The Association Between Daily Ptsd Symptom Severity And Alcohol-related Outcomes In Recent Traumatic Injury Victims
alcohol; college-students; combat veterans; dependence; drinking; experience sampling; functional outcomes; hospitalization; interventions; posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); prolonged exposure; Psychology; Substance Abuse; traumatic injury; us
The self-medication hypothesis proposes that individuals experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms may use alcohol (or other substances) to self-medicate distress, while the mutual maintenance hypothesis proposes that alcohol use also exacerbates or maintains distress. Existing research largely supports the self-medication hypothesis. However, findings are often based upon retrospective reporting of problems and assessment of symptoms anchored to a trauma occurring in the remote past. To improve on these retrospective designs, the current study examined the relationship between daily PTSD symptom severity and alcohol-related outcomes during the early phase of recovery following a traumatic physical injury. Specifically, 36 injury victims reported on PTSD symptom severity, alcohol craving, alcohol consumption, and negative drinking consequences thrice daily (morning, afternoon, night) over 7 days beginning 6 weeks postinjury. Results indicated relationships between PTSD symptom severity and alcohol craving/negative consequences when these experiences were assessed concurrently within the same signal (particularly during the nighttime assessments). Prospective models found that nighttime PTSD symptom severity was related to negative drinking consequences occurring the following morning, even after controlling for consumption level, suggesting a more general behavioral regulation problem. Results were less supportive of the mutual maintenance hypothesis. Collectively, these results suggest that health interventions targeting PTSD symptom severity in recent injury victims-particularly when delivered at night-may be able to prevent problematic alcohol use.
Hruska B; Pacella M L; George R L; Delahanty D L
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors
2017
2017-05
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000262" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1037/adb0000262</a>
The Effect of Pharmacy-Led, Small-Group Academic Detailing on Prescribing Patterns in an Ambulatory Care Clinic
medical education; clinical; medications; pharmacy; interventions; Pharmacology & Pharmacy; impact; academic detailing; ambulatory care; community practice; prescribing patterns; prior authorization
Background: While academic detailing seems to be the most promising intervention to improve prescribing patterns, implementation could be challenging for small community practices. Objective: A pharmacy-led, interactive, and tailored small-group academic detailing in a federally qualified health center is described. The primary objective of the study was to determine if the small-group academic detailing improved the prescribing patterns of the medical providers for select disease states: type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hyperlipidemia (HLD), and essential hypertension (HTN). Methods: Prescribing patterns in a federally qualified health center were examined in relation to small-group academic detailing sessions from April 2010 to March 2015. The markers for improvement were the increase in utilizing metformin and statins in patients diagnosed with T2DM and HLD, respectively, and the reduction of beta-blocker use in patients diagnosed with essential HTN. Changes in prescribing patterns were evaluated using Pearson's chi(2) and Fisher's exact tests. Results: The average number of active, adult patients with T2DM, HLD, and essential HTN was 839, 1768, and 2547, respectively. Utilization of metformin in T2DM increased from 5.5% at baseline to 37.7%, statin utilization in HLD increased from 77.1% to 86.9%, and beta-blocker use in HTN decreased from 17.9% to 13.8% (P < .005). Conclusions: A pharmacy-led, small-group academic detailing program improved and maintained appropriate prescribing patterns in an underserved community practice. This study serves as a successful pilot emphasizing the pharmacist's role as an educator and a resource to medical providers regarding appropriate medication use.
Awad M H; Ulbrich T R; Furdich K M; Schneider S R; Gothard M D
Journal of Pharmacy Technology
2019
2019-04
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1177/8755122518818826" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1177/8755122518818826</a>
Career Preparedness and School Achievement of Portuguese Children: Longitudinal Trend Articulations
academic-achievement; adaptability; adolescence; aspirations; career development; career preparedness; childhood; exploration; interventions; perspective; predictors; Psychology; psychometric properties; school achievement; trend
Social Cognitive Career Theory suggests that students' preparedness for the school-to-work transition is a developmental process. Middle school children explore various careers, obtain feedback about their academic progress, and develop career self-efficacy and outcome expectations. These processes advance provisional educational/occupational goals. The literature has suggested articulations between career and academic development and how both vary across demographic characteristics, but longitudinal studies linking these processes are scarce. This study tested articulations between career preparedness and academic achievement during middle school years and employed gender and geographical location as potential moderators affecting the linkage between career and school domains. Participants included 429 children (47.8% girls) from northern (69.5%) and central Portugal (30.5%) followed across four occasions of measurement (M-ageWave1 = 10.23, SD = 0.50). Data was collected with school records, the Multidimensional Scales of Perceived Self-Efficacy, Career Exploratory Outcome Expectations Scale, Childhood Career Exploration Inventory and Childhood Career Development Scale. Average and orthnormalized linear, quadratic and cubic trends were computed. Pearson correlation coefficients suggested positive and statistically significant associations between career exploratory outcome expectations and academic achievement average trends. Career planning and self-efficacy expectations were negatively associated with academic achievement quadratic trends. Multiple linear regression models suggested that career exploratory outcome expectations and career planning were respectively statistically significant predictors of the average and quadratic trends of academic achievement. Gender moderated the association between the career variables and academic achievement linear trends as well as the relation of career planning and self-efficacy with academic achievement cubic trends. Additionally, the geographical location moderated the association between the average trend of career exploratory outcome expectations and academic achievement as well as tended to moderate the relation between the career variables and academic achievement quadratic trends. Future research could seek to explore the role of context in shaping the trajectories and linkages between career and academic progress with a more representative sample of participants from a broader array of geographical locations. This study advances extant literature by affirming the longitudinal relationship between the school and work domains in youth, which might sustain practices aimed at fostering students' career preparedness and academic achievement.
Oliveira I M; Taveira M D; Porfeli E J
Frontiers in Psychology
2017
2017-04
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00618" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00618</a>