Coping style as a risk factor for future alcohol use disorder: A 16-year longitudinal study in a Canadian military sample.

BACKGROUND: Coping strategies used in response to stress have the potential to influence the development of mental health disorders, including alcohol use disorders. The current study investigated whether coping strategies placed an individual at greater likelihood for developing a future alcohol use disorder. METHODS: This study used data from the Canadian Armed Forces Members and Veterans Mental Health Follow-up Survey; a nationally representative 16-year follow-up survey, with initial data collected in the 2002 Canadian Community Health Survey - Canadian Forces Supplement. The total sample from the two datasets included 2941 individuals who were Regular Force members in 2002. Coping styles included problem-focused, avoidant, and self-medication. Adjusted logistic regression analyses examined relationships between coping style (in 2002) and alcohol use disorders (developed between 2002 and 2018). RESULTS: Self-medication coping in 2002 was associated with any alcohol disorder since last interview (i.e., 2002-2018) (AOR 1.26; 95 % CI, 1.02-1.57) and during the past year (adjusted odds ratios [AOR 1.26; 95 % CI, 1.08-1.47]), as well as past-year binge drinking (AOR 1.19; 95 % CI, 1.09-1.29). Problem-focused coping was protective against past-year alcohol abuse (AOR 0.84; 95 % CI, 0.71-1.00) and any alcohol use disorder (AOR 0.87; 95 % CI 0.76-1.00). CONCLUSION: Coping styles were strongly associated with future alcohol use disorders. Notably, results show the risk extended over a 16-year period. Findings suggest the use of self-medicating coping strategies places an individual at increased risk of developing alcohol use disorders, while problem-focused coping may decrease future risk of alcohol use disorders.

Trend in Prescription Medication Utilization for Opioid Use Disorder and Alcohol Use Disorder From 2015 to 2021: A Population-wide Study in a Canadian Province.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the quarterly incidence and prevalence of medications for opioid use disorder (OUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) from 2015 to 2021. METHODS: A retrospective population-wide observational study in Manitoba, Canada, was conducted using administrative claims data from the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy to examine the incidence and prevalence of OUD (methadone, buprenorphine-naloxone, buprenorphine) or AUD medications (naltrexone, acamprosate, disulfiram) per 10,000 individuals in each quarter between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2021. RESULTS: There were 1179 and 451 individuals who received at least one prescription for OUD and AUD, respectively, in the first quarter of 2020. The prevalence of OUD medications more than doubled from 6.3 to 14.3 per 10,000 from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2021. Likewise, AUD medication prevalence increased almost 10-fold from 0.68 to 6.5 per 10,000 from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2021, primarily due to naltrexone. The incidence of AUD prescription use increased 8.6-fold from 0.29 to 2.51 per 10,000 during the study period. In contrast, the incidence of opioid agonist therapy declined from 2.1 per 10,000 in the first quarter of 2015 to 0.53 per 10,000 the first quarter of 2016, primarily due to methadone. Whereas methadone incidence declined, buprenorphine-naloxone incidence increased almost 15-fold during the study period. CONCLUSION: An increase in both AUD medication prevalence and incidence in addition to an increase in buprenorphine-naloxone incidence was observed. These findings reflect an increase in the uptake of medications for treating AUD and OUD following changes to improve coverage and access to these medications.

Portuguese-language version of the Epworth sleepiness scale: validation for use in Brazil / Validação da escala de sonolência de Epworth em português para uso no Brasil

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop a Portuguese-language version of the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) for use in Brazil. METHODS: The steps involved in creating the ESS in Brazilian Portuguese (ESS-BR) were as follows: translation; back-translation; comparison (by a committee) between the translation and the back-translation; and testing in bilingual individuals. The ESS-BR was applied to a group of patients who were submitted to overnight polysomnography in order to identify obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS), insomnia and primary snoring. A control group was composed of subjects with a history of normal sleep habits, without reported snoring. RESULTS: A total of 114 patients and 21 controls were included. The 8-item scores of the ESS-BR had an overall reliability coefficient of 0.83. The study group was composed of 59 patients with OSAHS, 34 patients with primary snoring and 21 patients with insomnia. One-way ANOVA demonstrated significant differences in ESS-BR scores among the four diagnostic groups (p < 0.001). Post-hoc tests between groups showed that the ESS-BR scores of the patients with insomnia did not differ from those of the controls (p > 0.05). The ESS-BR scores were significantly higher for OSAHS patients and for primary snorers than for controls (p < 0.05). In addition, the scores for OSAHS patients were significantly higher than were those for primary snorers (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study demonstrate that the ESS-BR is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of daytime sleepiness, equivalent to its original version when applied to individuals who speak Brazilian Portuguese.

OBJETIVO: Desenvolver uma versão da escala de sonolência de Epworth (ESE) para o português para uso no Brasil. MÉTODOS: A versão no português do Brasil (ESE-BR) foi desenvolvida de acordo com as seguintes etapas: tradução; retrotradução; comparação entre a tradução e a retrotradução (por um comitê); e aplicação em indivíduos bilíngues. A ESE-BR foi aplicada a um grupo de pacientes submetidos à polissonografia de noite inteira para identificar síndrome da apneia-hipopneia obstrutiva do sono (SAHOS), insônia e ronco primário. Um grupo controle foi composto de indivíduos com história de hábitos normais de sono, sem ronco aparente. RESULTADOS: Um total de 114 pacientes e 21 controles foram incluídos. Os 8 itens do ESE-BR tiveram um coeficiente de confiabilidade total de 0,83. O grupo em estudo foi composto por 59 pacientes com SAHOS, 34 pacientes com ronco primário e 21 pacientes com insônia. One-way ANOVA demonstrou diferenças significativas nos escores do ESE-BR entre os quatro grupos diagnósticos (p < 0,001). Testes post hoc entre grupos pareados mostraram que os escores do ESE-BR para insones não diferiram daqueles dos controles (p > 0,05). Os escores dos pacientes com SAHOS e nos roncadores primários foram significativamente maiores que os dos controles (p < 0,05). Além disso, os escores para pacientes com SAHOS foram significativamente maiores do que os daqueles com ronco primário (p < 0,05). CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados do presente estudo demonstraram que a ESE-BR é um instrumento válido e confiável para a avaliação da sonolência diurna e equivalente a sua versão original, quando aplicada em indivíduos que falam português do Brasil

Some common eye diseases in British Guiana

In this paper we attempt to give a "bird's eye view" of some common eye diseases in British Guiana, and some of their peculiarities. The greatest peculiarities are seen in senile and pre-senile cataracts which begin centrally. There is a racial predilection of glaucoma and optic atrophy due to avitaminosis of the B group and this predilection is confined to diseases in the negro or mixed negro races. (AU)