Age of First Drink, First Alcohol Intoxication, and Alcohol Abuse Behaviors Among Occupational Therapy Students

The purpose of the present study was to examine alcohol use behaviors among a national sample of occupational therapy students. Survey instruments, including the AUDIT and a checklist of risky and unprofessional behaviors related to alcohol abuse, were mailed to 1,000 occupational therapy students randomly selected from membership in the American Occupational Therapy Association. Surveys were returned by 309 student members; however, 24 indicated they were not currently occupational therapy students. Of the 285 participants, 97% reported drinking alcohol at some point over the previous year, with 1 in 5 drinking two or more times a week, often consuming four or more drinks per occasion. Predominant risky and unprofessional behaviors included binge drinking, saying something very inappropriate, combining alcohol and energy drinks, and attending class with a hangover. In general, these students tended to drink alcohol in a socially responsible and acceptable manner. Nevertheless, based on AUDIT guidelines, almost two-thirds of the students did consume alcohol on some singular or more frequent occurrence in the previous year at harmful or hazardous levels. As a consequence, the need to address the topic of alcohol abuse at both the university and the professional levels is warranted, along with the provision of counseling and occupation-based treatment services for those experiencing physiological and psychological problems stemming from alcohol abuse and/or addiction

Attitudes of Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants Toward the Entry-Level Bachelor’s Degree for OTAs

Discussions at the local, state, and national level often focus on the value of and prospect for a change from the current entry-level master’s degree to the doctorate degree as the required entrance degree for occupational therapists (OTs). While this debate is not without merit, what appears to be lacking is comparable attention to and consideration of the entry-level bachelor’s degree for occupational therapy assistants (OTAs). The present study examined the attitudes and opinions of OTs and OTAs in regard to the entry-level bachelor’s degree for OTAs. Responses from 144 OTs and 77 OTAs to a postal mailed survey found the majority of the participants did not agree with the profession moving to the entry-level bachelor’s degree for OTAs. However, they varied significantly in responses as to whether such a move would result in OTAs being paid more or being more current in evidence-based practice/research. Further, respondents were diverse in their opinions as to whether the bachelor’s degree would become the entry-level degree for OTAs in the near future. The results of this study support the need for an open national debate combined with applied research into the worth and option of moving to the entry-level bachelor degree for OTAs

Non-Medical Use of Cognitive Enhancing Prescription Medications Among Occupational Therapy and Speech Language Pathology Health Care Students: A Pilot Study

Purpose: This research was designed to serve as a pilot study to generate baseline data on non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) for cognitive/academic enhancement purposes among students representing two healthcare professions, Occupational Therapy (OT) and Speech Language Pathology (SLP) and to assess students’ opinions regarding whether use of these medications constitutes academic “cheating.” Introduction: NMUPD, such as Adderall ® or Ritalin ®, to reduce fatigue, improve memory, and increase concentration to ultimately improve grades has increased among college students in recent years, with estimated use put as high as 35% on some campuses. These drugs appear to be readily available to those not prescribed them, with primary sources including family, friends, and classmates. Aside from health concerns stemming from ingesting non-prescribed medications is the ethical concern whether use of such cognitive enhancers is “cheating.” Methods: Following IRB approval, 150 OT and 150 SLP students, randomly selected from membership in their respective national associations, were mailed survey packets containing a cover letter, questionnaire, and return envelope. Results: A total of 51 completed surveys, including 25 OT and 26 SLP students, were returned and included in analyses. Of these, five (9.8%) reported using cognitive enhancing prescription medications. Four of these reported having a legal prescription, including one who admitted faking symptoms of ADHD to access the prescription. The fifth student had no prescription. Motives included recreational enjoyment, to improve attention/concentration, reduce hyperactivity/impulsivity, and to obtain higher grades. Four out of ten students indicated abuse of prescription medications was a problem at their institutions, with three out of ten believing it was easy to obtain such drugs. Students were visibly divided as to whether use of these medications was academic cheating. Conclusions: The percent of these healthcare profession students reporting to have used non-prescribed medications for academic enhancement purposes mirrors that of studies on the general college student population and reflects the division as to whether use constitutes cheating. As the survey is a self-report, the numbers using the prescription medications may be higher. Results indicate future research on NMUPD among healthcare students is warranted, along with a need to educate students on the risks of use of these medications for non-prescribed purposes

