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The purpose of this study was to seek understanding of the contours of the lives of undergraduate college students who abstain from drinking alcohol. Specifically, I explored the motivations, behaviors, and outcomes related to their choice not to drink. For purposes of this study, I defined motivations as the reasons for students' abstention. In this study, I defined behaviors as: (a) techniques used to abstain, (b) social experiences, and (c) recreational experiences. Outcomes were defined as the positive and negative effects of the choice not to drink. I defined abstainers as students who have not consumed alcohol for at least one full year prior to the study, with exceptions for moderate consumption on rare religious or cultural celebrations. I explored the following research questions in this study: 1. What are abstainers' motivations for abstaining? 2. What behaviors do abstainers exhibit to keep them from drinking? 3. What social behaviors do abstainers exhibit? 4. What are the outcomes of abstaining? I had one sample consisting of 53 undergraduates who had not consumed any alcohol for a period of at least one year prior to the study. After conducting the focus groups, I searched the participant responses for emergent themes. Then, I used the emergent themes to guide the formation of a narrative. In this narrative, I combined the participants' own voices and my analysis of their themes to tell the story of being a college student who abstains from drinking alcohol. As the motivations for abstention, the participants indicated spiritual, religious influences as important. Additionally, the friends and organizations with which they associated and previous negative experiences (both personal and external) made an impact. In the category of behavior related to abstaining, the participants indicated that their ability to abstain closely hinged upon their interaction with and perception of their social environment; their choices of association with friends and groups also influenced their perceptions of their ability to abstain. Participants who had a strong sense of personal conviction about abstaining felt they were better able not to drink. Additionally, many felt they could take direct personal action to help them abstain. In terms of their social environments, abstainers spoke of having created deep, rich friendships and social environments as part of their very busy lives. While they generally preferred to spend time with other abstainers, they often were friends with and spent time with both abstainers and drinkers. The participants also indicated the importance of making friends and associating with groups in feeling comfortable and being confident in their lifestyle choice. The participants spoke with mixed voices about the outcomes of abstention; many felt left out and out of place in the general college drinking environment, while at the same time recognizing the many positive benefits from not drinking. / Master of Arts

There has been little scientific evidence to suggest that abstinence-only-until-marriage education programs are effective in preventing or reducing teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. There is also little scientific evidence to suggest that comprehensive sex education programs are as or more effective in preventing or reducing teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease than their abstinence-only counterpart. The following study compares the teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease rates among minors in Virginia that participate in abstinence-only programs with rates among minors participating in comprehensive sex education programs. I hypothesize that counties implementing comprehensive sex education programs in schools will typically have lower pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease rates among minors than counties implementing abstinence-only education programs. I test these hypotheses with data on the 16 Virginia counties and county equivalents which could be verified as having either comprehensive or abstinence-only sex education programs in public schools during 1998-2003. The data confirm the hypotheses. On average, comprehensive program counties showed greater declines in pregnancy rates among females aged 15-17 than abstinence-only program counties. Comprehensive counties experienced declines in Chlamydia and Gonorrhea rates among males and females aged 15-17, whereas abstinence-only counties' Gonorrhea and Chlamydia rates increased. These findings underscore the need for statewide -- indeed, nationwide -- public reporting of school systems' sex education program types to permit a more thorough comparison and evaluation of program outcomes. In the meantime, these results challenge Virginia advocates of abstinence-only education programs to empirically defend their claims. / Master of Science

Anotation The Master's degree thesis Trends in the use of electronic cigarette in the population of smokers of tobacco products provides a pilot research and analysis of the use of electronic cigarette in the current population of smokers in the Czech Republic. Furthermore, it presents the most common motivation patterns of its consumption among tobacco smokers. To this purpose, the author developped her own questionnaire addressed to a predefined sample of respondents. The first, theoretical part of the thesis is dedicated to analysis of tobacco and nicotine and their effects on human health. Further, the thesis focuses entirely on the analysis of electronic cigarette. The practical part is based on a questionnaire designed and distributed by the author herself directly or through the internet among 105 respondents. The target group are smokers of tobacco products between 25 and 55 years old living in the Czech Republic who have pasively or actively had a contact with electronic cigarette. This is to determine the common attitudes towards the electronic cigarette and analyse the current trends in its use in the population of smokers. The second part of the thesis offers a detailed evaluation of the results of the questionnaire obtained through the answers of 105 respondents, their motivations for its use...

