Crack-cocaine users have less family cohesion than alcohol users

Objective: Many studies correlate characteristics of family functioning and the development of drug addiction. This study sought to evaluate and compare the family environment styles of two groups of psychoactive substance users: 1) alcohol-only users and 2) crack-cocaine users. Methods: Three hundred and sixty-four users of alcohol, crack-cocaine, and other drugs, recruited from research centers in four Brazilian capitals participated in this study. Subjects were evaluated through the Family Environment Scale and the Addiction Severity Index, 6th version (ASI-6). ASI-6 t-scores were compared by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc tests. A final model was obtained using a logistic regression analysis. All analyses were adjusted for partner, age, and psychiatric t-score. Results: We found a significant difference between groups in the cohesion subscale (p = 0.044). The post-hoc test revealed a difference of 1.06 points (95% CI 0.11-2.01) between groups 1 (6.45 +/- 0.28) and 2 (5.38 +/- 0.20). No significant between-group differences were observed in the other subscales. However, categorical analyses of variables regarding family dynamic showed that crack users more often reported that sometimes people in their family hit each other (30.4% vs. 13.2%, p = 0.007) and that people in their family frequently compared each other regarding work and/or school achievement (57.2% vs. 42.6%, p = 0.041). Conclusion: These results suggest that families of crack-cocaine users are less cohesive than families of alcohol users. This type of family environment may affect treatment outcome, and should thus be adequately approached.SENADNational Institutes of Health/National Institute on Drug AbuseUniv Fed Rio do Grande UFRGS, HCPA, CPAD, Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilHCPA, Unidade Bioestat, Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilUniv Fed Rio Grande do Sul, Lab Biossinais Fenomenol & Cognicao, Inst Psicol, Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Psicobiol, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Rio de Janeiro UFRJ, Inst Psiquiatria, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Psicobiol, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilSENAD: TC 005/2005Web of Scienc

Crack-cocaine users have less family cohesion than alcohol users

Objective: Many studies correlate characteristics of family functioning and the development of drug addiction. This study sought to evaluate and compare the family environment styles of two groups of psychoactive substance users: 1) alcohol-only users and 2) crack-cocaine users. Methods: Three hundred and sixty-four users of alcohol, crack-cocaine, and other drugs, recruited from research centers in four Brazilian capitals participated in this study. Subjects were evaluated through the Family Environment Scale and the Addiction Severity Index, 6th version (ASI-6). ASI-6 t-scores were compared by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc tests. A final model was obtained using a logistic regression analysis. All analyses were adjusted for partner, age, and psychiatric t-score. Results: We found a significant difference between groups in the cohesion subscale (p = 0.044). The post-hoc test revealed a difference of 1.06 points (95%CI 0.11-2.01) between groups 1 (6.45±0.28) and 2 (5.38±0.20). No significant between-group differences were observed in the other subscales. However, categorical analyses of variables regarding family dynamic showed that crack users more often reported that sometimes people in their family hit each other (30.4% vs. 13.2%, p = 0.007) and that people in their family frequently compared each other regarding work and/or school achievement (57.2% vs. 42.6%, p = 0.041). Conclusion: These results suggest that families of crack-cocaine users are less cohesive than families of alcohol users. This type of family environment may affect treatment outcome, and should thus be adequately approached

Reactive Oxygen Comes of Age:Mechanism-Based Therapy of Diabetic End-Organ Damage

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been mainly viewed as unwanted by-products of cellular metabolism, oxidative stress, a sign of a cellular redox imbalance, and potential disease mechanisms, such as in diabetes mellitus (DM). Antioxidant therapies, however, have failed to provide clinical benefit. This paradox can be explained by recent discoveries that ROS have mainly essential signaling and metabolic functions and evolutionally conserved physiological enzymatic sources. Disease can occur when ROS accumulate in nonphysiological concentrations, locations, or forms. By focusing on disease-relevant sources and targets of ROS, and leaving ROS physiology intact, precise therapeutic interventions are now possible and are entering clinical trials. Their outcomes are likely to profoundly change our concepts of ROS in DM and in medicine in general.H.H.H.W.S. wishes to gratefully acknowledge funding by an ERC Advanced Investigator Grant (294683 – RadMed), an ERC proof-of-concept grant (139-101052 – SAVEBRAIN), and the EU Horizon 2020 programme, REPO-TRIAL. K.J.D. is supported by a fellowship of the National Health and Medical Research Council. A.C. is the recipient of grant SAF2016-76520-R from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, P_37_732/2016 REDBRAIN from the European Regional Development Fund, and the Competitiveness Operational Program 2014-202

Satisfaction and burden of mental health personnel: data from healthcare services for substance users and their families

Submitted by Janaína Nascimento ([email protected]) on 2019-01-23T12:41:17Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ve_Hilgert_Juliana_etal_INI_2018.pdf: 102866 bytes, checksum: 356d51047ea8610d664590924ad99bbb (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Janaína Nascimento ([email protected]) on 2019-01-23T13:44:28Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 ve_Hilgert_Juliana_etal_INI_2018.pdf: 102866 bytes, checksum: 356d51047ea8610d664590924ad99bbb (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2019-01-23T13:44:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ve_Hilgert_Juliana_etal_INI_2018.pdf: 102866 bytes, checksum: 356d51047ea8610d664590924ad99bbb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Epidemiologia. Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Epidemiologia. Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Departamento de Psicologia. Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre.Centro de Pesquisa em Álcool e Drogas. Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. Centro de Pesquisa em Álcool e Drogas. Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Epidemiologia. Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre.Centro de Pesquisa em Álcool e Drogas. Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.To evaluate satisfaction and burden of mental health personnel providing mental health services for substance users and their families