Drinking practice of illicit and licit drug users in the general population across Greece

This article presents the results on the patterns of alcohol consumption among illicit and licit drug users in a Greek nationwide sample of general population with 4,290 respondents aged 12 to 64. The type of survey was cross sectional and the respondents were interviewed in their homes with a multidimensional structured questionnaire. The illicit drug users of all age groups reported a higher frequency of alcohol consumption in their lifetime, past year, month, and week prior to interview than the unprescribed licit drug us-ers and the nonusers. The majority of illicit drug users of all ages reported as their reason for drinking "to feel better or to get high." Illicit drug users of all age groups had a higher frequency of episodes of drunkenness than the other categories. Finally. the higher the frequency (23 times) of illicit drug use, the more excessive drinking reported during the past year and month. Forty percent of this category of illicit drug users reported that they had two or more serious alcohol-related problems. © 1994 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted

Adolescent drinking and alcohol-related problems in a nationwide general population

A sample of 1,325 adolescents drawn from a nationwide multistage probability master sample of 4,290 persons were interviewed at their homes in 1984. The purpose of this study was to investigate the patterns and quantity of alcohol consumption and related problems. Moreover, mental health status of respondents and "risk" factors were explored. Alcohol use increased from the very young to the older ones and decreased between lifetime and past week frequencies. Of adolescents, 18% reported two or more alcohol-related problems including suffering from depressive symptoms. Discriminant analysis revealed 14 predictors with high discriminating power between problematic and nonproblematic drinking. © 1994 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted

Changes in suicidal behavior among nation-wide general population samples across Greece

During recent years, two nationwide crossectional domestic surveys on psychosocial issues and health status were carried out in Greece. Both studies were conducted with identical methodology (personal interview) and screening instruments, with probability samples of 4083 adults aged 20-64 years (study A) and 3708 respondents of the same age range (study B). The time interval between the first and the second study was 6 years. The presence of self-reported suicidal behavior during the last month prior to the interview was examined. In study A, 2.8% of males and 6.8% of females respondents reported a recent suicide ideation compared to 6.4% of the males and 14.9% of the female suicide ideators in study B. However, only 0.27% of the males and 1.10% of the females in study A attempted suicide. These proportions were doubled in study B. The prevalence of depressive symptoms on the Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale was high among the respondents reporting a previous suicide ideation and suicide attempts. Discriminant analysis revealed several social and psychiatric factors predicting suicidal behavior. © 1993 Springer-Verlag

Everyday risks and professional dilemmas: fieldwork with alcohol-based (sporting) subcultures

This article discusses some of the everyday risks and professional dilemmas encountered when conducting participant-observation based research into the use and meaning of alcohol among fans of Australian Rules football. The key risks and dilemmas were those that emerged from female researchers entering into a predominantly male football subculture in which alcohol is routinely (and often excessively) consumed, the negotiation of key gatekeepers, the potential dangers of conducting research with participants who are inebriated and the duty of care to research participants. The article draws on an eighteen-month period of ethnographic fieldwork to highlight the risks and dilemmas negotiated and re-negotiated throughout the research process. The article argues that a failure to attend to these and other risks and dilemmas can threaten the viability of research among drinking-based communities and subcultures