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We sought to adapt to the Argentine context two scales that assess psychotherapeutic preferences: The Cooper-Norcross Preferences Inventory (C-NIP-v1.1) and the Questionnaire of Preferences and Experiences of Psychotherapy for the Patient (PEX-1). We administered both scales in a sample of N=600 people (non-probabilistic). We performed internal consistency, dimensional, and item level analyzes. The internal consistency coefficients were adequate for the total scale and, in general, for each dimension. The confirmatory factor analysis evidenced an adequate fit to the original structures. The performance of the items for the scale and its dimensions was acceptable with few exceptions. The psychometric properties of the C-NIP-v1.1 and the PEX-1 are suitable for their application in our context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify alcohol use disorder (AUD) criteria that better characterized those who seek treatment and those who recover on their own. We gathered data from help-seeking (HS) patients in an alcohol unit and compared them with self-achieved remission (SAR) patients. The best criteria to predict HS were psychological problems due to use, physical problems due to use, repeated attempts or desire to stop using, and not being able to stop drinking. The best criteria to predict SAR were tolerance, craving, hazardous use, much time spent, larger/longer use than intended, and role impairment. We discuss the impact of these results in current efforts to improve the accuracy of AUD diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To report the risk from alcohol, cannabis, and their combined use for non-fatal road traffic injuries for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. Methods. Risk was estimated using the case-crossover method. Participants (N= 306) were injured patients from an emergency department in Mar del Plata, Argentina. Results. Alcohol use (OR= 6.78, CI 95% 3.75-12.25) as well as combined alcohol and cannabis use (OR= 7.05, CI 95% 1.16-42.73) significantly increased the risk of a road traffic injuries. Alcohol use increased the risk in both, women (OR= 8.87, CI 95% 2.69-29.21) and men (OR= 6.16, CI 95% 3.10-12.23); in those >30 years old (OR= 6.01, CI 95% 2.09-17.24) and those <30 years old (OR= 7.15, CI 95% 3.49-14.65). This last group also had an increased risk after combined alcohol and cannabis use (OR= 7.05, CI 95% 1.16-42.75). Both drivers (OR= 6.40, CI 95% 3.23-12.69) and passengers (OR= 13.83, CI 95% 2.87-66.42) had an increased risk after alcohol consumption. Conclusions. To our knowledge, these are the first estimates of the risk of having a road traffic injury after alcohol and cannabis consumption in one of the countries of the Southern Cone (Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay). These results highlight the urgent need to implement and enforce comprehensive alcohol control measures. Furthermore, given the global trend towards legalizing cannabis for recreational use, our results could also inform policymakers to enact or amend impaired driving laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims: Research on corporate behaviour can contribute to the understanding of the possible adverse impacts of alcohol‐industry corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and their potential influence on policymaking. This study explores the association between alcohol‐industry CSR activities and selected country features in Latin America and the Caribbean. Design and Methods: Nine health experts evaluated 148 CSR activities using a standardised protocol; activities were classified into the categories risk management CSR (rmCSR), that is, to avoid/rectify externalities (n = 67), and strategic CSR, that is, to fulfill philanthropic responsibilities (n = 81). We evaluated the associations, separately, between the number of rmCSR and of strategic CSR actions in each country with threats from public health measures (specifically, the level of research into alcohol consumption and harms, the existence of an alcohol surveillance system and the number of governmental alcohol policy actions) and per capita alcohol consumption; we adjusted by economic indices (country income level and the gross domestic product) and population size. Results: Multivariate analyses showed that the higher the level of alcohol research within a country and its per capita consumption, the more likely rmSCR activities were to occur, independently of the country's economic development or population. Discussion and Conclusions: Results suggest rmSCR actions could be implemented as a way to preserve markets by counteracting scientific evidence about alcohol related harms. This evidence could serve as a starting point to future research, contributing to the understanding of alcohol industry behaviour and the advancement of effective public policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is one of the most harmful conditions associated with consumption. Despite a high level of consumption and an elevated number of people living with an AUD, evidence from help-seeking processes in Latin America is scarce and absent in Argentina. This paper aims to describe reasons for delaying and starting help-seeking, the process of problem awareness, and the years elapsed between drinking initiation, problem awareness, and help-seeking, as perceived by a clinical, non-random sample of people with AUD (n = 51). The most frequent reason for delaying help-seeking was not believing there was a problem. The most frequent motivators for seeking help were