Changes in marijuana use symptoms and emotional functioning over 28-days of monitored abstinence in adolescent marijuana users.

RATIONALE: Advancing marijuana prevention and intervention efforts are important given the decreasing perception of harm among adolescents and increasing marijuana legalization. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluates how a monitored abstinence protocol may contribute to emotional functioning and changes in marijuana problems that can enhance successful outcomes for non-treatment-seeking adolescent marijuana users. METHODS: Adolescent marijuana users (n = 26) and demographically matched controls (n = 30) completed 28 days of monitored abstinence confirmed by biweekly urine toxicology. Participants were given measures of emotional functioning, marijuana use symptoms, and reward sensitivity during monitored abstinence. RESULTS: All participants (n = 56) completed the protocol, and 69% of marijuana users (n = 18 of 26) were confirmed abstinent for 28 days, with all users showing decreasing marijuana use. Reductions in subsyndromal depression, positive marijuana use expectancies, and poor sleep quality were observed by the end of the monitored abstinence period (n = 26, p values < .05). Marijuana users also reported more attentional impulsivity and less responsiveness to reward stimuli during the second week of abstinence compared to controls. Later age of onset of regular marijuana use and more cumulative lifetime use were associated with a greater degree of emotional change and increased recognition of the negative effects of marijuana use. CONCLUSIONS: Monitored abstinence programs may be beneficial in reducing marijuana use, subsyndromal emotional distress symptoms, and changing beliefs about marijuana use. Future prevention and intervention efforts may consider targeting reward sensitivity and impulsivity, in addition to marijuana use, expectancies, and emotional functioning.

El trabajo nocturno y sus implicaciones en la salud de médicos, enfermeras y oficiales de seguridad de los hospitales de la Caja Costaricense del Seguro Social en Costa Rica / Night work and its implications on the health of doctors, nurses and security officers hospitals Costaricense Social Security Fund in Costa Rica

En el presente trabajo se analiza la jornada laboral nocturna y las implicaciones que ésta tiene en la salud de los trabajadores de una institución que por sus características requiere atención las 24 horas, los siete días a la semana, como lo es la Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social. Para ello se escogió una muestra de médicos, enfermeras y oficiales de seguridad y se les interrogó acerca de las enfermedades que padecían, para tratar de establecer su relación con la jornada nocturna...

This paper analyzes the night work and its implications on the health of workers in an institution which by its nature requires 24-hour care, seven days a week, as is La Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social. For this, it was chosen a sample of doctors, nurses and security officers and they were questioned about illnesses they had, to try to establish its relationship with the night shift...

Actitudes y prácticas de las mujeres en edad reproductiva relacionadas con el trabajo del promotor de salud Andes – Antioquia 1993 – 1996 / Attitudes and practices of women in maternal-age related with the job done by the health promoter program. Andes, Antioquia, 1993 - 1996

En salud, al hablar de enfermedad se pretende a través de la educación, crear una cultura, es decir, que el individuo en vez de investigar como se enfermema, reconozca que hacer para no estarlo y controle aquellas situaciones que le puedan enfermar. Con la educación se pretende cambiar “estilo de vida”, lo cual no es tarea fácil, ni se logra de la noche a la mañana. Necesariamente, los estilos de vida reflejan las condiciones culturales que nos rodean y, en consecuencia, están en permanente transformación en el tiempo, siendo el acceso a la información y a la educación determinantes en este proceso de cambio.