1,721,005 research outputs found
A comparison of recent trends in prescription drug misuse in the US and the UK
No full textThis overview of prescription drug abuse includes historical background, key concepts, and discussion of the prevalence of drug abuse, treatments, and policy issues implicated in ending the epidemic.Prescription opioid medication abuse has been declared a national crisis by experts in medicine, substance use, public health, and pain management, culminating in a declaration made by the President of the United States that opioid misuse and abuse is a national health emergency. In this comprehensive text, expert scholars analyze and address a wide range of issues in, obstacles to, and potential solutions for this emergency, which caused more than 50,000 deaths in 2016 alone. It covers a variety of topics related to prescription misuse from both clinical and academic perspectives.After an opening containing background material on the most commonly misused medications, chapters examine subgroups engaged in misuse and special medical environments where misuse issues are key. They then cover U.S. policy, perspectives outside the U.S., and theories that may explain the misuse phenomena. This book will serve as a resource for students and professionals in fields related to prescription drug abuse―including psychology, sociology, medicine, and public policy―and is accessible to individuals not trained in these fields
The Effects Of A Guided Relaxation Exercise On Perceived Stress and Physiological Stress Indicators In Medical-Surgical Nurses
No full textNursing is known to be a high-stress profession, and as such, nurses are susceptible to employee absenteeism, reduced job satisfaction, and job burnout. Furthermore, the ability for such workers to think clearly and be able to demonstrate empathy is a key factor in delivering quality patient care. A number of stress management programs, such as hypnosis, meditation, and mindfulness-based stress reduction, have been introduced into workplace settings with the intent to reduce the effects of stress on employees. This study implemented a short relaxation exercise to determine whether a brief intervention, compared to a long intervention, would affect perceived stress and physiological stress indicators in nurses. A total of 10 nurses were recruited, 9 of which were female and 1 of which was male. Subjects participated in a 2- week study consisting of 4 total sessions. The first week involved collecting baseline data, such as heart rate and blood pressure, in addition to subjects filling out surveys that measured stress levels. The second week consisted of the behavioral intervention and involved listening to two short relaxation scripts. Physiological and self-report measures were collected pre- and post-intervention. Results indicated a significant decline in systolic blood pressure from pre-intervention to post-intervention. Furthermore, results revealed a decrease in diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, perceived stress, and negative affect score. There was also an increase in positive affect score from pre-intervention to post-intervention. Various factors, such as limited sample size and varied nurse workload, may account for the lack of significant findings. These results support previous research findings and support the hypothesis that a stress management intervention helps reduce physiological stress factors as well as reduce perceived stress. High-stress occupations, such as nursing, should implement stress management programs.Psycholog
The Effect of Attitudes and Stigma on the Willingness to Seek Treatment for Mental Problems
No full textThis study examined the attitudes and stigma toward psychotherapy and medication. It was hypothesized that participants would endorse higher levels of stigma towards psychotherapy than medication. Approximately 200 students were surveyed at Texas State University, using an investigator-designed questionnaire intended to assess stigma towards mental health treatment. Paired t-tests were run to compare responses on survey questions that differed only in terms of a focus on medication or psychotherapy. A significantly more negative attitude towards psychotherapy was found in areas of parental use of treatment, and self- attitudes. Attitudes about friends’ use of different treatment forms were found to be non- significant. When an analysis of variance was run for ethnic differences, there was a significant difference in medication-related attitudes between White and Hispanic participants.Psycholog
Supplemental Materials for: Latent Classes of Prescription Tranquilizer Misuse Motives in U.S. Adolescents and Young Adults
No full textThese are three supplemental tables and two supplemental figures that characterize the latent class composition for the research manuscript entitled, "Latent Classes of Prescription Tranquilizer Misuse Motives in U.S. Adolescents and Young Adults."Psycholog
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Effects of Housing Style on Undergraduate Mental Health
No full textThis study examined the effects of housing style on undergraduate mental health. It was hypothesized that those living on campus would report lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress than those living off campus. Approximately 228 students were surveyed at Texas State University. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, a scale measuring depression, anxiety, and stress perceptions, self-rated perceptions of social support, and a questionnaire regarding mental health services offered on campus. Using an independent samples t-test, relationships between living arrangements, GPA, first-generation status, and perceived amount of social support, anxiety, depression, and stress were examined. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was also run to test relationships between the different types of off campus living and their perceived social support and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Although no significant results for either test were found, there was a significant correlation. Using a Pearson Correlation with a set alpha level of .05, a negative correlation was found between perceived social support and perceived symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress (r=-.328, p=.000). The more social support one perceived the less likely one would experience detrimental mental health symptoms and vice versa. From the data collected in the study, we have concluded that social support and depression, anxiety, and stress are directly related. Differences in gender and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were significant. An independent samples t-test showed females with significantly higher DASS scores (M=37.19, SD=11.91) than males (M=32.89, SD=9.19).Psycholog
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
A Multivariate Approach to Substance Use in College Students: Exploring Dimensions of Sexual Orientation and Substance Use Related Traits and Behaviors
No full textMultilevel minority stressors have been associated with increased rates of substance use in sexual minority people (e.g., non-heterosexual, such as gay, lesbian, bisexual), with group specific processes underexplored in the current literature. This research attempts to provide a better understanding of the factors that influence the sexual orientation and substance use relationship, including an analysis of responses to stress and precursors to substance use, an aim which is necessary for informing any tailored intervention. The main hypothesis was that substance use relationships will differ between sexual orientation subgroups, suggesting group-specific differences to be further explored in future intervention. The participants in this study were recruited from introductory and upper-level psychology courses at Texas State (N = 1,191; Age: M = 19.57, SD = 2.36) and completed an anonymous online survey about demographic information, substance use frequency, and completed validated scales over coping responses, trait impulsivity, sexual risk-taking, and susceptibility to peer influence. Sexual orientation was measured with sexual identity and sexual attraction to produce a four-level variable of completely heterosexual, discordant heterosexual (e.g., people who identify as heterosexual though report same-sex attraction), bisexual attraction, and completely homosexual. A four-step statistical procedure found mediators that differed as a function of sexual attraction group membership and mediators fell into psychological and sexual domains. Mediators included substance use for coping, lack of perseverance, sensation seeking, risky sex acts, risky anal sex acts, and sexual risk-taking with uncommitted partners. An attraction to both sexes appeared to be linked to the greatest prevalence of use, regardless of sexual identity. Overall, the mediated effects were strongest in the discordant heterosexual group and the bisexual attraction group, and after considering both mediators and demographics, the discordant heterosexual group was most at risk for substance use. Results of the study highlight the importance of measuring sexual orientation in multiple ways. These data could be used on college campuses in student health centers for informing health educators and health education efforts to reduce high risk behavior in undergraduate students. Suggestions for group specific risk reduction and directions for further study are discussed.Psycholog
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