A Brief Alcohol Intervention During Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitalization for Suicidal Adolescents

Alcohol use and suicide-related thoughts and behaviors are common in psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents and each problem can exacerbate the other. Despite knowledge about the functional relationship between alcohol use and suicide-related thoughts and behaviors, inpatient psychiatric units only cursorily address alcohol use because suicide risk is considered primary. In this paper we provide theoretical and empirical rationale for the inclusion of brief motivational interventions for alcohol use in inpatient treatment settings for suicidal adolescents. We give a case example of the brief intervention in practice, including when and how to use specific techniques. Following the case example, we discuss the flexibility of this intervention and how it can be adapted for adolescents with varying risk profiles. We conclude with recommendations for future research, including the development and testing of technology-based boosters following hospital discharge.     

Alcohol Counseling in Hospital Trauma: Examining Two Brief Interventions

Hospital trauma centers intervene with patients who incur alcohol‐related injuries. This prospective study, using professional counselors and trainees, investigated brief counseling interventions (BCIs). Participants were randomized to either a conventional BCI examining quantity and frequency of drinks or a personalized BCI exploring overintoxication. No statistically significant difference between risky drinkers randomized to either intervention in a hospital trauma center was observed. Findings indicate that a personalized BCI may be an alternative to a quantitative BCI in reducing risky alcohol consumption.     

Brief Counseling for Alcohol Misuse Among Trauma Patients: Two Interventions and Influence of Baseline Use

This study examined whether baseline trauma patient characteristics and randomized participation in 1 of 2 brief interventions predicted changes in alcohol use at 6 months postintervention. Higher total Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores predicted greater changes, and specific AUDIT items were significant predictors.     

Poverty and HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa: Implications for Psychological Well-being

The study examines the literature on poverty and HIV/AIDS in an effort to explore the various psychological resources available for affected individuals. Poverty is an increased risk for HIV and AIDS for a majority of the citizens of sub-Saharan Africa, and also lowered their subjective well-being. Furthermore, research evidence revealed that the relationship between poverty and subjective well-being is mediated by the intervention of such psychological variables as locus of control, self esteem, depression and coping strategies among others. Psychological resources for positive well-being that could ameliorate the potentially devastating combined effects of HIV and poverty are suggested.     

Screening and brief intervention of alcohol problems in primary care in South Africa: A brief report

The aim of this randomised controlled trial was to provide screening and brief intervention for alcohol problems in a primary care setting in South Africa. Outpatients were screened for hazardous or harmful alcohol use and were randomised into an experimental (one brief counselling session) or control group (received an alcohol health education leaflet). The study population of hazardous or harmful drinkers (N=140) consisted of 105 male and 35 female women, with a mean age of 30.4 years (SD=6.6). Among the 128 (91.4%) primary care outpatients who also attended the 6-month follow-up session, the time effects on the AUDIT scores were significant but the intervention effect on the AUDIT score was statistically not significant. It would seem that alcohol screening and the provision of an alcohol health education leaflet may in itself cause reduction in drinking.     

Alcohol Use in Three Different Inner Cities in South Africa: AUDIT-C and CAGE

The aim of the present study was to describe the frequency of risky drinking among a general urban population survey (n=1379) in South Africa with the help of (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) AUDIT-C scores, CAGE (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener) scores and compare the scores with calculated risky drinking in terms of weekly alcohol consumption or heavy episodic drinking. Results indicate 44.4% for men and 25.4% for women as hazardous or harmful drinkers and using the CAGE 44.7% (55% among men and 35.5% among women). AUDIT-C and CAGE cases were more likely to be women than men and were also more likely among Coloureds and Whites than Black Africans and Indians or Asians. This study showed a greater sensitivity of AUDIT to CAGE.     

Efficacy of a Brief,School‐Based Bystander Bullying Intervention on High School Students' Alcohol Use

The authors examined the efficacy of a brief bystander bullying intervention on reducing alcohol use among high school students (N = 61). As hypothesized, high‐risk drinkers in the intervention group reported reduced drinking compared with control students at a 30‐day follow‐up.     