having physical or psychological problems due to use and repeated attempts to reduce or stop use. The outcomes of this study can be useful for designing interventions to reduce help-seeking barriers and facilitate access to treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol drinking during pregnancy might lead to detrimental consequences to the mother and fetus, being Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) the most severe. In many Latin-American countries, there is a paucity of information about prenatal exposure to alcohol. Aim. To estimate alcohol drinking in pregnant women and describe it concerning sociodemographic characteristics. Method. Data were collected from a random sample of women attending the public health care system (N=852) in 2016. Alcohol drinking, including binge drinking (BD), was evaluated before and after pregnancy recognition. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed. Results. While pregnant, two out of ten women reported drinking. Moreover, 2% engaged in BD and 3% presented indicators of alcohol dependence. BD before pregnancy was related to drinking during pregnancy and frequency, quantity, and BD before pregnancy with BD during pregnancy. Conclusions. Alcohol consumption in pregnant women was higher than the estimated for most Latin- American countries, and of the considered characteristics, was almost exclusively related to consumption patterns before pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of alcohol use disorders in university students is alarmingly high. Screening instruments are fundamental for both, epidemiological research and clinical practice. The aim of this article is to compare the performance of the most widely used screening instruments (AUDIT, AUDIT-C, TWEAK, RAPS-QF, and CAGE) in Argentinean university students. Screening tests, along with the Alcohol Section of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview that yields DSM 5 compatible diagnoses were administered to a probabilistic sample (N = 2,430) of university students from a national public university. The following characteristics were evaluated among others: optimal cut-off points, sensitivity, specificity, internal consistency, temporal stability, and item presence and discrimination capacity. The global appraisal of results suggests that the AUDIT and RAPS-QF would be preferable for evaluating AUD in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of alcohol use disorders in university students is alarmingly high. Screening instruments are fundamental for both, epidemiological research and clinical practice. The aim of this article is to compare the performance of the most widely used screening instruments (AUDIT, AUDIT-C, TWEAK, RAPS-QF, and CAGE) in Argentinean university students. Screening tests, along with the Alcohol Section of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview that yields DSM 5 compatible diagnoses were administered to a probabilistic sample (N = 2,430) of university students from a national public university. The following characteristics were evaluated among others: optimal cut-off points, sensitivity, specificity, internal consistency, temporal stability, and item presence and discrimination capacity. The global appraisal of results suggests that the AUDIT and RAPS-QF would be preferable for evaluating AUD in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The relationship between alcohol consumption, individual characteristics, and alcohol-related problems may vary according to environmental characteristics in certain populations. Objective. To explore the existence of a hierarchical structure in the links between environmental stressors, individual socioeconomic factors, regular alcohol consumption, use of other substances, and alcohol-related problems in Argentinian university students. Method. With a correlational design and data from a random sample of students from a public university (N = 1578, 58% female), we used a multilevel modeling strategy as follows: alcohol-related problems; regular alcohol consumption (quantity/frequency) as fixed effect, use of other psychoactive substances, sociodemographic factors (individual socioeconomic status, age, and gender); and environmental stressors as random effects (index of overcrowding as an indicator of poverty and reported crime as an indicator of violence in the neighborhood). Results. The rate of overcrowding proved to be the best Level 2 predictor for the alcohol-related problems model. Socioeconomic status, quantity and frequency of consumption, use of other substances, and age directly predicted alcohol-related problems (Level 1). Gender was neither a direct predictor nor a moderator of the links. Discussion and conclusion. At least one environmental stressor (neighborhood poverty) partly explains the variability observed in alcohol-related problems. The quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption and the use of other psychoactive substances were the strongest predictors of alcohol-related problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the dual process model, the interaction between explicit (controlled) and implicit (automatic) cognitions would allow the understanding of irrational actions like addictive behaviors. This model has gained great popularity among addiction researchers, leading to an exponential growth in publications on implicit alcohol related cognition (IAC). Hence, the goal of this article is to identify trends in the study of IAC by means of a bibliometric and content analysis of the empirical studies published up to May, 2013. Throughout this