Coping and anxiety: an examination of different drinking patterns in an Irish population.

The primary aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different drinking patterns in an Irish population on ability to cope with stress. Coping ability comprised approach coping responses, avoidance coping responses and trait anxiety levels. Coping responses were measured by the coping responses inventory (CRI, Moos, 1993) and trait anxiety by the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI, Spielberger, 1983). A total of 128 participants took part in the study and were recruited from alcohol treatment centres and the general population.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

Perspectives On The Provision Of Counselling For Women In Ireland

The last decade has seen a growing interest in attention to womenâ?Ts health, including womenâ?Ts mental health. Women are the most frequent users of the health services and are more likely to present with mental health issues, most notably depression and anxiety (Breslau et al., 1995). During the consultative process for the Plan for Womenâ?Ts Health (1997-1999) the health services were criticised for not responding appropriately to womenâ?Ts mental health needs. Women perceived the services as being primarily concerned with treating mental illness, rather than protecting and promoting mental health. Women specifically requested greateraccess to counselling1 services, located in appropriate physical environments that were not medically  orientated. Such counselling should be proactive, attracting clients for whom mental health issues had not developed into more serious problems. These services would help them to develop coping skills and assertiveness.   Download document here

Effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions in primary care populations.

Excessive drinking contributes significantly to social problems, physical and psychological illness, injury and death. Hidden effects include increased levels of violence, accidents and suicide. Most alcohol-related harm is caused by excessive drinkers whose consumption exceeds recommended drinking levels, not the drinkers with severe alcohol dependency problems. One way to reduce consumption levels in a community may be to provide a brief intervention in primary care over one to four sessions. This is provided by healthcare workers such as general physicians, nurses or psychologists. In general practice, patients are routinely asked about alcohol consumption during registration, general health checks and as part of health screening (using a questionnaire). They tend not to be seeking help for alcohol problems when presenting. The intervention they are offered includes feedback on alcohol use and harms, identification of high risk situations for drinking and coping strategies, increased motivation and the development of a personal plan to reduce drinking. It takes place within the time-frame of a standard consultation, 5 to 15 minutes for a general physician, longer for a nurse.A total of 29 controlled trials from various countries were identified, in general practice (24 trials) or an emergency setting (five trials). Participants drank an average of 306 grams of alcohol (over 30 standard drinks) per week on entry to the trial. Over 7000 participants with a mean age of 43 years were randomised to receive a brief intervention or a control intervention, including assessment only. After one year or more, people who received the brief intervention drank less alcohol than people in the control group (average difference 38 grams/week, range 23 to 54 grams). For men (some 70% of participants), the benefit of brief intervention was a difference of 57 grams/week, range 25 to 89 grams (six trials). The benefit was not clear for women. The benefits of brief intervention were similar in the normal clinical setting and in research settings with greater resources. Longer counselling had little additional benefit.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

The meaning of dependence and independence of older people with a disability in Ireland

The paper presents the findings of a research study carried out in Ireland in 2006 (Murphy et al., 2007) which explored the meaning of dependence and independence for older people with a disability. The research adopted a grounded theory approach; purposive sampling was used initially with some relational sampling towards the latter interviews. The sample was comprised of 143 older people with one of six disabilities: stroke (n=20), arthritis (20), depression (20), sensory disability (20), a learning disability (24), and dementia (18). All participants lived at home, some participants required high levels of help in activities of living while others were mostly independent. An interview schedule was used to guide interviews, all of which were tape recorded and transcribed. Data was collected on levels of dependence and independence using the Katz scale. Participants recorded high levels of independence in relation to transferring (93%), toileting (92%), dressing (87%), continence (87%) and feeding (98%). The main area of dependence where participants required assistance from others was with bathing (77%). The constant comparative technique was used to analyze qualitative data. The findings of the study would suggest that participants personal definition of their independence or dependence shifted relative to others and/or improvement or worsening of their capacity People were aware of the difference between independence and dependence, but these two concepts were not always perceived as opposites. It was possible to be independent and dependent at the same time. People valued being able to do things for themselves, accepted help when necessary but wanted to reciprocate when possible. Participants used varied coping strategies to regain and retain control of their lives. Strategies to promote older peoples independence and self esteem will be explored in this paper.

'Under the surface' mental health campaign posters

The posters highlight some signs and symptoms that indicate that something is having a negative effect on your mental health and promote the website www.mindingyourhead.info� as a source of help for anyone finding it difficult coping with their feelings.

Steps to deal with stress - A simple guide to stressing less and enjoying life more

The Steps to deal with stress booklet provides tips and practical advice on coping with stress in your life and covers recognizing stress, getting ready, coping better, learning from bad experiences and taking action now. Simple steps such as relaxation exercises and talking to someone can help you feel better and put you in a better frame of mind for dealing with your problems.