Parents who report using illicit drugs: findings and implications from the DRUGNET study.

In recent years, a national discussion has emerged concerning what parents should tell their children about their own past drug use. DRUGNET is an ongoing, on-line survey of successful, healthy, adults who occasionally use illicit drugs. This paper reviews data from a subset of this survey, namely, those respondents who were parents with self-reported use of at least one illicit drug. The sample (n = 325) was predominantly white men who reported having above average education and household incomes. Their mental health as measured by the General Well-being Schedule was similar to the national norm. Respondents reported using drugs to manage parental stress and expressed concerns over how to communicate with their children and legal risks related to their own drug use. The limitations and the implications of these data are discussed.

Stressful life events and loss of hair among adult women, a case-control study.

A case-control design was used to compare stress (as measured with the Social Readjustment Rating Scale) in the lives of 25 women who had experienced recent, unexplained hair loss with that of 25 women with no hair loss. High stress was reported by 22 of the women experiencing hair loss and 10 not experiencing hair loss. An odds ratio of 11 suggests that women who experience high stress are 11 times more likely to experience hair loss. Replication is encouraged.