The construction and testing of an interactive model for understanding alcohol misuse in middle adolescence

A synthesis of two distinct research methods was used to investigate\ud the extent to which Rhodes & Jason's (1988) Social Stress model,\ud Olson's et.al. (1985) Family Cohesion and Adaptability theory and\ud the Self-Efficacy construct (Lawrance, 1988) were associated with\ud adolescent drinking behaviour. Two studies were carried out, one\ud qualitative and one quantitative, based on the responses of a\ud non-random sample of 60 and 238 adolescents respectively.\ud Differences between Abstainers, Drinkers and Occasional Drinkers\ud were investigated. No significant gender differences were\ud identified in both studies, in regard to drinking practices reported\ud by adolescents themselves. Analyses of the data in the qualitative\ud and quantitative study reveal that family interactional patterns,\ud locus-of-control, self-efficacy, peer drinking and peer pressure to\ud drink accounted for the differences between Drinkers, Abstainers\ud and Occasional Drinkers. In contrast, the three groups did not\ud differ significantly in self-esteem, knowledge, social anxiety.\ud social support and ability to resist pressure to drink. The findings\ud are interesting in focusing on the fact that Drinkers differ\ud significantly in a variety of measures from Occasional Drinkers and\ud not just from Abstainers. Implications for future research are\ud discussed

Active Labor market policies and Lifelong Learning in Greece

Abstract: The main goal of the present paper is to discuss how and under what circumstances, active labor market policies and Adult Education could assist staff to cope with stress and enhance skills and abilities to achieve employment. The high numbers of unemployed in Greece together with the long-term ineffective austerity measures and policies imposed in the country and the reduction of the social welfare state, created many multiple and complex issues that deteriorated after the pandemic. The present paper suggests that specific active labor market policies must be employed together with Lifelong Learning policies and programmes to ensure future developments. Greece, more than any other modern European country, was faced for several years with extreme austerity measures that affected the social, economic, and personal level. The working population and especially young people had to cope with prolonged unemployment, limited options for reentering the job market and the associated stress that follows exposure to adverse experiences. The phenomena of brain drain and brain waste, are well documented in Greek research and literature. Covid-19 pandemic was another stroke in an already unbalance economy. Lifelong Learning programmes, that are meant to assist not only the working but also the general population to increase social and other skills, as a way of ensuring access to the labour market, are addressed to only a small portion of the population and usually to those who need them the least. The current paper presents the challenges that Active labor market and Lifelong policies in Greece must face in the process of coping with prolonged unemployment, brain drain and brain waste

Ways to get a more balanced gender representation in addiction journals’ management and workforce

Although the scientific community, particularly academic publishing, claims to be gender-neutral and based on meritocracy, it mirrors other parts of modern society, wherein residual gender imbalances and implicit and explicit gender biases are reproduced. In this report, we address gender imbalances (in particular, the overrepresentation of men) in the editorial workforce of academic journals as barriers to women's promotion and career progression in addiction science. We also consider potential gender-related elements and biases in the peer-review and editorial decision-making processes, which may result in women's lower publication rates, thereby creating another gender-related barrier to women's promotion, career progression and academic recognition. Establishing a more balanced gender representation in addiction publishing will require the adoption of the SAGER guidelines and the development of Gender Equality Plans for addiction specialty journals. Finally, although our focus concerns gender, the organisational mechanisms identified here also affect other types of heterogeneity and intersectional thinking

Ways to get a more balanced gender representation in addiction journals' management and workforce

Although the scientific community, particularly academic publishing, claims to be gender-neutral and based on meritocracy, it mirrors other parts of modern society, wherein residual gender imbalances and implicit and explicit gender biases are reproduced. In this report, we address gender imbalances (in particular, the overrepresentation of men) in the editorial workforce of academic journals as barriers to women's promotion and career progression in addiction science. We also consider potential gender-related elements and biases in the peer-review and editorial decision-making processes, which may result in women's lower publication rates, thereby creating another gender-related barrier to women's promotion, career progression and academic recognition. Establishing a more balanced gender representation in addiction publishing will require the adoption of the SAGER guidelines and the development of Gender Equality Plans for addiction specialty journals. Finally, although our focus concerns gender, the organisational mechanisms identified here also affect other types of heterogeneity and intersectional thinking.Peer reviewe