paper, the studied topics of IAC were characterized, the most prolific countries, authors and journals were recognized, the most cited publications were detected and the most employed methods were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reasons to reduce alcohol consumption may be defined as the causes leading a person to decrease alcohol consumption or to stay sober. This topic is not often widely studied, particularly in Latin American countries and at-risk populations. The aim of this sequential exploratory research was to explore, through an open question, the reasons why university students (N = 100) of the city of Mar del Plata, Argentina, changed their alcohol consumption. Additionally, the description was based on previous heavy episodic alcohol consumption, disorders caused by alcohol use, and participant's gender. The results indicate that almost all studied groups reduced alcohol consumption due to their distaste or indifference for the substance. However, when disorders caused by alcohol use were severe or moderate, differences were observed. The theoretical contributions of this research are discussed, including the understanding of what leads each group to change its alcohol consumption, and the implications for the development of specific interventions based on this information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Although the Theory of Planned Behavior has successfully been applied to explain heavy episodic drinking, recent reviews have identified gaps in the literature like the role of gender and scarce research from non English speaking countries. Objective. We aim to broaden the evidence for the Theory of Planned Behavior by evaluating the capacity of the model to predict heavy episodic drinking in Argentinean female and male youth. Methods. Multiple linear and logistic regressions were performed. Results. Attitude was the main predictor of heavy episodic drinking intention; there were gender differences, among women perceived behavioral control and subjective norm were also predictors of heavy episodic drinking intentions. The intention was the main predictor of heavy episodic drinking for both genders, while perceived behavioral control was also a predictor among women. Conclusions. Theory of Planned Behavior allows us to better understand the motivational variables related to heavy episodic drinking intention and performance and thus, to design appropriate prevention interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Data recorded on alcohol consumption are important for the diagnosis and prognosis of alcohol use disorders. Objective: This descriptive study aimed to characterize references to alcohol consumption and other related variables in hospital records of patients treated in a specialized alcoholism unit at a public hospital in Mar del Plata, Argentina. Methodology: Records of 60 admissions between February and November 2011 were examined and categorized by extracting data related to alcohol consumption, source of referral, diagnosis, treatment, hospitalization, and other diseases, as well as aspects of family and socioeconomic environment. Subsequently, a descriptive analysis was conducted considering the percentage of records mentioning these aspects. Results: While the recording of data regarding alcohol consumption was high, it was generally incomplete. Recorded data made evident that the bio-psycho-social conditions of these patients are unfavorable for successful treatment. Conclusions: The need to systematize information (for example, through unified medical records) and ways to prevent progression of alcohol use disorders are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alcohol consumption and its related consequences are not equal for women and men, although related studies do not frequently include gender analysis. Objective: Our aim was to characterize differences in endorsement of ICD-10 and DSM 5 alcohol use disorder (AUD) criteria by gender in an Argentinean emergency department population. Methods: A probability sample of patients (N = 923) from the largest emergency department in the city of Mar del Plata, Argentina (44% were females, aged 16 to 86, M (SD) = 37.31(15.20) was collected. Using a structured questionnaire, diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorders, alcohol consumption, and socio-demographic variables were obtained. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess differences in the endorsement of each diagnostic criterion by gender. Results: Women were less likely to endorse each of the criteria for each of the diagnostic schemes. Even after controlling alcohol consumption, socio-demographic variables, severity of alcohol use disorders and adjusting for multiple comparisons females had a lower probability than males of endorsing withdrawal and impaired control. Conclusions: gender differences in the endorsement of diagnostic criteria for both the DSM 5 and ICD-10 were found. Some differences in endorsement but not all, might be partially explained by alcohol consumption patterns and socio-demographic factors, and same remained after controlling severity of the AUD. Results also suggest a differential functioning of DSM 5 and ICD-10 AUD criteria for women and men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its emergence in the 70s, the Dual Process Model (DPM) has gained wide popularity in different fields of psychology, including the study of addictions. According to this model, there are two cognitive systems: one explicit, conscious and controllable; and another implicit, automatic and linked to intuition and affection. The