The main goal of this essay is to show that lifestyle has an influence on alcohol addiction and its process, but most importantly on maintaining abstinence after a treatment. From various research, which where made, is clear, that most of relapses are directly related to lifestyle of addicts (or at least to its parts such as health, social situation, economic status, hobbies etc.). That is why it is important to work on a lifestyle change during a treatment so that the addicts are in balance during the abstinence and are not exposed to risky situations which they do not know how to react to and deal with them. There is Relapse Prevention to learn these pocedures and it should be applied also during the treatment and after. Part of my essay is qualitative research, which should reflect previously mentioned phenomenons among ten respondents of detoxification centre, who experienced relapses before. I tried to prove that lifestyle and its disorders influence and increase the potential of relapse after completed treatment and it is necessary to change it during abstinence.

Thesis (Psy. D.)--Wheaton College, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-56).

Thesis--Catholic University of America. / Bibliography: p. 277-286.

Thesis (Psy. D.)--Wheaton College, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-56).

L'addiction est une affection chronique emmaillée de rechutes, caractérisée principalement par des comportements compulsifs de recherche et de consommation de drogue. Il s'agit d'une pathologie grave et fréquente. Les sujets qui parviennent à se désengager de ces compulsions sont considérés comme abstinents. Les études épidémiologiques montrent que l'abstinence, notamment pour les opiacés est fortement associée à une prévalence accrue de la dépression. Le but de mon travail de thèse était d'aborder spécifiquement la cooccurrence des troubles dépressifs et addictifs. J'ai participé à l'élaboration d'un modèle murin de cette comorbidité, et nous nous sommes focalisés sur l'addiction aux opiacés, en particulier l'héroïne. Suite à un traitement chronique par l'héroïne et au cours de l'abstinence paraissent progressivement des comportements apparentés à la dépression. Ce traitement chronique à l'héroïne modifie le fonctionnement du système sérotoninergique et l'activité du récepteur opioïde kappa (Article publié: Distinct mu, delta, and kappa opioid receptor mechanisms underlie low sociability and depressive-­like behaviors during heroin abstinence). Les déficits comportementaux observés peuvent être prévenus et reversés par un traitement antidépresseur ciblant le system sérotoninergique ou en inhibant l'activité du récepteur opioïde kappa avec un antagoniste, dans des portions similaires (Manuscript submis: Kappa opioid receptor antagonism prevents and reverses heroin abstinence-­induced social deficit with similar efficacy compared to chronic antidepressant treatment). Notre étude nous permet de proposer que le récepteur opioïde kappa constitue un acteur majeur à l'interface de l'addiction et de la dépression(Revue publié: The kappa opioid receptor: from addiction to depression, and back). / Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disorder and is mainly described as compulsive craving and consumption of a drug in spite of adverse consequences. Individuals who have achieved to refrain from such compulsive behaviour are considered abstinent, but present symptoms reminiscent of depression. Epidemiological studies report that abstinence, particularly from opiates, strongly associates with higher prevalence of depression. Aim of my thesis was to specifically address the co-­occurrence of opiate addiction and major depression in preclinical research. Thus, I have contributed to develop a mouse model of opiate abstinence, and in particular extend our model of morphine abstinence to heroin. Following exposure to escalating doses of heroin, abstinent mice progressively exhibit a depressive-­like phenotype, revealed by low sociability., and show altered serotonergic and kappa opioid receptor signaling (Published article: Distinct mu, delta and kappa opioid receptor mechanisms underlie low sociability and depressive-­like behaviors during heroin abstinence).Importantly, these behavioural deficits can be both prevented and reversed by antidepressant treatment targeting serotonergic signaling, or inhibiting the activity of the kappa opioid receptor withan antagonist, with similar efficacy (Submitted article: Kappa opioid receptor antagonism prevents and reverses heroin abstinence-­induced social deficit with similar efficacy compared to chronic antidepressant treatment). Altogether, our results allow us to propose the kappa opioid receptor is a major player at the interface of addiction and depression (Published review: The kappa opioid receptor: from addiction to depression, and back).

of the thesis: Background: The theme of the drugs problem users - mothers are becoming more and more topical. The specificity of women's groups on the drug scene is given to the problems associated with pregnancy and motherhood , different biological factors compared to men. Expert advice for women and addressing issues that are associated with the feminine role is a must for professionals . The phenomenon of mothers - user is necessarily linked to the issue of child care and subsequent abstinence . Our professional and lay society has regarding pregnancy , treatment, abstinence and motivation of mothers who are drug addicts many prejudices and stereotypical behavior. So the question arises , how the fact of pregnancy users - mothers affects their drug use and subsequent motivation for abstinence and retention in treatment . The aim of this work is to determine whether the child is the motivation for abstinence and the role of drug use in pregnancy women. Methods: Data were obtained using a semi-structured interview , the respondents were clients aftercare program . For data analysis using elements of grounded theory. Results: Based on the statements of the respondents , it was found that even when the child is passive motivation for abstinence , responder treatment of 80 % successfully completed....