Religious discrimination and religious armed conflict in sub-Saharan Africa: an obvious relationship?

ABSTRACT

Relative deprivation theory suggests that discrimination increases the risk of violence. While religious armed conflicts have been increasing in sub-Saharan Africa, effects of religious discrimination have rarely been investigated. Using the new Religion and State dataset and other sources, this contribution investigates this question in a two-level analysis. The analysis yields three main results. First, religious discrimination has been increasing over the last 15 years but in interregional comparison sub-Saharan Africa has a low level of discrimination. Second, at the cross-country level there is a significant correlation between religious discrimination and armed conflict over religious content. Third, looking closer at four pertinent country cases (the Comoros, the Gambia, Mali and Mauritania) reveals that discrimination is probably not a direct driver of religious conflicts. High levels of discrimination are embedded in problematic state-religion relations and existing cleavages become mobilised along religious lines through transnational influences and geography.     

Determining the Effectiveness of an Alcohol Intervention Program With Greek College Students

The authors examined the perception of college students from Greek organizations on the effectiveness of an alcohol intervention program that included gender‐specific programming. Significant reductions in risky alcohol use were found in men who attended and evaluated the program as helpful.     

焦点解决短期治疗(SFBT)的理论述评

焦点解决短期治疗是近二十年逐步发展成熟的心理治疗模式．在西方社会得到了广泛的应用。本文阐述了SFBT的产生背景、基本理念、基本流程与技术及其应用价值．并对这种新兴的心理治疗模式作了简要的评述。     

Exploring the cognitive development of children born to adolescent mothers in South Africa

This study explores the cognitive development of children born to adolescent mothers within South Africa compared to existing reference data, and explores development by child age bands to examine relative levels of development. Cross-sectional analyses present data from 954 adolescents (10–19 years) and their first-born children (0–68 months). All adolescents completed questionnaires relating to themselves and their children, and standardized child cognitive assessments (Mullen Scales of Early Learning) were undertaken. Cognitive development scores of the sample were lower than USA reference population scores and relative performance compared to the reference population was found to decline with increasing child age. When compared to children born to adult mothers in the sub-Saharan African region, children born to adolescent mothers (human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] unexposed; n = 724) were found to have lower cognitive development scores. Findings identify critical periods of development where intervention may be required to bolster outcomes for children born to adolescent mothers.

Highlights

• An exploration of the cognitive development of children born to adolescent mothers within South Africa utilizing the Mullen Scales of Early Learning.
• Cognitive development scores of children born to adolescent mothers within South Africa were lower compared to USA norm reference data and declined with child age.
• Previous studies utilizing the Mullen Scales of Early Learning within sub-Saharan Africa were summarized, and comparisons were made with the current sample.
• Findings highlight a potential risk of developmental delay among children born to adolescent mothers compared to children of adult mothers in the sub-Saharan African region.

     

Review of Interventions Designed to Address Drinking Among Soldiers

Heavy and abusive alcohol use is a major health problem facing military service members. We reviewed literature on alcohol intervention programs targeting military personnel to assess the methodological quality and effectiveness of the programs. Although the search yielded more than 42,000 citations, only 150 met initial screening criteria. Eighteen studies had sufficient evidence to meet secondary screening and of these only 10 studies were included in the review. These studies employed several types of interventions, but only 1 used a randomized controlled trial. Our findings indicate that there is greater need to assess intervention strategies, and there is a particular need for high-quality studies using randomized controlled trials with standardized assessment tools to improve the generalizability of the findings. We discuss the implications of our findings for future research in this area.     

Evidence That a Very Brief Psychological Intervention Boosts Weight Loss in a Weight Loss Program

Reducing morbidity and mortality associated with being overweight is a crucial public health goal. The aim of the present research was to test the efficacy of a very brief psychological intervention (a volitional help sheet) that could be used as an adjunct to standard weight loss programs to support increased weight loss in an overweight sample. Seventy-two overweight participants currently participating in a weight loss program were randomly allocated to either an intervention (volitional help sheet) condition or a control (distracter task) condition. The main outcome measure was weight at 1-month follow-up. Participants in both conditions lost significant amounts of weight, but those in the intervention condition lost significantly more than those in the control condition (d = 0.66). The findings support the efficacy of the volitional help sheet to promote additional weight loss in an overweight sample engaged in a weight loss program. The volitional help sheet therefore represents a very brief, low-cost intervention that could be used to supplement ongoing weight-loss programs.     