DPM has been used to understand mechanisms underlying alcohol related behaviors, and quickly an exponential growth of research using implicit measures to evaluate alcohol related cognitions occurred. While these methods share some basic features, they differ in important aspects such as validity evidence available, administration procedures, etc. Therefore, in this paper we provide a comprehensive overview of the different ways to evaluate implicit alcohol related cognitions. We hope this review will be useful not only for researchers but also for professionals working in the clinical area with alcohol- related problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We estimated the prevalence of episodes of alcoholinduced amnesia without loss of consciousness - blackouts-, and identified predictors in university students in Argentina and Spain. We used a self-administered structured and anonymous questionnaire that assessed socio-demographic variables, life-time, annual and monthly prevalence of blackouts, alcohol drinking habits, alcohol use disorders, and use of other substances. The adequacy of the predictors was estimated through logistic regressions. Participants were 472 Argentinean (18 to 52 years, 81% female) and 320 Spanish students (18 to 54 years, 83% female), the annual prevalence of episodes of anterograde amnesia was 28 % (IC 95% [24-32) and 47 % (IC 95% [41-53]) respectively. Despite differences in other predictors between students from both countries, in both the probability seemed to be greater among those who binge drink (p>.01, OR=2.02 Argentinean, p>.01, OR=5.27 Spanish) or have an alcohol use disorder (p>.01, OR=3.36 Argentinean, p>.01, OR=6.28 Spanish). Probability of having a monthly blackout increased with life-time prevalence (p>.01, OR=20.71 Argentineans, p>.01, OR=23.33 Spanish). Further research and strategies are needed to reduce drinking and this and other alcohol-related consequences in similar populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractBackground: Personalized Normative Feedback (PNF) aims to modify misperceptions about peer consumption that influence one’s drinking. PNF is usually a component in Brief Interventions delivered to university students. Despite this, whether PNF contributes to improving the effect of brief interventions is unclear. Objectives: This randomized controlled trial aimed to determine the role of PNF as an active ingredient in a face-to-face motivational brief intervention. Results: Participants were students from an Argentinian university (n=806; M=20.14; SD=3.17; 63.2% women) who presented at least one binge drinking episode in the last 12 months. Students were randomly assigned to 1) a Brief Intervention, 2) a Brief Intervention with PNF, or 3) an evaluation-only control group. The follow-up was three months later. After controlling sex and age, General Linear Models showed that both the brief intervention and the brief intervention with PNF reduced the quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption, binge drinking, and alcohol problems compared to the control condition. No differences were found between the brief intervention and the brief intervention with PNF. Also, treating eight students with brief intervention and 10 with brief intervention with PNF was necessary to benefit one student. Conclusions: In conclusion, this study demonstrates that brief intervention reduces alcohol consumption among Latin American university students and that PNF might not be an active ingredient of its effectiveness in this population. However, PNF could benefit students with specific characteristics, like those who overestimate their peers’ drinking, highlighting the need to study moderators of effectiveness further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Codependency (COD) is a pattern of dysfunctional interpersonal bonding characterized by excessive attention to others´ needs and behaviors, neglecting oneself. It is often confused with emotional dependency (ED) and dependent personality disorder (DPD). In order to contribute to the debate regarding COD as an independent phenomenon, this study evaluates the relationship between these constructs. For this purpose, the Argentine Codependence Scale, the Emotional Dependence Questionnaire and the dependent subscale of the Millon Multiaxial Clinical Inventory were applied to a sample of 261 participants. COD was more strongly related to ED than to DPD. Although the results indicate some overlap between these concepts, this overlap does not seem to be so high as to suggest that COD is equivalent to ED or DPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prenatal alcohol exposure can lead to a spectrum of congenital disorders for the fetus with permanent consequences, known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), within which Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (SAF) is its most severe extreme. All FASD are 100 % preventable if no alcohol is consumed during pregnancy, so knowing the factors that determine that a woman decides to drink while pregnant is essential to develop effective prevention plans. Among these factors are the phenomena of social influence such as perceived social norms (PSN), both descriptive and prescriptive. The PSN are transmitted by social interaction and produced based on the perception of the beliefs or behaviors of others, beyond their real actions. It has been identified that PSN predict alcohol consumption in various populations, such as university students, but research is almost non-existent with pregnant women. The aim of this study is to assess