A qualitative assessment of insomnia in recovering alcohol-dependent patients.

Insomnia is a common symptom that may interfere with the efforts of alcohol-dependent patients to initiate and maintain sobriety. This study investigates the experiences of recovering alcohol-dependent patients with insomnia as well as preferences for treatment strategies. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 patients in Ukraine and Germany. Most of the patients experienced negative psychological (n = 21), physiological (n = 14) effects and negative daytime consequences during insomnia. All 27 patients were engaged in nonpharmacological approaches to insomnia and 52% used pharmacological approaches to manage insomnia. This study provides insight for understanding how alcohol-dependent patients in recovery perceive insomnia.

Social Media Use, Fake News and Mental Health during the Uncertain Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ukraine.

A sample of 351 adults (women/men 4:1) aged 18 to 60 participated in an online survey administered during the first two waves (15 March-25 April and 10 October-25 November 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine. The user ethnography profile was Generation Z (born in the 1990s), female (81.2%), Instagrammer (60.3%), unmarried (56.9%) and student (42.9%). An increased time spent on social media (3.18 h/day), searching for COVID-19-related information (1.01 h/day) after the first COVID-19 case and the observation of fake news that went viral (58.8%) decreased in the second wave. Alterations (increase or reduction) in sleep patterns (46.7%) and changes (increase or loss) in appetite (32.7%) affected participants' well-being, but only sleep ameliorated in the second wave. Mental health reports unveiled moderate perceived stress (PSS-10: 20.61 ± 1.13) and mild anxiety (GAD-7: 14.17 ± 0.22), which improved in the second wave. A higher prevalence of severe anxiety (8.5%) was found among individuals in the first survey (8.5%) than those in the second (3.3%). Social media counteracted physical distance policies and played as an immediate source of (mis)information for users, but also anticipated the impact of the most uncertain times of this COVID-19 physical health crisis on well-being and mental health.

Modern lifestyle risks associated with alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking in Ukraine.

Background: Substance uses confer huge risks for public health in modern society. This study aimed to evaluate current factors related to alcohol drinking and tobacco smoking in the republic of Ukraine. Methods: We distributed a questionnaire to healthy volunteers in four Ukrainian regions and collected 929 responses regarding demographic information, reasons for starting substance use, substance use family history, environmental factors, use pattern (internet, drinking or smoking), consequences of drinking, and insomnia. Linear regression and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors related to alcohol drinking and cigarette smoking. Results: Aging appeared to attenuate either drinking or smoking. To reduce school- or job-related stress, staying awake, peer pressure, friend-related issues, or to increase sexual desire and single parenting all would trigger drinking; male gender, family divorce, unhealthy diet and lack of awareness about harmful consequences were the main factors leading to smoking. Logistic regression suggested that education background, sleep problems, celebration events and lengthy internet work all could contribute to drinking. Conclusions: Various real-world factors related to substance uses were identified for the public of Ukraine. A validated instrument would help to identify risk factors in patients with substance use disorders.

Addictive behavior among young people in Ukraine: a pilot study.

The AUDIT-like tests system was created for complex assessment and evaluation of the addictive status of adolescents in a Ukrainian population. The AUDIT-like tests system has been created from the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) developed by the World Health Organization. The AUDIT-like tests were minimally modified from the original AUDIT. Attention was brought to similarities between stages of different addictions (TV, computer games, the Internet, etc.) and alcohol addiction. Seventeen AUDIT-like tests were created to detect the different types of chemical and non-chemical addictions.

The composition of unrecorded alcohol from eastern Ukraine: is there a toxicological concern beyond ethanol alone?

In 2005, approximately half of all alcohol consumption in Ukraine was unrecorded. This paper investigates the chemical composition of unrecorded and low-cost alcohol, including a toxicological evaluation. A sample of alcohol products (n=78) from both recorded and unrecorded sources was obtained mainly from eastern Ukraine, and chemically analyzed. Analysis entailed alcoholic strength, levels of volatile compounds (methanol, acetaldehyde, higher alcohols), ethyl carbamate, anions, and inorganic elements. The majority of unrecorded alcohol was homemade samohon with alcoholic strength averaging close to 40% vol. A limited number of samples, advertised for medicinal purposes, were identified with high alcoholic strengths (above 60% vol.). Single samples showed contamination with acetaldehyde and ethyl carbamate above the levels of toxicological concern. Metal contamination was frequent, with copper levels above 2mg/l in 33 samples, and zinc above 5mg/l in 10 samples. Overall, however, the composition of unrecorded samples did not raise major public health concerns other those for ethanol. The priority of alcohol policy in Ukraine should be the general reduction of alcohol consumption with a specific focus on that from small-scale home production. Further research is needed on potential mitigative measures and the origin of the metal contamination in particular alcoholic beverages.

Alcohol use and addiction services in Ukraine.

Ukraine, with a population of 46.2 million, is the second largest country in Europe, with an area of 603 700 km2. It is still recovering from the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, following the Soviet stagnation era (since the mid-1960s) and perestroika (from 1986), as well as the 1998 Russian financial crisis and Ukraine's 2004 Orange Revolution. These events have resulted in high levels of socio-economic disparity, political instability and a degraded healthcare infrastructure. These issues, in addition to traditionally high levels of alcohol consumption, have made binge drinking and alcoholism, among other addictions, major problems in Ukrainian society (Voloshin et al, 2003).