more positive outcomes than teacher-led delivery, and specialist school staff achieve more positive results than non-specialist teachers. • There is tentative, but inconclusive, evidence that effective programmes focus on prevention rather than sanction, and on harm-reduction rather than abstinence. The optimum age for effective exposure is unclear, but seems to be somewhere between the ages of 12 and 14. There is evidence that a series of short-duration interventions delivered through childhood, with booster sessions into adolescence, is an effective approach. Whatever age programmes are introduced, the cognitive expectations and teaching and learning approaches must be age appropriate. • Parents and families act as critical protective agents for young people. Where families have been included in interventions, results are usually positive. • In some instances, parental support is lacking. In such instances, schools have an increasingly important role to play in fulfilling a protective role. Finally, we present the key findings of our review in relation to the degree of evidence of impact for different pupil outcomes, using the following terms: substantial evidence of impact; degree of evidence of impact; only a little evidence of impact. Where we are able to, we comment on apparent facilitators or inhibitors of impact. %0 Generic %A Public Health England, %C London %D 2013 %F ndc:20391 %I Public Health England %T Routes to recovery via the community. Mapping user manual. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/20391/ %X Introduction: Outline of the manual; pages 3-8 Chapter One: Techniques and tools to enhance assessment and build a plan for recovery; pages 9-49 Chapter Two: Setting, achieving and rewarding goals; pages 50-56 Chapter Three Building social support for change; pages 57-70 Chapter Four: Providing information to reduce harm; pages 71-77 Chapter Five: Skills development; pages 78-93 Chapter Six: Exiting treatment and aftercare; pages 94-104 %0 Report %9 Other %A UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre, NUI, Galway, %B %C Galway %D 2013 %F ndc:20433 %I UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre, NUI, Galway %T Foróige’s Leadership for Life Programme. Evaluation report. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/20433/ %X Foróige is a national Irish youth organisation which aims to enable young people to involve themselves consciously and actively in their own development and the development of society. Since Foróige was established in 1952, youth leadership has been a core offering of the organisation. In 2009, Foróige established its Best Practice Unit, with investment from The Atlantic Philanthropies. Through the Best Practice Unit a comprehensive Youth Leadership Programme was developed, building on both practice wisdom and available international evidence in terms of what works in building young leaders. The youth leadership programme seeks to enable young people to develop the skills, inspiration, vision, confidence, and action plans to be effective leaders and to empower them to make a positive difference to their society through the practice of effective leadership %0 Generic %A Neale, Joanne %A Nettleton, Sarah %A Pickering, Lucy %C London %D 2012 %F ndc:18631 %I RSA %T The everyday lives of recovering heroin users. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/18631/ %X The RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce): an enlightenment organisation committed to finding innovative practical solutions to today’s social challenges. This book draws upon a recently completed study to provide unique insights into the everyday lives of recovering heroin users. By reporting the actual words of our study participants, we have tried to produce an accessible resource for those who want to understand how recovery is really experienced from the perspectives of drug users themselves. The main intended audience for the book is drug workers and professionals working in the addiction field. However, the material presented should also be of interest to other health, social care and criminal justice professionals, drug users (both those in recovery and those contemplating recovery), their family members, policy makers, academics and interested lay readers. Chapter 1: Setting the scene 14 • Why read this book? 14 • Why focus on recovery? 15 • What is recovery? 15 • A study of the everyday lives of recovering heroin users 17 • Structure of the book 18 Chapter 2: Considering recovery 20 • Introduction 20 • Mapping services and support 20 • Factors that can encourage and sustain recovery efforts 25 • Barriers to recovery 29 • Summary 31 Chapter 3: Treatment experiences 33 • Introduction 33 • Methadone madness 33 • Substituting with Subutex 36 • The demands of detox 38 • Recovery through rehabilitation 40 • Progressing with peer support 46 • Summary 48 Chapter 4: Coming off drugs 49 • Introduction 49 • The process of detoxification 49 • Understanding ‘rattling’, ‘clucking’ and ‘withdrawing’ 49 • Withdrawal symptoms 51 • Managing detoxification 53 • Cravings 54 • Lapses, relapses and prevention strategies 57 • (Re)lapse triggers 58 • Preventing (re)lapse 59 • Cross addicting 62 • Smoking tobacco 64 • Summary 66 Chapter 5: (Re)building relationships 68 • Introduction 68 • Childhood relationships 68 • Adult relationships with birth family members 71 • Strained family relationships 71 • Supportive family relationships 72 • Relationships with partners and spouses 75 • Parenting 78 • Friendships 81 • Pets 83 • Summary 84 Chapter 6: Emotional changes 86 • Introduction 86 • Comfortably numb 86 • Returning emotions during detoxification and early recovery 88 • Managing emerging emotions 93 • Finding a level 97 • Summary 101 Chapter 7: Bodily adjustments 102 • Introduction 102 • Weight change 102 • On the scales 102 • Feelings about weight change 104 • Bowel functioning 107 • Libido changes 110 • Tasting, smelling, hearing and seeing the difference 112 • Menstruation 113 • Summary 115 Chapter 8: Health and illness 117 • Introduction 117 • Blood borne viruses (BBVs) 117 • Getting tested 117 • Contracting hepatitis C 118 • Drug-related accidents and injuries 120 • Chest and lung complaints 121 • Dental problems 123 • Non-drug related health problems 125 • Aches and pains 126 • Colds and flu 127 • Mental health 128 • Summary 132 Chapter 9: Day-to-day self care 134 • Introduction 134 • Eating 134 • Eating on heroin 134 • Eating as heroin use reduces 138 • Sleeping 140 • Struggling to sleep 140 • Sleeping in recovery 142 • Personal hygiene and appearance 146 • Keeping clean and presentable on drugs 146 • Hygiene and appearance in recovery 149 • Summary 151 Chapter 10: Keeping house 153 • Introduction 153 • Living arrangements 153 • Moving around and settling down 153 • Experiences of homelessness 155 • Being housed 157 • Doing domesticity 160 • Managing income and expenditure 162 • Paid work and benefits 163 • Income generating crime 164 • Supplementary income and benefits in kind 164 • Financial outgoings 165 • Money management 167 • Summary 170 Chapter 11: Filling the void 172 • Introduction 172 • Dealing with boredom 172 • Working towards recovery 176 • Education and training 176 • Paid jobs and voluntary work 178 • Hobbies and interests 181 • Chilling 181 • Being physically active 182 • Exercising the mind 183 • Being creative 185 • Being sociable 185 • Managing a social life 186 • Summary 187 Chapter 12: Thinking about the future 189 • Introduction 189 • One day at a time 189 • Hopes and goals 190 • Being clean 190 • Getting a job 191 • Rebuilding relationships 192 • Setting up home 194 • Doing nice things 194 • Owning material possessions 195 • Finding happiness 195 • Fears and concerns 196 • Relapsing and returning to old behaviours 196 • Work worries 196 • Family concerns 197 • Housing and loneliness 198 • Being in debt 198 • Being unwell 198 • Wanting to be normal 199 • A family, a home and some possessions 199 • Work and everyday activities 199 • Emotions and body functioning 200 • Drug use 201 • Change and growth 202 • Increased awareness of self and others 202 • Becoming moral 203 • Increasing self-control and reduced anger 204 • Feeling happier 204 • Growing up 205 %0 Report %9 Government Publication %A O'Connell, Angela %B %C Dublin %D 2012 %F ndc:18597 %I Department of Children and Youth Affairs %T How we see it. Report of a survey on young people's body image. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/18597/ %X There is a growing body of research in Western and developing cultures demonstrating that teenagers, and teenage girls in particular, are worried about body image, although earlier studies also indicated an increasing concern with body image among boys. Negative body image is associated with poorer mental well-being, eating disorders, self-harm, acceptance of plastic surgery, smoking, use of anabolic steroids and dieting aids, excessive exercise, becoming the target of teasing and bullying, and developing a lack of confidence in interpersonal relationships. Fear of being seen as gay or lesbian (homophobia) in defining both male and female bodies, and in policing behaviour, is also implicit in many of the studies. The main recommendations made by the young people who completed the survey can be broadly grouped under four approaches: • A Body Image Awareness campaign – to highlight the complex issues facing young people in relation to how they feel about their bodies. • Personal Development programmes and education – to help young people to develop a more positive body image. • Information that is made available and accessible to young people on issues such as healthy eating, eating disorders, obesity and anabolic steroids. • Promoting sports and exercise – to make young people healthier. %0 Generic %D 2012 %F ndc:18233 %I Drug and Alcohol Findings %T Effectiveness Bank Bulletin [Training to reduce burn-out amongst staff] %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/18233/ %V 09 Aug %X Whole team training to reduce burn-out amongst staff on an in-patient alcohol ward. Hill R.G., Atnas C.I., Ryan P. et al. Journal of Substance Use: 2010, 15(1), p. 42–50. Even more so than in a typical psychiatric ward, staff at a London inpatient alcohol treatment ward experienced high levels of stress and other indicators of the potential for 'burn-out'. Whole-team training seemed to help, reflected especially in feelings of greater competence in working with sometimes challenging and complex patients. Summary: Occupational stress and burn-out are common among hospital and community-based mental health staff; staff working where aggression and violence occur are at particular risk. The Maslach Burn-out Inventory is a questionnaire often used to measure these variables. It assesses feelings of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and personal accomplishment. The results confirm high levels of stress and strain among mental health professionals, yet very little empirical work has been undertaken on ways to counter this, and the few studies there are generally had a weak research design. The featured report derives from the EU-funded OSCAR project (Occupational Stress with Mental Health Clients in Acute Response). In five European countries, this aimed to gather information on occupational stress and burn-out among mental health workers in acute psychiatric hospital and community settings, investigate the causes, and test ways to reduce the problem. The strategy was to work with whole staff teams in order to affect team culture and introduce and 'bed down' working practices aimed at stress reduction. In Britain the project was implemented at a mixed-sex, 16-bed inpatient ward in south east England offering generally a 28-day programme including group and individual therapy and detoxification for adults dependent on alcohol. It averaged five admissions a week. The ward had 19 staff; three quarters were women and two thirds had worked on the ward for under three years. Only one recalled in-service training on dealing with stress. These staff completed the Maslach Burn-out Inventory. Three months later, as a team they underwent a two-day stress-reduction training course, the impacts of which were assessed by repeating the inventory a month later. The two days of the training were separated by a fortnight. Day one focused on managing stress at the individual, team and organisational levels. Day two focused on understanding the causes and consequences of aggression, involving identifying typical antecedents of violence from a comprehensive perspective, including client-related, environmental, team, and organisational factors. The team was then helped to undertake a comprehensive risk assessment along with plans for implementing effective risk management strategies. %0 Generic %A The Drug Education Forum, %C London %D 2012 %F ndc:17234 %I The Drug Education Forum %T Learning from life skills programmes in drug education. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/17234/ %X Life skills education is an interactive process of teaching and learning which is being adopted around the world as a means of empowering young people. Life skills education is synonymous with good PSHE education and has been shown to increase the likelihood that young people avoid the harms that drugs and alcohol can do. The paper looks specifically at two programmes, Life Skills Training and Unplugged, examining the evidence for effectiveness and the content and processes that they share. %0 Generic %A Maschinot, Beth %A Cohen, Julie %C Rockville, MD %D 2012 %F ndc:18735 %I Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration %T Supporting infants, toddlers, and families impacted by caregiver mental health problems, substance abuse, and trauma. A community action guide. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/18735/ %X Introduction • Section 1: What’s so important about birth to 5? • Section 2: Threats to resilience • Section 3: Building a sturdy foundation for children: protective factors that promote resilience • Section 4: A strategic framework for action • Section 5: Moving forward References Appendix A: Resource list Appendix B: Screening tools Appendix C: Assessing the problem Appendix D: Conducting focus groups Appendix E: Strategies for coalition building This guide was developed in the United States and is organized in sections designed for practical use. In Section 1, we focus on the importance of early development, highlighting recent findings about how the brain develops. In Section 2, we look at the newest and best research on how toxic stress can harm brain development. We focus particularly on toxic stress that can occur in families struggling with mental health problems, substance abuse, and a history of trauma. Use this information when you are developing or making the case for a new outreach effort, a new program, or a new law or advocacy effort. In Section 3, we look at how to build a sturdy foundation for the very young children in our communities, starting by supporting interactions between children and their closest caregivers, and then expanding to a wider sphere. Here the emphasis is on building supports and coping capacities in the families and in the people and service providers surrounding the child. This section can be used as a springboard to goal-setting and planning when you’ve gathered community partners. Section 4 provides you with a six-step road map for action: 1. Assess how far along your community is in building resources and structures that contribute to the well-being of families; 2. Assess your community’s capacity for supporting family well-being; 3. Build partnerships and coalitions among existing community groups; 4. Outline a strategic plan; 5. Provide guides and tips for implementation; and 6. Evaluate your efforts to better understand your impact and continually improve your strategies. Section 4 is designed to be a guide for identifying doable strategies. Although the process may seem complex, each of the steps can be used one at a time to increase your chances for success—whether you are embarking on outreach efforts or working to create larger programs or structures. %0 Generic %A Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, %C Bethesda, MD %D 2012 %F ndc:18688 %I Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services %T Using Matrix with women clients. A supplement to the Matrix intensive outpatient treatment for people with stimulant use disorders. