Gender Differences in Problematic Alcohol Consumption in University Professors

Stress and psychoactive substance use among university professors

INTRODUCTION:

University professors are highly susceptible to work-related stress, and psychoactive substance use is often used as a stress alleviation strategy. This issue has attracted the attention of organizations that represent these workers given its potential repercussions on work and personal life.

OBJECTIVES:

This study aimed to evaluate the association between work-related stress and psychoactive substance use in university professors.

METHODS:

A descriptive and analytical-qualitative study was conducted in a public university in the countryside of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Data were collected from 67 professors using Google Forms and the following instruments: sociodemographic characteristics and occupational activity questionnaire; Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening; and Stress Symptom Inventory. Descriptive methods were used to calculate means and standard deviations. The association between occupational stress, substance use, and the variables studied was investigated using chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests.

RESULTS:

Most participants were men, married, with children, and a master’s-level education. The mean age of the sample was 42 years. Differences were observed between the prevalence of legal and illegal substance use. Many participants were in the alert, resistance, or exhaustion stages of stress, with the resistance stage being the most frequent. Alcohol was the substance most commonly associated with work-related stress.

CONCLUSIONS:

Psychoactive substance use is associated with work-related stress among university professors.

Towards an understanding of how stress and resources affect the nonmedical use of prescription drugs for performance enhancement among employees

Based on assumptions of the Job Demands-Resources model, we investigated employees’ willingness to use prescription drugs such as methylphenidate and modafinil for nonmedical purposes to enhance their cognitive functioning as a response to strain (i.e., perceived stress) that is induced by job demands (e.g., overtime, emotional demands, shift work, leadership responsibility). We also examined the direct and moderating effects of resources (e.g., emotional stability, social and instrumental social support) in this process. We utilized data from a representative survey of employees in Germany (N = 6454) encompassing various job demands and resources, levels of perceived stress, and willingness to use nonmedical drugs for performance enhancement purposes. By using Structural Equation Models, we found that job demands (such as overtime and emotional demands) and a scarcity of resources (such as emotional stability) increased strain, consequently directly and indirectly increasing the willingness to use prescription drugs for cognitive enhancement. Moreover, emotional stability reduced the effect of certain demands on strain. These results delivered new insights into mechanisms behind nonmedical prescription drug use that can be used to prevent such behaviour and potential negative health consequences.

Psychometric Properties and Factor Structure of the Spanish Version of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) in Ecuador

(1) Background: The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) is the most well-known self-report measure to assess psychological inflexibility, a transdiagnostic pathological process, and targets for interventions. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties and factorial structure of the Ecuadorian Spanish version of the AAQ-II in a large sample of college students in Ecuador. (2) Methods: A total of 7905 students, 46.26% male and 53.75% female, from 11 Ecuadorian universities were surveyed. The AAQ-II was tested for factorial structure, reliability, and correlations with other health-related measures. (3) Results: The AAQ-II showed an unidimensional factorial structure, accounting for 66.87% to 70% of the total variance and showing a good fit of the data to the model (comparative adjustment index (CFI) = 0.995; goodness of fit index (GFI) = 0.992; Standardized Root Mean Squared Residual (SRMR) = 0.037; mean square approximation error (RMSEA) = 0.047, CI90% = 0.038-0.056). Reliability was optimal (Cronbach's α = 0.919; ω = 0.928), and AAQ-II scores significantly correlated with multiple health indicators. Psychological inflexibility was significantly higher in women than men. (4) Conclusions: The Spanish version of the AAQ-II showed good psychometric properties, which further supports psychological inflexibility, not just as a transdiagnostic process.