Screening questionnaires to identify problem drinking in the primary care setting: a systematic review

Prevalence of mental health symptoms and potential risk factors among Austrian veterinary medicine students

Although the poor mental health of veterinarians has been reported in different countries, no data exist on mental health in Austrian veterinary students. This study aimed to provide first data on a broad range of mental health indicators in Austrian veterinary students, compare these data with the Austrian general population, and explore factors associated with poor mental health. A total of 29.1% (n = 430; 85.8% female; mean age: 23.14 ± 3.69 years) of the total Austrian veterinary student population (N = 1477 students; 82.1% females) took part in an online survey conducted from November 2022 to January 2023. Indicators of mental health were symptoms of depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), insomnia (ISI-7), stress (PSS-4), alcohol abuse (CAGE) and disordered eating (SCOFF). Compared to the general Austrian population a higher proportion of veterinary students exceeded the cut-offs for clinically relevant mental health symptoms (P < 0.05). A total of 55.3% of participating veterinary students exceeded the cut-off for moderate depressive symptoms, 52.6% for moderate anxiety symptoms, 20.9% for clinically relevant insomnia symptoms, 79.3% for high-stress symptoms, 22.8% for symptoms of alcohol abuse and 38.6% for symptoms of disordered eating. Multivariable logistic regression including several sociodemographic, health behavior, and study-related variables as predictors revealed that mental health symptoms in veterinary students were associated with female gender, older age, low physical activity, high smartphone usage, and desired specification in small animal or wildlife medicine. In conclusion, Austrian veterinary students experience a high mental health burden. The teaching of coping skills and strategies to improve mental hygiene should be implemented in the curricula of veterinary education to improve mental health in the veterinary profession.

Are German family practitioners and psychiatrists sufficiently trained to diagnose and treat patients with alcohol problems?

Background

Harmful alcohol consumption in Germany is a serious public health problem: About 7.7 million adults in Germany can be classified as risky alcohol consumers, about 74,000 deaths per year are related to alcohol consumption, and about 1.8 million adults in Germany (18–64 years) are classified as alcohol dependent. A treatment rate of 9% of all alcohol dependent patients in Germany implies a lack of supply and misuse of medical care. The aim of the study was to examine whether family practitioners (FPs) and psychiatrists have sufficient skills to diagnose and treat patients with alcohol problems.

Methods

A total of 6324 FPs and psychiatrists in the states of Saxony and Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany were invited to participate in this survey. Nine hundred seventy-four participants (90.3%/FPs) could be included in the statistical analysis (response rate: 14.3%/FPs, 21.6%/psychiatrists). Data was analysed descriptively and logistical regressions were used to identify predictors for physicians’ ability to feel adequately trained to diagnose and treat patients with alcohol problems.

Results

In comparison to psychiatrists, less FPs reported feeling sufficiently trained to counsel patients with alcohol problems (81.5% vs. 44.8%). Regression analysis revealed that FPs who felt not adequately trained had less experience with patients with alcohol dependence (OR 7.4), had attended fewer hours on alcohol addiction in continuing medical education (OR 4.8), and were more likely to be female (OR 1.9). A minimum of 10 h of training was associated with improved self-assessed competence.

Conclusion

Harmful drinking is a serious public health problem, and patients with alcohol dependence represent a large and demanding patient group in primary health care setting. Our study shows that the lack of training is a severe barrier in the work with this patient group in the primary care setting.

Religiosity and patterns of alcohol consumption among users of primary healthcare facilities in Brazil

Abstract Background A number of studies have been reported on the role of religiosity in health beliefs and behaviors. Objective The objective of this cross-sectional study is to examine the association between religious involvement and patterns of alcohol consumption in a large representative sample of users of primary healthcare facilities in Ribeirão Preto, Southeast Brazil. Method Data were collected through personal interviews. Religiosity was measured using the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL) and the alcohol consumption was measured using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) questionnaire. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to evaluate the associations between the participant characteristics, the AUDIT risk levels, and the drinking groups. Results The sample was composed of 841 women with a mean age of 39.5 years old and 214 men with a mean age of 45.1 years old. A significant relationship between patterns of alcohol consumption and the multiple dimensions of religiosity was detected, such as religious affiliation, religious practices, self-perception of the level of religiosity and the ORA, NORA and IR components of DUREL. Lower levels of drinking risk were detected among religious individuals and among those who practice their religions compared to individuals who have no religion and/or non-practicing individuals, respectively. Conclusion A lifestyle motivated by religious concerns is associated with alcohol use habits among the Brazilian users of the public healthcare facilities.