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/18688/ %X The Matrix Intensive Outpatient Treatment for People with Stimulant Use Disorders, Counselor’s Treatment Manual, originally published in 1995 by the Matrix Center and reproduced by SAMHSA in 2006, has been used by thousands of addiction treatment counselors. The Matrix treatment model grew from a need for structured, evidence-based treatment for clients who abuse or are dependent on stimulant drugs, particularly methamphetamine and cocaine. The program model has been well received by the addiction treatment field, and the demand for the Matrix program materials has been very high. At the same time, as the field became more experienced with the use of the program materials, a need was identified for tailoring of program materials to certain special populations. In 2005, an adaptation to the Matrix materials was developed for Native American/ American Indian persons. In 2006, an additional adaptation was prepared for men who have sex with men. These adaptations address unique concerns and needs of these populations and enhance the appeal of the Matrix program for these audiences. The development of Using Matrix with Women Clients: A Supplement to the Matrix Intensive Outpatient Treatment for People with Stimulant Use Disorders continues efforts to tailor the Matrix program materials to a distinct audience. Much has been learned over the past decade about the unique substance abuse treatment needs and concerns of women. This knowledge has been applied to the women’s supplement. It covers the importance of relationships in women’s recovery; issues of trauma, abuse, and violence; sexuality and sex for money; body image and weight control; parenting and pregnancy; and family roles. Given the relatively high proportion of women seeking treatment for stimulant dependence, this adaptation is very timely. During the field test of this new material, women commented on their experiences with the added sessions. Some of the comments were as follows: “Thank you for creating a safe space for women. It has made a radical difference in my recovery.” “I liked finding strength-based solutions to my challenges in recovery. Thank you. It’s so awesome and empowering.” “My first session was today and it was so liberating and empowering! I got to talk about things I never would have in front of men in the regular ER group.” These comments are reflective of other women-only group experiences for women participating in treatment and speak to the importance for addressing women’s unique concerns in the safety and comfort of a women-only group. This manual is a supplementary programme to the main Matrix counselor’s treatment manual. As it was developed for use in the US treatment context, some areas will need to be carefully adapted for use in the UK. The proposed group sessions have been tailored to the specific needs of women in substance misuse treatment services, aiming to make them more responsive, accessible and relevant to women service users. This manual contains comprehensive materials for an additional 10 session group treatment programme for service users with stimulant use problems. The sessions include: • Issues of trauma • Abuse • Violence • Sex and sexuality • Sex for money • Body image and weight control • Pregnancy and parenting • Family roles. {For Counselor's and client's treatment manuals see related links below] %0 Journal Article %A Madge, Nicola %A Hawton, Keith %A McMahon, Elaine M %A Corcoran, Paul %A De Leo, Diego %A Jan de Wilde, Erik %A Fekete, Sandor %A van Heeringen, Kees %A Ystgaard, Mette %A Arensman, Ella %D 2011 %F ndc:21127 %I Springer %J European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry %N 10 %P 499-508 %T Psychological characteristics, stressful life events and deliberate self-harm: findings from the Child & Adolescent Self-harm in Europe (CASE) study. