[Efficiency of an alcohol addiction prevention program at the workplace: results of an empirical study]

Following an anonymous survey on health und substance use problems in 2004, a prevention program for workers at a Bavarian rehabilitation clinic was initiated. Its efficiency was evaluated by a follow-up study in 2007. The initial analysis had indicated a high rate of substance abuse. Young female employees had been identified as one of the risk groups for alcohol consumption and professional discontent. Based on these findings, a special prevention program was established. The follow-up study revealed some improvements with respect to health und substance abuse, including a significant reduction in average alcohol consumption. These findings indicate that prevention programs at the workplace are both possible and effective.

Children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder and comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: preliminary results of a prospective follow-up study

In the present study, we have investigated the influence of comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on early onset obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). For that purpose, we compared 20 patients with "OCD with ADHD" and 20 randomly selected patients with "OCD without ADHD". "OCD with ADHD" patients tended to show an earlier age of OCD onset, a higher severity of symptoms and a higher persistence rate than OCD patients without ADHD. Both groups appear to develop different patterns of comorbid disorders.

Effects of self-management training in Type 2 diabetes: a randomized, prospective trial

AIMS

The efficacy of three education programmes for Type 2 diabetic patients was tested in a randomized trial. A didactic-oriented training programme (treatment A) was compared with a self-management-oriented programme delivered in group sessions (treatment B). The latter programme was compared with a more individualized approach (treatment C).

METHODS

One hundred and eighty-one Type 2 diabetic patients (age 55.6 +/- 6.3 years, diabetes duration 6.6 +/- 6.2 years, HbA(1c) 7.8 +/- 1.6%, female 49.7%) took part. Efficacy was assessed 3 months (t1) after baseline (t0) and at a follow-up 15 months (t2) after baseline.

RESULTS

The fall in HbA(1c) in treatment B at t1 was sustained at t2 (t0 8.1 +/- 1.8%, t1 7.3 +/- 1.7%, t2 7.4 +/- 1.9%). In treatment A, HbA(1c) was unchanged throughout (t0 7.6 +/- 1.5%, t1 7.5 +/- 1.3%, t2 7.7 +/- 1.7%; treatment A vs. treatment B; P < 0.05). With the more individualized approach of treatment C, there was a fall in HbA(1c) at t1, but this was not sustained at t2 (t0 7.8 +/- 1.6%, t1 7.1 +/- 1.3%, t2 7.6 +/- 1.6%; treatment B vs. treatment C; P = 0.73). There were also significant benefits in treatment B subjects compared with treatment A in further medical (body mass index and fasting blood glucose), psychological (control, irritability and hunger dependency of eating behaviour, and trait anxiety) and behavioural (exercise) variables. There were no significant benefits of the more individualized treatment C compared with group treatment B. No significant differences were found regarding triglyceride levels, high-density lipoprotein, diabetes-related knowledge, negative well-being, urine or blood glucose levels or foot care.

CONCLUSION

Self-management training had a significantly higher medium-term efficacy than didactic diabetes education. The group sessions were more effective than a more individualized approach.

[Incidence of psychic comorbidity in inpatient pneumological rehabilitation and indication for psychological counselling/psychotherapy]

The present study examines psychic comorbidities in patients with chronic diseases of the airways in pneumological rehabilitation centres and the indication for psychological counselling/psychotherapy. It is thus intended to help provide a rational basis for psychological and psychotherapeutic help in inpatient pneumological rehabilitation. According to accepted psychiatric screening scales (BSI, HADS), 30 % of the 159 examined patients undergoing rehabilitation were conspicuous in both questionnaires (BSI and HADS-D) and further 51 % were considered as conspicuous in one of the questionnaires. About 3 % of the pneumological patients in the Allgäu centre had a medical indication for psychological counselling/psychotherapy. In this respect the indication proved to be valid. The group of patients who were not referred to a psychological counselling/psychotherapy in spite of an existing psychic impairment showed a significantly lower motivation for treatment and a lower psychic tolerance. The large proportion of psychic stress confirms the relevance of psychological and/or psychotherapeutic help in pneumological rehabilitation.

[Critical life events as risk factors for alcoholism]

There is some evidence for a relation between critical life-events and the excessive drinking of alcoholics; the present study fits well into the approach of life-event-research assuming an aggregation of life-events and difficulties to elicit or cause excessive drinking. In all 25 men who were in danger of becoming excessive drinkers and 29 who were not--all between 18 and 24 years of age--were asked for their life-events and difficulties within the past 5 years. The LES by G. Brown was used for assessment. The results showed clear evidence for the basic hypothesis of life-event-research; to account for this a 'model of an addictive threshold' is proposed. A qualitative analysis of the experienced difficulties and the way of coping throw some light on the nonspecificity of critical life-events within the stress model.