Alcohol Use and Prior Substance Abuse Treatment in Relation to Gambling Problem Severity and Gambling Treatment Outcome

Recent research has made it clear that problematic gambling is often accompanied by problematic alcohol use. Unfortunately, little is known about the nature of this association, especially as it relates to gambling treatment outcome. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of current alcohol use level and previous substance abuse treatment on the symptoms of a large cohort of pathological gamblers as well as on their response to treatment for pathological gambling. The sample included 464 men and 301 women recruited at six gambling treatment programs in Minnesota. Gambling treatment patients were assessed on a number of gambling problem severity and related clinical variables using the Gambling Treatment Outcome Monitoring System (GAMTOMS). Patients with frequent alcohol use had greater gambling involvement at baseline than infrequent alcohol users. Patients with a previous history of substance abuse treatment had more severe psychosocial problems, ostensibly resulting from their gambling behavior, than patients without past substance abuse treatment. A MANOVA with repeated measures showed that neither pretreatment alcohol use, nor past substance abuse treatment exerted significant effects on gambling treatment outcome. While the level of pretreatment alcohol use and a history of substance abuse treatment are markers for greater gambling problem severity, treatment outcome for pathological gambling was not adversely impacted by these variables.     

Controlled Gambling for Pathological Gamblers

Despite its high prevalence, pathological gambling often remains untreated. It is estimated that only 10% of the pathological gamblers identified in prevalence studies will enter treatment. Within this small proportion, a high percentage will drop out. Despite the facts that some researchers argue against abstinence as the unique treatment goal and that regaining control appears to be possible for some pathological gamblers, abstinence has been the only treatment goal in most problem gambling interventions thus far. This paper examines the avenue of controlled gambling embedded in a harm reduction context as a viable solution for some pathological gamblers.     

词语的交集现象和汉字的词式书写——兼论汉字词式书写的发展前景

汉语中的词语交集现象容易造成误读,影响阅读速度。汉字的词式书写能够有效地解决词语交集现象所造成的误读。词式书写能够分化部分歧义句式,有利于提高阅读速度,有利于中文信息处理,能适应现代信息社会发展的需要,因此,有着广阔的发展前景。     

论对精神障碍者拒绝治疗权的理解与立法应对

精神障碍者的拒绝治疗权是弱者人权保障与自我决定权在《精神卫生法》中的贯彻,是精神卫生立法的核心问题之一。其兼具必要性和复杂性,因而在理论与实践中经常遭到曲解,如视精神科医生的医学判断为法律判决、将强制住院等同于拒绝治疗权的丧失、将限制拒绝治疗权适用的紧急情形扩大为一般性危险。由此导致对精神障碍者拒绝治疗权的否定和对人类尊严的蔑视,形成了贬低人格的家长主义。因此,学界需要对认识误区进行深度剖析并提出相应的对策,以期为完善我国的精神卫生立法提供建议。     

论外购商品短缺与毁损进项税额的会计处理

商品流通企业外购商品在验收入库时,可能由于自然条件或其他原因,会出现商品溢余或短缺,在对其进价进行处理的同时,也应对其增值税进项税额进行不同的会计处理.     

An asymptotic distribution-free selection procedure for a two-way layout problem

This paper deals with an asymptotic distribution-free subset selection procedure for a two-way layout problem. The treatment effect with the largest unknown value is of interest to us. The block effect is a nuisance parameter in this problem. The proposed procedure is based on the Hodges-Lehmann estimators of location parameters. The asymptotic relative efficiency of the proposed procedure with the normal means procedure is evaluated. It is shown that the proposed procedure has a high efficiency.     

平台型治理：筑牢城乡基层基础的有效实践机制

筑牢基层基础是“中国之治”的重要秘诀。平台型治理可推动基层社会治理技术变革与制度创新深度融合和良性互动。对陕西省安康市汉阴县“321”基层治理实践研究表明：作为一种新范式,平台型治理通过构建简约高效的治理平台能够驱动政府职能转型升级,推动政府回应社会能力与社会参与治理能力的双重提升。基于技术赋能普通民众并突破时空因素限制使民众更好表达诉求,促进自上而下行政推动与自下而上积极反馈的双向互动;以公共平台为依托积极动员社会力量参与并有效整合治理资源,进而提高治理效能;积极优化治理结构,推动治理重心下沉,促进基层社会秩序与活力的统一。总之要基于民心政治取向强化互动治理,创新政策执行机制以增强末梢治理的敏捷性和实效性,进而有效驱动新时代社会治理共同体的建构。     

Applying a Treatment Effects Model to Investigate Public Amenity Effect on Physical Activity of the Elderly

The increasing elderly population puts significant health, economic, and social burdens on society. Physical activity is one of the most cost-effective ways to maintain the health of the elderly. This study adopts a treatment effects model to investigate the causal relationship between environment attributes and physical activity among the elderly, while taking endogeneity into account. The data were collected from 274 participants by face-to-face interviews in Taichung, Taiwan. Performing physical activity regularly in parks is the most important measure of the amount of physical activity by the elderly. Providing sufficient and accessible parks in metropolitan residential neighborhoods could be one of the most cost-effective ways to promote physical activity for the elderly living in midsize Asian cities.     

Seroadaptive Strategies of Vancouver Gay and Bisexual Men in a Treatment as Prevention Environment

British Columbia’s treatment as prevention policy has provided free access to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to all HIV-positive provincial residents since 1996. One outcome is an increase in HIV-positive gay and bisexual men (GBM) with suppressed viral loads. Previous cross-sectional analyses indicated that some Vancouver GBM now recognize condomless anal sex with men on HAART who report a suppressed viral load as a seroadaptive strategy. To test the hypothesis that this new strategy, termed viral load sorting (VLS), is recognized and used among by GBM in the Momentum Health Study, we analyzed longitudinal data for HIV-negative/unknown (n = 556) and HIV-positive (n = 218) serostatus participants. Analyses indicated that both groups reported VLS, and that serostatus and Treatment Optimism Scale scores were significant determinants in frequency and use. Results exemplify the medicalization of sex and Rogers’ Diffusion Of Preventative Innovations Model, and they have important implications for HIV research and GBM sexual decision-making.     

From social workers to socio-therapists: the transformative journey of substance abuse therapists

ABSTRACT

The efficiency of interventions in addiction is associated with the processes of practitioners’ professional development. Identity formation is studied extensively for clinical professions but little research focuses on social workers working in addiction settings. This study examined the experience of social workers working in a community treatment network in Greece. Fifteen interviews were conducted with 11 women and 4 men, ranging between 29 and 47 years οf age, who worked in different centers within the network. Data were analyzed following the guidelines of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, offering in-depth examinations of people’s lived experience. The results delineate a series of transformations in professional identity comprising a process of biographization. The participants highlighted intrapersonal and relational factors that influence this process which leads to self-understanding and engagement with the therapeutic community. The results contribute to deciphering the factors that influence social workers’ experience in their professional identity formation in substance abuse treatment contexts.