Non-Medical Use of Cognitive Enhancing Prescription Medications among Occupational Therapy and Speech Language Pathology Health Care Students: A Pilot Study

Purpose: This research was designed to serve as a pilot study to generate baseline data on non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) for cognitive/academic enhancement purposes among students representing two healthcare professions, Occupational Therapy (OT) and Speech Language Pathology (SLP) and to assess students’ opinions regarding whether use of these medications constitutes academic “cheating.” Introduction: NMUPD, such as Adderall ® or Ritalin ®, to reduce fatigue, improve memory, and increase concentration to ultimately improve grades has increased among college students in recent years, with estimated use put as high as 35% on some campuses. These drugs appear to be readily available to those not prescribed them, with primary sources including family, friends, and classmates. Aside from health concerns stemming from ingesting nonprescribed medications is the ethical concern whether use of such cognitive enhancers is “cheating.” Methods: Following IRB approval, 150 OT and 150 SLP students, randomly selected from membership in their respective national associations, were mailed survey packets containing a cover letter, questionnaire, and return envelope. Results: A total of 51 completed surveys, including 25 OT and 26 SLP students, were returned and included in analyses. Of these, five (9.8%) reported using cognitive enhancing prescription medications. Four of these reported having a legal prescription, including one who admitted faking symptoms of ADHD to access the prescription. The fifth student had no prescription. Motives included recreational enjoyment, to improve attention/concentration, reduce hyperactivity/impulsivity, and to obtain higher grades. Four out of ten students indicated abuse of prescription medications was a problem at their institutions, with three out of ten believing it was easy to obtain such drugs. Students were visibly divided as to whether use of these medications was academic cheating. Conclusions: The percent of these healthcare profession students reporting to have used non-prescribed medications for academic enhancement purposes mirrors that of studies on the general college student population and reflects the division as to whether use constitutes cheating. As the survey is a self-report, the numbers using the prescription medications may be higher. Results indicate future research on NMUPD among healthcare students is warranted, along with a need to educate students on the risks of use of these medications for non-prescribed purposes

Population‐based identity‐by‐descent mapping combined with exome sequencing to detect rare risk variants for schizophrenia

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) are highly effective at identifying common risk variants for schizophrenia. Rare risk variants are also important contributors to schizophrenia etiology but, with the exception of large copy number variants, are difficult to detect with GWAS. Exome and genome sequencing, which have accelerated the study of rare variants, are expensive so alternative methods are needed to aid detection of rare variants. Here we re-analyze an Irish schizophrenia GWAS dataset (n = 3,473) by performing identity-by-descent (IBD) mapping followed by exome sequencing of individuals identified as sharing risk haplotypes to search for rare risk variants in coding regions. We identified 45 rare haplotypes (>1 cM) that were significantly more common in cases than controls. By exome sequencing 105 haplotype carriers, we investigated these haplotypes for functional coding variants that could be tested for association in independent GWAS samples. We identified one rare missense variant in PCNT but did not find statistical support for an association with schizophrenia in a replication analysis. However, IBD mapping can prioritize both individual samples and genomic regions for follow-up analysis but genome rather than exome sequencing may be more effective at detecting risk variants on rare haplotypes

Population-based identity-by-descent mapping combined with exome sequencing to detect rare risk variants for schizophrenia

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) are highly effective at identifying common risk variants for schizophrenia. Rare risk variants are also important contributors to schizophrenia etiology but, with the exception of large copy number variants, are difficult to detect with GWAS. Exome and genome sequencing, which have accelerated the study of rare variants, are expensive so alternative methods are needed to aid detection of rare variants. Here we re-analyze an Irish schizophrenia GWAS dataset (n = 3,473) by performing identity-by-descent (IBD) mapping followed by exome sequencing of individuals identified as sharing risk haplotypes to search for rare risk variants in coding regions. We identified 45 rare haplotypes (>1 cM) that were significantly more common in cases than controls. By exome sequencing 105 haplotype carriers, we investigated these haplotypes for functional coding variants that could be tested for association in independent GWAS samples. We identified one rare missense variant in PCNT but did not find statistical support for an association with schizophrenia in a replication analysis. However, IBD mapping can prioritize both individual samples and genomic regions for follow-up analysis but genome rather than exome sequencing may be more effective at detecting risk variants on rare haplotypes