The first university e-learning study programme based on the adaption of the EUPC: Portuguese implementation study

BACKGROUND: The training curriculum has been developed by a European project (UPC-Adapt) cofunded by the European Commission. Eleven partners adapted the Universal Prevention Curriculum to suit the European context. AIMS: The aims of the implementation study were to adapt the EUPC into a standardised university course delivered by distance learning by Universidade Aberta (UAb) and develop a process evaluation study focused on this adaptation process. METHODS: The methodology was inspired by the WHO guidelines for the evaluation of prevention and treatment programmes and combined with qualitative research strategies and methods (observation and qualitative content analysis). PARTICIPANTS: It features distance learning, without geographical borders or physical barriers, which is particularly important for prevention professionals working in the far-flung Portuguese-speaking environment. RESULTS: Enrolment has been difficult, probably for three reasons: i) people tend to believe that they know everything about prevention, ii) the prevention of substance use might be too narrow a field, and iii) there is no perceived need for a specific qualification in order to do prevention work in Portugal. CONCLUSIONS: EMCDDA staff with proficiency in Portuguese had access to the training course and followed the development of the e-activities and the interaction within the virtual community as part of the evaluation protocol. The course represents the first real e-learning-based university adaptation running in a standard regime in Europe, and UAb (Portugal) has joined Charles University (Prague) in making effective use of programmes and materials based on the original UPC curricula in the university context.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A thousand on-line strategies and tools in academic addiction specialty education in post-COVID time: from necessity to quality

The COVID pandemic has accelerated digitalization of education. Regarding academic addictions speciality programmes we first responded out of necessity. In a second moment, more recent, there are innovation and quality concern. This structured session focus on online training programmes of addictions and has the following aims: - Sharing good practices in moving from necessity to quality; - Discussing where on-line strategies can be helpful, appropriate and supportive towards trend of exponential growing academic degree addiction specialty programmes - Discussing further developments regarding innovation, quality...N/

The impact of digital disinformation on quality of life: a fuzzy model assessment

Quality of Life (QoL) is a multifaceted concept encompassing economic, social, environmental, psychological, and physical dimensions of an individual’s life, including personal living conditions, happiness, well-being, and life satisfaction. As a vital criterion for sustainable development and active social policy in countries, QoL has been significantly influenced by the dynamic technological evolution of social media. However, the comprehensive impact of social media, including its role in disseminating disinformation – a major social and socio-economic concern – on QoL remains underexplored. This research aims to develop a novel fuzzy model to assess the level of disinformation on digital platforms and its correlation with the population’s QoL. Employing a mathematical approach rooted in expert evaluation, this study leverages intellectual knowledge analysis and fuzzy set theory. Grounded in data from real respondents and knowledge-based models, this study pioneers an information model to evaluate inhabitants’ QoL, incorporating factors such as financial concerns, perception of disinformation, and its influence on digital platforms. The fuzzy estimation model, verified with data from 3,036 respondents, quantitatively assesses citizens’ QoL. An illustrative application of the model demonstrates its effectiveness. The findings are particularly valuable for policymakers, experts in economic and innovative development, aiding the creation of regulatory and monitoring mechanisms to foster sustainable economic growth and devise effective development strategies

FENIQS-EU : new perspectives on quality assurance in prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery from addictions

Quality standards (QS) are an important tool to improve the quality of drug services and to bridge the gap between science and practice. Several initiatives have been taken at the European level to introduce QS, such as the EQUS project, which led to a consensus-based minimum set of QS for drug demand reduction (DDR) (Uchtenhagen & Schaub, 2011). Later, a condensed version of these standards was adopted as EU Council conclusions on the implementation of minimum quality standards (MQS) for prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and social reintegration (Council of the European Union, 2015). Additionally, international organisations such as the WHO and UNODC have launched standards for drug prevention (UNODC, 2015) and treatment (UNODC, 2012). However, despite the abundance of QS and other quality assurance mechanisms (Ferri et al., 2018), their extent and the ways in which QS are implemented in daily practices of drug prevention, treatment, and harm reduction throughout Europe vary substantially. The focus of this special issue is on QS implementation and how to further enhance their implementation

Implementation of quality standards in drug demand reduction : preliminary findings from the FENIQS-EU project

INTRODUCTION: Quality Standards (QS) are an important priority in European drug policy, although the extent of their application remains unclear. The FENIQS-EU project (Further ENhancing the Implementation of Quality Standards in drug demand reduction across Europe) was set up to foster the use of QS. The objective of this paper is to present the main findings of the first 18 months of this project. METHODS: A multi-method study design was used to assess the application of QS. It consisted of: 1) an online survey and brief interviews with key stakeholders in various areas of drug demand reduction across Europe; 2) the development of criteria and selection of examples of inspiring practices; 3) a Delphi study to reach consensus around successful QS implementation strategies. RESULTS: QS have been implemented in the prevention domain, with the European Drug Prevention Quality Standards being the most commonly implemented standards. In the treatment/social reintegration domain, national standards and the Standards and Goals of Therapeutic Communities are most commonly used, while the EU Council conclusions on the implementation of minimum quality standards are primarily applied in the field of harm reduction. In total, 14 inspiring examples of practice were selected. Three rounds of a Delphi study resulted in consensus on successful implementation strategies, covering five core themes: collaboration, communication, support structure, education, and funding. DISCUSSION: Despite the recognition that the implementation of QS is important, these efforts vary across European countries and are unevenly spread across DDR areas. CONCLUSION: This paper focuses on the relevance of QS availability, and emphasises key factors influencing successful implementation

Samoregulacija, normativna uvjerenja, posljedice upotrebe alkohola među studentima istočne Europe

This study aims to explore the associations between descriptive normative beliefs (DNB), alcohol use and negative consequences and test whether self-regulation (SR) moderates this relationship. The data was collected online from 1621 first-year university students in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania and Slovakia. The AUDIT, self-regulation questionnaire and questions regarding DNB were used. DNB were found to be positively associated with drinking across all the samples. The associations between DNB and alcohol use as well as between alcohol use and negative consequences were stronger among students with lower SR. The protective effect of SR on alcohol use and consequences combined with the theory of social influence may improve intervention accuracy and make it a promising target for intervention among young adults.Cilj je ove studije istražiti povezanost opisnih normativnih uvjerenja (descriptive normative beliefs, DNB), uživanja alkohola i njegovih štetnih posljedica te provjeriti umanjuje li samoregulacija ovaj odnos. Podaci su prikupljeni na internetu od 1621 studenta prve godine sveučilišta u Češkoj, Mađarskoj, Litvi i Slovačkoj. Korišteni su upitnici AUDIT, upitnik za samoregulaciju i pitanja o DNB-u. U svim je uzorcima DNB pozitivno povezan s konzumacijom alkohola. Povezanost između DNB-a i uživanja alkohola, kao i između uživanja alkohola i njegovih štetnih posljedica bila je jača kod studenata s nižom samoregulacijom. Zaštitni učinak samoregulacije na konzumaciju alkohola i njegove posljedice, u kombinaciji s teorijom društvenog utjecaja, mogu poboljšati točnost intervencije i učiniti je obećavajućom mjerom djelovanja među mladim odraslim osobama