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RÉSUMÉLes personnes âgées constituent, en proportion, la population la plus importante parmi les joueurs (Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation [OLG], 2012). Les joueurs célibataires seraient plus isolés socialement et solitaires (Dykstra & de Jong Gierveld, 2004), et plus susceptibles de s’engager dans le jeu, présentant ainsi des risques accrus pour le jeu compulsif (McQuade & Gill, 2012). Cette étude a examiné si des motivations sociales (jeu associé à la socialisation ou à la solitude) et le contexte social (sorties au casino avec des amis ou la famille) expliquent la relation entre le statut matrimonial et le jeu compulsif chez les personnes âgées. Nous avons aussi exploré si ces associations diffèrent en fonction du genre. Les données ont été extraites d’un échantillon aléatoire de 2103 adultes âgés de 55 ans et plus qui ont été contactés dans des sites de jeu du sud-ouest de l’Ontario. Ces données ont indiqué que le jeu en compagnie de la famille ou d’amis et le jeu associé à la solitude médient la relation entre le statut matrimonial et le jeu compulsif. Les personnes âgées célibataires étaient moins susceptibles de jouer avec de la famille ou des amis, comparativement aux aînés qui étaient mariés; ils étaient plus susceptibles d’utiliser le jeu pour contrer la solitude et leur profil de jeu était davantage compulsif. Les initiatives de prévention et de traitement devraient examiner les moyens permettant de diminuer la solitude et l’isolement social chez les personnes âgées, et offrir des activités sociales alternatives.

Objective: Stigma has been identified as a complex and problematic issue. It acts as a major barrier to accessing care and can exacerbate the experience of a health condition, particularly for clients with mental illness and substance use issues. Scales designed to assess stigmatising attitudes towards those with mental illness and substance use problems among health care providers are necessary to evaluate programs designed to reduce that stigma. The goal of this study was to evaluate the internal reliability and external validity of the Opening Minds Survey for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC).Methods: The current study examined the use of the OMS-HC in assessing stigma held by Community Health Centre (CHC) staff towards clients with mental and/or substance use problems. Participants represented staff from 6 CHCs in the Greater Toronto Area (n= 190).Results: The OMS-HC was found to have acceptable internal reliability for the 15-item version of the scale (α = 0.766) and mixed reliability for its subscales (α = 0.792-0.673). Confirmatory factor analysis showed good absolute (root mean square error of approximation = 0.013) and relative fit (Tucker-Lewis index = 0.996) for the current data. The OMS-HC was also shown to correlate with a series of scales commonly used in stigma research.Conclusions: After testing for internal validity and comparing the OMS-HC to other commonly used scales for assessing stigma and attitudes concerning recovery, the scale was found to be appropriate for the CHC setting and may be advantageous over the use of multiple scales.

While some existing studies suggest that conduct disorder (CD) significantly increases risk of driving after drinking, outcomes have typically been assessed only up to age 21 years. Therefore, the current study sought to assess the relationship between symptoms of CD during childhood (before age 15 years) and the risk of engaging in driving after drinking during adulthood.

There has been increasing interest in problem Internet use in the past five years, particularly in the areas of video gaming and screen use. Social cognitive approaches to prevention are more common than those that target multiple stakeholder groups and take into consideration the geopolitical–cultural aspect of the problem behavior. Additionally, there is a lack of randomized controlled trials and empirical research on this topic. Younger populations are typically studied with a focus on school-based interventions. Tailored programs that require active engagement should be developed and assessed for long-term efficacy with cost-efficiency in mind. Holistic programs that create change in a culture or society without restricting individual choices may also be beneficial in preventing problem Internet use.