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/21127/ %V 20 %X There is evidence to suggest that both psychological characteristics and stressful life events are contributory factors in deliberate self-harm among young people. These links, and the possibility of a dose–response relationship between self-harm and both psychological health and life events, were investigated in the context of a seven-country school-based study. Over 30,000, mainly 15 and 16 year olds, completed anonymous questionnaires at secondary schools in Belgium, England, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and Australia. Pupils were asked to report on thoughts and episodes of self-harm, complete scales on depression and anxiety symptoms, impulsivity and self-esteem and indicate stressful events in their lives. Level and frequency of self-harm was judged according to whether they had thought about harming themselves or reported single or multiple self-harm episodes. Multinomial logistic regression assessed the extent to which psychological characteristics and stressful life events distinguished between adolescents with different self-harm histories. Increased severity of self-harm history was associated with greater depression, anxiety and impulsivity and lower self-esteem and an increased prevalence of all ten life event categories. Female gender, higher impulsivity and experiencing the suicide or self-harm of others, physical or sexual abuse and worries about sexual orientation independently differentiated single-episode self-harmers from adolescents with self-harm thoughts only. Female gender, higher depression, lower self-esteem, experiencing the suicide or self-harm of others, and trouble with the police independently distinguished multiple- from single-episode self-harmers. The findings reinforce the importance of psychological characteristics and stressful life events in adolescent self-harm but nonetheless suggest that some factors are more likely than others to be implicated. %0 Report %9 Other %A Millar, Michelle A %B %C Galway %D 2011 %F ndc:18118 %I UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre %T ‘Making a difference’ – an independent evaluation of the Incredible Years Programme in pre-schools in Galway city. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/18118/ %X The focus of this report is the implementation of the Incredible Years Programme (IYP) in Galway City. The report explores the process of developing the Incredible Years Programme in Galway City with a particular focus on the evaluation of the implementation and outcomes of the Dina in the Classroom (Pre-School) Programme. The IYP is designed to promote social and emotional competencies in children aged 3-10 years. The IYP which was developed in the University of Washington, Seattle by Professor Carolyn Webster-Stratton contains three separate training programmes, one for parents, teachers and children. Whilst each programme is designed as a stand-alone intervention, taken together they provide a cohesive and uniform strategy to address and eliminate behavioural difficulties for children. The IYP is designed to meet the needs of children with behavioural difficulties in the widest sense of the term. This encompasses a broad spectrum of behaviours from mildly disruptive to severely destructive which can present in the home and school, particularly among younger children. Yet this can also result in anti-social activities among adolescents and young people. Behavioural difficulties have a conduct dimension characterised by aggression, defiance and destructiveness as well as an emotional dimension, which is marked by negative affect and deficits in peer relations and pro-social behaviour. %0 Generic %A Bostock, Lisa %C London %D 2010 %F ndc:14055 %I Social Care Institute for Excellence %T Promoting resilience in fostered children and young people. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/14055/ %X This guide looks at how childcare professionals can make a difference to young people's experiences of foster care. Professionals play an important role by supporting caring relationships, ensuring that school is a positive experience, and promoting the self-esteem of children and young people in the foster care system. This guide unpacks the concept of resilience and provides helpful hints for practice as well as access to further resources. It is aimed at the qualifying and newly qualified childcare professional and outlines why they matter in the life of a foster child. Positive relationships, at any age in the life span, can help improve poor self-image. People who take an interest, who listen, who care and love people, make others feel better. They bolster self-esteem. %0 Generic %A Humeniuk, Rachel %A Henry Edwards, S %A Ali, Robert %A Meena, S %C Geneva %D 2010 %F ndc:18940 %I World Health Organization %T Self-help strategies for cutting down or stopping substance use: a guide. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/18940/ %X This guide helps patients that think that their substance use is putting them at risk of experiencing problems, to weigh up their substance use behavior and give them some ideas about how to change it. Contents: 1 Introduction 2 How do you know if you are at risk? 3 What is a substance use problem? 4 Getting started 5 Getting support 6 Do I need to do something about my substance use? 7 What is your substance use balance sheet? 8 Are you concerned about your substance use? 9 Measuring your substance use 10 How much is too much? 11 Making a decision 12 Choosing your goal 13 Changing the way you use 14 My contract with myself 15 Moving ahead 16 High risk situations 17 Setting targets: how to stop 18 Setting substance use targets: how to cut down 19 How to cope with cravings 20 Helpful tips 21 Handling high risk situations 22 How to say no 23 Sticking to your targets 24 When things go wrong… 25 Alternatives to substance use