The current study was based on Brown and Jacquin’s (2010) study of juror bias in rape trials, except that group deliberation was utilized in examining mock juror verdicts. Specifically, this study examined the influence of type of rape (stranger or acquaintance), complainant alcohol consumption, and defendant alcohol consumption on the opinions of mock jurors (N = 224). Type of rape and defendant alcohol consumption did not impact mock juror responsibility attributions or guilt ratings before or after group deliberation. However, complainant alcohol consumption significantly impacted mock juror opinions before and after group deliberation. Complainants who were intoxicated at the time of the alleged rape were viewed as more responsible for the rape. Defendants were viewed as more responsible when the complainant was sober at the time of the alleged rape. The results indicate a need for jurors and the courts to be aware of juror biases about female alcohol consumption.

No / Reactivity to assessment has attracted recent attention in the brief alcohol intervention literature. This systematic review sought to examine the nature of change in alcohol consumption over time in control groups in brief intervention studies. Primary studies were identified from existing reviews published in English language, peer-reviewed journals between 1995 and 2005. Change in alcohol consumption and selected study-level characteristics for each primary study were extracted. Consumption change data were pooled in random effects models and meta-regression was used to explore predictors of change. Eleven review papers reported the results of 44 individual studies. Twenty-six of these studies provided data suitable for quantitative study. Extreme heterogeneity was identified and the extent of observed reduction in consumption over time was greater in studies undertaken in Anglophone countries, with single gender study participants, and without special targeting by age. Heterogeneity was reduced but was still substantial in a sub-set of 15 general population studies undertaken in English language countries. The actual content of the control group procedure itself was not predictive of reduction in drinking, nor were a range of other candidate variables including setting, the exclusion of dependent drinkers, the collection of a biological sample at follow-up, and duration of study. Further investigations may yield novel insights into the nature of behaviour change with potential to inform brief interventions design.

Yes / Aims: Several studies funded by the UK government have been influential in understanding `binge drinking¿ rates in the UK. This analysis aims to establish consistency between results and clarify UK rates of binge drinking. Method: The relevant sections of these surveys were compared: the Scottish Health Survey (SHS) 1998, the General Household Survey (GHS) 2002 and the Health Survey for England (HSE) 2003. In addition the methodology used by the Health Protection Agency in the Adult Drinking Patterns in Northern Ireland (2003) was compared to the approach used by the SHS, GHS and HSE. Results: Marked differences were observed between the results of the GHS 2002 and both the SHS 1998 and the HSE 2002 despite each using a similar methodology, with the HSE 2003 reporting a rate of binge drinking in young males of 57%, and the GHS a rate of 35%. These difference may be largely attributed to variations in the criteria in binge drinking in each study. These differences in interpretation do not appear to have been acknowledged. Indeed several key alcohol harm reduction documents made inaccurate citations of previous surveys. Conclusion: The media rhetoric on escalating rates of binge drinking in the UK should be regarded with caution until trends are based on standardized recording and reporting .

Social anxiety is widely thought to be positively associated with alcohol use. However, these studies rely primarily on self-report of drinking behavior. This research aimed to further explore this research by assessing blood alcohol concentration (BAC), a physiological measure of alcohol intoxication, as the dependent measure in naturalistic settings (i.e., fraternity parties). Results from Study 1 suggest a weak relationship between self-reported anxiety levels and BAC. Study 2 was based on Burke and Stephen's (1999) proposed social cognitive model in which alcohol expectancies and drink-refusal self-efficacy act as moderators of the relationship between dispositional social anxiety and alcohol consumption. Analyses (n=86) did not support a relationship between social anxiety and alcohol use, nor the moderating effects of alcohol expectancies and drink-refusal self-efficacy. Implications for this type of research and possible future directions are discussed. / Master of Science

