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Objective: The primary aim of this study was to examine whether admission differences in levels of spirituality predisposed alcohol-dependent individuals to favorable or unfavorable outcomes following admission to facilities that differed in the degree to which spirituality was emphasized. It was hypothesized that individuals whose admission level of spirituality was congruent with the treatment program's orientation and who as such were considered optimally placed (i.e., 'matched') for treatment would evince better in-treatment outcomes. Method: Four hundred and five participants completed measures of spirituality and psychosocial well-being at intake and at end of treatment. Results: In examining the entire sample, no matching effects were observed on discharge status, abstinence efficacy, or desire to drink. When analyses were restricted to those cases scoring in the upper or lower quartiles in spirituality, we observed a paradoxical effect, as individuals recording lower levels of spirituality at the less spiritual program evinced significantly poorer outcomes (i.e., less abstinence efficacy, greater desire to drink). Conclusions: These findings hint at the importance of spirituality in the environment of care, indicating that individuals low in spirituality were at risk for poorer outcomes, but exposure to a program that emphasized spirituality lowered that risk., ALTHOUGH MANY PERSONS CAN USE alcohol in a safe and responsible manner, surveys of the general population project that 8% of American drinkers eventually become alcohol dependent (Robins et al., [...]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2005.08.013 Byline: Susan M. Gordon (a), Robert F. Forman (b), Candis Siatkowski (c) Keywords: Controlled substance; Drug source; Internet Abstract: Despite growing evidence that the internet is a source of controlled substances for nonmedical use, there is a lack of information about who is using it to obtain these drugs. One hundred adult drug-dependent inpatients in a private residential treatment program participated in a semistructured interview regarding how they obtained their drugs. Twenty-nine percent reported knowledge of the internet as a source of drugs, and 11% reported that they had used the internet to either buy drugs or locate a drug dealer. The results of this preliminary study suggest that the internet has become a source of controlled substances for some addicted individuals. Considerations for future research and clinical practice are described. Author Affiliation: (a) Seabrook House, P.O. Box 5055, Seabrook, NJ 08302, USA (b) Alkemes, Cambridge, MA 92139, USA (c) Caron Treatment Centers, Wernersville, PA 92139, USA Article History: Received 26 August 2004; Revised 5 August 2005; Accepted 10 August 2005

A retrospective review of the clinical charts of 97 adolescents who had received residential treatment for heroin dependence was conducted to determine predictors of heroin use. The average age for the adolescent patients reviewed was 17 years. Almost half of the adolescents (48%) were female and over half of the adolescents (53.6%) used heroin intravenously. Both males and females had substantial heroin habits, but differing amounts of use. Boys used an average of six bags of heroin per day and girls used an average of four bags of heroin per day, Using gender, age. number of heroin dependence symptoms, and other substances as predictors, 64.21% of the adolescents were correctly classified as injectors or noninjectors of heroin. Heroin appears to be a significant drug of abuse among these predominately white, middle class, suburban adolescents. Key Words: Heroin; Dependence; Predictors of heroin use: Injectors; Noninjectors., INTRODUCTION Rates of adolescent heroin use rose dramatically in the past decade. The national Monitoring the Future (MTF) surveys of school-age adolescents found that by 1992 approximately 35% of twelfth [...]

This book gathers the principal papers of a research program that has sustained an illustrious career. In this program, Inkeles' goal has been to move the study of national character [...]

This case study examines the importance of information privacy and evaluates the specific information privacy policies and practices of a large suburban library. This study is focused on the Schaumburg Township District Library (STDL), to see how they are successfully protecting patron information. The purpose of this study is to illustrate how STDL is adhering to best practices in their policies by being in accordance with the American Library Association (ALA) privacy policies, to review what was learned from previous cyber-attacks and how STDL has prevented any further attacks, to look at how STDL continues to re-evaluate and update their policies, and to determine ways they can improve areas that affect information privacy, including current technology and staff training. The study utilizes STDL's publicly posted information, website materials, and staff interviews to review the strengths and weaknesses of the methods that are being used and to exhibit how STDL is continually working to improve and insure patron data privacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]