The Marikana Violence in South Africa: A Brief Psychodynamic Extrapolation

This study applies psychoanalytic concepts in making sense of the individual, group and collective factors that may have contributed towards the Marikana violence. Speculatively, individual factors might include the death instinct, repetition compulsion, and intra-psychic splitting. Related group dynamics such as identification with the aggressor, group and projective identification might be relevant as would the collective psychological influences of history of oppression, severe trans-generational traumatisation, and mystical cultural interpretations in a divided society. Further public truth, reconciliation and forgiveness processes in addition to other integrative forms of healing are proposed.     

Alcohol use and problem drinking in South Africa: Results from a national-population-based survey 2014-2015

The aim of this study was to estimate the pattern of alcohol use among South African adults by their socio-demographic and health status indicators. We analysed data from a 2014–2015 South African national population-based survey which sampled 22 752 adults (mean age 37.1 years, SD?=?17.6, age range of 15–109 years). Results indicate 3.9% were hazardous or harmful alcohol users. In adjusted logistic regression analysis, both men and women who self-reported to use tobacco, and women to have hypertension, were at higher risk for harmful alcohol use. Age and socioeconomic status moderated harmful alcohol use among men so that those in middle age (35–49 years) and with above average household income were at lower risk for hazardous or harmful alcohol use. Socio-demographic factors appear to primarily influence risk for hazardous or harmful alcohol use among South African adults.     

Development of a Brief Motivational Enhancement Intervention for Intimate Partner Violence in Alcohol Treatment Settings

The current studies were a manual development study and a small pilot study of a 90-minute motivational enhancement style intervention to address intimate partner violence in alcohol-treatment-seeking men. Analyses of feedback provided during manual development suggest participants (a) liked the intervention, (b) reported behavior change intentions, and (c) found the feedback compelling. Findings from the pilot study suggest the intervention might be superior to referral only in increasing short-term help-seeking and lead to marginally significant enhancements in motivation and self-reported intimacy. Help-seeking and motivation findings were associated with medium-large to large effect sizes. At 3- and 6-month follow-up, both groups showed improvements in self-reported alcohol outcomes, anger, and verbal and physical aggression. These findings support further research on this intervention.     

心理咨询新模式:聚焦于问题解决的短期咨询

“聚焦于问题解决的短期咨询”是一种新兴的心理咨询模式,它因其正向思考、省时省力等优点迅速在世界范围内崛起,并被广泛应用在不同的咨询情境中。文章在对聚焦于问题解决的短期咨询简介的基础上,介绍了其产生背景,指出了该模式的应用领域,并对其作了简要评价。     

浅谈中学生学业自我设限行为及其干预策略

自我设限是指个体针对可能到来的失败威胁而事先设置障碍,以达到自我保护或自我提升的目的,是一种消极的应对方式。自我设限在学业中的具体体现就是学业自我设限。中学生学习负担重,心理压力大,学业自我设限行为较为普遍。下文所述的自我设限的行为表现、不良后果和干预策略旨在为学校教育提供科学信息,帮助自我设限的学生走出学业困境,从容的应对学习中的困难和挑战。     

Choice as an Intervention to Improve Behavior: A Review of the Literature

In recent years, choice making has been evaluated as an intervention for people with disabilities. This review examines applied research during the past two decades using choice as a distinct intervention or as part of an intervention package. Fourteen studies published between 1975 and 1996 were identified that implemented choice as an intervention to increase or decrease a target behavior. These studies applied choice-making in the following three broad areas: (a) vocational or domestic activities; (b) academic activities; and (c) leisure, recreational, or social activities. All of the studies indicated that choice-making procedures resulted in behavioral improvements with some, if not all of the participants.