Estimates suggest that 6% of adults aged 65 years and older reported binge drinking in the past month and 2.2% reported heavy drinking. This dissertation investigates the associations between stress, coping, and alcohol consumption specifically in older adults. The literature on the direct relationship between stress and drinking in older adults has yielded inconsistent results (i.e., some produced positive associations, others yielded negative or nonsignificant relations). Previous findings for the relationship between various types of coping and drinking in older adults have yielded more consistent results, with avoidant coping, alcohol outcome expectancy, and/or drinking to cope generally contributing to alcohol use either independently or in combination. The strengths and limitations of currently used alcohol screening instruments with older adults (e.g., Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test-Geriatric Version, CAGE Questionnaire, and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) are also reviewed. Based on the literature, it was hypothesized that (a) lowering the definition of binge drinking to make it more age-sensitive to older adults would identify more individuals drinking at at-risk levels, (b) perceived stress, coping, and alcohol consumption would correlate with each other, and (c) coping would mediate the association between perceived stress and alcohol consumption. The study's sample consisted of 60 independent-living older adults (65 years of age and older), most of whom were White, female, and well educated. The results of this study only partially supported the hypotheses. Specifically, there was no clinically meaningful difference when the definition of binge drinking was lowered to a more age-specific classification on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Consumption measure. Perceived stress and both task- and avoidant-focused coping were correlated, but perceived stress and alcohol consumption were not significantly correlated, nor were either task- or avoidant-focused coping and alcohol consumption correlated. Finally, neither task- nor avoidant-focused coping mediated the relationship between perceived stress and alcohol consumption. Limitations of the present study are discussed.

Alcohol use during pregnancy can damage the fetus. Midwives at antenatal care (ANC) screen pregnant women for risk drinking in early pregnancy. There are however, no routines involving both parents-to-be in a dialogue about alcohol. The aim of this thesis is to investigate alcohol use among pregnant women and their partners and to evaluate a method for midwives’ dialogue about alcohol in a life cycle perspective with both parents-to-be. Study I was a quasi-experiment within ANC. An intervention group (IG) received counseling with the midwife about alcohol use. The IG (238 couples) and a comparison group (271 couples) filled out questionnaires in early and in late pregnancy about alcohol use and support for an alcohol-free pregnancy. Study II was a cross-sectional study where 444 partners of pregnant women filled out a questionnaire at ANC about alcohol use, motives for decreased drinking and their perception about the midwives’ counseling about alcohol. Alcohol consumption was low among the pregnant women. One third (30 %) had decreased alcohol use before pregnancy and 90% stopped drinking after pregnancy confirmation. Of the partners, 24 % decreased alcohol use before pregnancy and 40 % decreased during pregnancy. Around 90 % of the women received support for an alcohol-free pregnancy, compared to 37 % of the partners. Twenty per cent of partners and 25 % of pregnant women reported alcoholism in their family. Partners who had alcoholism in the family drank more than partners without this experience. A majority, 95 %, of the partners in study II used alcohol, 29 % were binge drinking on a normal drinking day and 74 % were binge drinking occasionally. Most partners appreciated the counseling about alcohol and reported various motives for decreased alcohol consumption. Many pregnant women and partners decreased alcohol consumption in transition to parenthood, which is a crucial time for changing alcohol-drinking patterns. Involving both parents-to-be in counseling about alcohol restrictions during pregnancy may be a useful health promotion strategy.

Bakgrund: Alkoholkonsumtionen ökar i världen idag. Den ökade alkoholkonsumtionen leder till sociala, ekonomiska och medicinska svårigheter. Konsumtionen av alkohol beräknas leda till 3,3 miljoner dödsfall årligen. Många allvarliga sjukdomstillstånd förekommer till följd av alkoholkonsumtion och samtidigt växer många barn upp i dysfunktionella miljöer som leder till psykisk ohälsa och alkoholproblem senare i livet. Alkoholen bidrar också till olyckor, våld och kriminalitet. Alkohol klassas som ett av de större folkhälsoproblemen idag och är en stor utgiftsbörda för samhället. Syfte: Syftet med litteraturöversikten var att genom granskning av tidigare gjorda studier undersöka faktorer associerade med alkoholmissbruk bland vuxna svenska män och kvinnor över 18 år. Metod: Genom en litteraturöversikt har 10 vetenskapliga artiklar genomgått analys och sammanställts till ett resultat som besvarar syftet med studien. Resultat: Resultaten visar att miljö, ko-morbiditet (samsjuklighet), psykisk ohälsa, socioekonomi, sociodemografi och biologiska faktorer är avgörande vad gäller att utveckla alkoholproblem bland vuxna svenskar över 18 år. Slutsats: Resultatet från litteraturöversikten visade att faktorer som hörde samman med uppväxtmiljö, komorbiditet, ärftlighet, psykisk hälsa, socioekonomiska- och sociodemografi hade betydelse för utvecklandet av alkoholmissbruk. Interventioner med bevisad effekt på minskad alkoholkonsumtion ansågs vara behjälpliga för att komma tillrätta med alkoholmissbruket.

