An association between leukoencephalopathy, a disease of the white matter of the brain, and smoking heroin is well recognized. This paper describes 27 cases of leukoencephalopathy identified in two cities in British Columbia, Canada 2001-2006; the largest number of geographically and temporally defined reported cases in North America.Twenty cases of leukoencephalopathy were identified in and around Vancouver with onset dates December 2001 to July 2003; seven further cases were identified in Victoria September 2005-August 2006
Filed in Harm Reduction
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Also tagged british, cases, contaminant, law-enforcement, north, paper-describes, prevent-further, single-occasion, study, the-contaminant, vancouver, white, will-facilitate
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Aims This paper reviews a set of theories of behaviour change that are used outside the field of addiction and considers their relevance for this field.Methods Ten theories are reviewed in terms of (i) the main tenets of each theory, (ii) the implications of the theory for promoting change in addictive behaviours and (iii) studies in the field of addiction that have used the theory. An augmented feedback loop model based on Control Theory is used to organize the theories and to show how different interventions might achieve behaviour change.Results Briefly, each theory provided the following recommendations for intervention: Control Theory: prompt behavioural monitoring, Goal-Setting Theory: set specific and challenging goals, Model of Action Phases: form ‘implementation intentions’, Strength Model of Self-Control: bolster self-control resources, Social Cognition Models (Protection Motivation Theory, Theory of Planned Behaviour, Health Belief Model): modify relevant cognitions, Elaboration Likelihood Model: consider targets’ motivation and ability to process information, Prototype Willingness Model: change perceptions of the prototypical person who engages in behaviour and Social Cognitive Theory: modify self-efficacy.Conclusions There are a range of theories in the field of behaviour change that can be applied usefully to addiction, each one pointing to a different set of modifiable determinants and/or behaviour change techniques
Filed in Evidence Base
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Also tagged change, control-theory, health, health-belief, implications, model, motivation, setting-theory, social, theories, used-the-theory
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Recent work has criticized the evidence base for the effectiveness of addiction treatment under social controls and coercion, suggesting that the development of sound policies and treatment practices has been hampered by numerous limitations of the research conducted to date. Implicit assumptions of the effectiveness of coerced treatment are evident in the organization and evolution of treatment, legal, and social service systems, as well as in related legislative practices. This review builds upon previous work by focusing in greater detail on the potential value of incorporating client perspectives on coercion and the implications for interpreting and applying existing research findings.
Filed in Evidence Base, Harm Reduction
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Also tagged connections, development, effectiveness, Evidence Base, implications, organization, potential, research, review, service-systems, synthesis, the-development, treatment-entry, treatment-under
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Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Conclusions/Scientific Significance: Findings suggest that the hypothesized gateway sequence may not apply equally well to African-Americans, and that prevention efforts based on this theory may need to be amended for these youth. PMID: 19016184 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse)
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Conclusions/Scientific Significance: Findings suggest that the hypothesized gateway sequence may not apply equally well to African-Americans, and that prevention efforts based on this theory may need to be amended for these youth.