whether environmental characteristics (such as PSN) are related to alcohol consumption during pregnancy in pregnant women in the city of Mar del Plata, Argentina. Method: a probabilistic sample of 852 pregnant women was carried out during 2016 in the main primary health care centers of the city of Mar del Plata. Alcohol consumption was assessed before and during pregnancy through the AUDIT and the PSN was assessed with five questions constructed ad hoc by specialists in the area of alcohol consumption. Descriptive analyses were performed to categorized social norms and the prescriptive ones were re-categorized into four groups: 1. It is bad for the health of the baby or the mother; 2. It is wrong for cultural or moral reasons; 3. consumption is accepted; 4. It does not know/ does not matter. To describe them based on alcohol consumption, latent class analyses were performed. Models of two to four classes were estimated, reproduced 50 times to avoid local maximums, with the software R. Results: 87 % of pregnant women believed that others in their same condition consume alcohol. 53 % of them believed they consume the same as before pregnancy, 10 % believed they consume more and the rest that they reduced their consumption. The belief about the average amount that other pregnant women would consume is more than three drinks, the equivalent of one bottle of beer per occasion of consumption. 90 % recognized that people important to them would disapprove consumption during pregnancy because doing so would cause harm to the baby, the mother, pregnancy in general or because alcohol is considered harmful to health. 6 % considered that people important to them would approve consumption because few amounts are tolerated or because alcohol is good for breastfeeding. The latent class analysis indicated a better fit for the two-class model. Class 1 was made up of women who claimed that for their people, alcohol consumption during pregnancy was acceptable and they themselves consumed alcohol during pregnancy. Class 2 conglomerated women who thought that others would see their consumption as bad at this stage and there was a low probability that they themselves consumed during pregnancy. Conclusions: These results indicate that it could be beneficial to design preventive strategies that focus not only on the future mother, but on the nearby environment (couple, family, friends), and even throughout the community, where social norms are established and reproduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol consumption is the leading risk factor for morbi‐mortality in many Latin American Countries. However, epidemiologic studies are relatively scarce. Among factors such as limited research capacity, disciplinary traditions and an emphasis on psychopathology within the field of psychology, have been postulated to account for this. The aim of this article is to review epidemiologic research on alcohol in Spanish Speaking Latin American Countries, and to measure the contribution of psychology to the field. A systematic search was performed in English and Spanish using regional and international data bases. We identified 269 articles. Most focused on consumption patterns in youth, with samples from a single school and using a variety of measures. With the exception of multinational efforts like Emergency Room Collaborative Alcohol Analysis Project or those supported by World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization, studies reviewed reflected little cross country collaboration. Mexico accounted for most of the productivity, while many countries had very few or no articles. Most research was performed by health science researchers with a small contribution from psychology, but which increased significantly over time. The results of this review provide a broad identification of patterns regarding epidemiologic research on alcohol, and demonstrate the need for national scientific policies to promote research on public health topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Brief Intervention (BI) has proven to reduce alcohol consumption during pregnancy in high income countries, there is no evidence from the Southern Cone of America. Thus, we conducted a study to assess BI efficacy among Argentinean pregnant women. We collected data on pregnant women receiving prenatal care at the public health system in Mar del Plata, Argentina. Women with less than 26 weeks of gestation (n = 486) were randomized to brief advice (BA) or BI. Three months later they were re-assessed; women with more than 26 weeks of gestation constituted a screening only control group (SC) (n = 154). Self-reported quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption, frequency of binge drinking, and related problems after three months were used as outcomes. We performed generalized estimating equations and clinical significance analyses. Also, we obtained newborn health indicators from the city's health system database to use as objective outcomes. Women who did not participate in any of the three former conditions were randomly selected to constitute a non-screening control group (NSC) (n = 150). We compared objective outcomes among BI, BA, and NSC groups using the Wilcoxon rank test. In comparison with SC, BI and BA reduced alcohol consumption, without differences between the latter two. Newborns of women who received BI and BA had better health indicators compared with the NSC group. performing either a BI or BA reduces alcohol consumption among Argentinean pregnant women and might lead to healthier newborns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]