Bakgrund: Sedan mitten av 1990-talet har alkoholkonsumtionen i Sverige ökat från drygt 8 liter ren alkohol per person och år till cirka 10,5 liter per person och år. Varje år dör minst 6000 människor i Sverige av orsaker relaterade till alkohol. Majoriteten av den svenska befolkningen konsumerar i måttlig mängd men en del hamnar i ett riskbruk eller missbruk som kan leda till ett beroende. Idag beräknas mellan 10-15 % av befolkningen i Sverige ha ett skadligt alkoholkonsumtionsmönster. MI (Motivational interviewing) är en metod som används av bland annat vårdpersonal för att motivera personer till förändring i sitt liv genom egen motivationshöjning. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att beskriva MI-metodens effekter på människors alkoholkonsumtion. Design: Denna uppsats är en litteraturöversikt. Resultat: MI hade en minskande effekt på alkoholkonsumtionen bland alla målgrupper som testats. MI har även positiva effekter såsom minskade alkoholrelaterade skador och upphörd alkoholkonsumtion. Vårt resultat visade dock att det inte nödvändigtvis måste vara så att MI-metoden är bättre än någon annan jämförande metod. Slutsats: Resultaten indikerar att MI är en effektiv metod att använda för att förändra livsstilen hos individer med skadlig alkoholkonsumtion. / Background: Since the mid-1990s alcohol consumption in Sweden has increased from eight liter pure alcohol per person and year, to approximately 10,5 liter per person and year. Each year in Sweden 6000 persons die from causes that relates to alcohol consumption. A majority of the Swedish population consumes alcohol moderately. However, some persons develop a destructive drinking habit that can result in addiction. Today 10-15% of the Swedish population estimates having developed an unhealthy consumption of alcohol. MI (Motivational interviewing) is a method that is used to motivate persons to change their lives by individual motivational improvement. Aim: The purpose of this study is to describe the effects of MI (Motivational interviewing) on people's alcohol consumption. Design: This study is a literature review. Result: MI had a positive effect that decreased alcohol consumption among all target groups. MI has positive effects on decreasing negative consequences of alcohol and cease alcohol consumption. Nonetheless, our results show that MI is not necessarily better than any other research method of comparison. Conclusion: The results indicate that MI is an effective method to be used to change lifestyles of individuals with dangerous alcohol consumption.

This thesis investigates the association between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm in Eastern Europe. The main aim was to estimate to what extent changes in per capita alcohol consumption have an impact on different forms of alcohol-related mortality, and to put the results in an international comparative perspective. The thesis includes four papers; the first two papers use aggregate time-series analysis to assess how changes in per capita consumption affect rates in suicide mortality and fatal non-intentional injuries in several Eastern European countries, respectively. The third paper applies the same methodological approach to analyse the population-level relationship between alcohol and homicide in Russia and the U.S.. The fourth paper employs survey data to assess how the risk of experiencing alcohol-related problems in relation to volume of consumption in the Baltic countries compares to Sweden and Italy. The results of the first three papers suggests: (i) that changes in per capita consumption are significantly related to changes in mortality rates of suicide, non-intentional injuries and homicide in the countries under study; (ii) that the relationship is stronger for men than for women, and (iii) that the relationship tends to be stronger in the countries with more detrimental drinking patterns, e.g. Russia. The results of the fourth paper suggest that the risk of experiencing alcohol-related problems in relation to level of drinking in the Baltic countries is similar to the corresponding risk in Sweden, but considerably stronger than in Italy. In conclusion, the findings support the significance of a public health approach to alcohol-related problems in Eastern Europe, i.e., policy measures directed towards total alcohol consumption. In addition, strategies aimed at reducing the occurrence of binge drinking seem to have great potential for reducing alcohol-related harm and mortality in Eastern European countries. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 4: Manuscript.</p> / Alcohol in Eastern Europe - a Public Health Perspective

The relationship was investigated between named staff members and four measures of reported alocohol consumption by alcoholics followed up one year after hospitalizstion in state hospitals. The 559 representative subjects were located, interviewed, and matched with 65 staff members named as "most helpful" to determine social, economic, and drinking aspects. Named personnel were administered the A-B Scale by Campbell, Stevens, Uhlenhuth, and Johansson (1968). Subjects naming A-staff members reported significantly lower levels of alcohol consumption on two of four measures as compared to subjects naming A/B- or B-staff members. Additional followup variables tended to support this conclusion.