This study reexamined the factor structure of drinking motives using 205 unique items from 18 drinking motives scales with the inclusion of social tension reduction motives, which have been largely neglected in the literature. A new scale was created and compared with the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised (DMQ-R) to predict alcohol use/problems. Young adults (N = 1,049) completed questionnaires assessing drinking motives and alcohol use/problems. A subset (N = 368) of participants completed a 6-month follow-up. Hierarchical factor analyses informed the creation of a four-factor (i.e., coping, social, enhancement, and social tension reduction) scale (i.e., the Young Adult Alcohol Motives Scale [YAAMS]). In general, the YAAMS performed similarly to the DMQ-R in predicting concurrent and prospective alcohol consumption (i.e., typical drinking quantity and frequency) and alcohol problems (i.e., Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test [AUDIT] and Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire [B-YAACQ] scores), but there were some notable differences, including that the novel social tension reduction scale of the YAAMS was particularly relevant in predicting drinking frequency in those with social anxiety. Results suggest that drinking motives can be described by multiple factor structures and predict alcohol-related outcomes.

Harmful alcohol use is a significant public health problem worldwide, though the alcohol-related burden affects disproportionately certain populations and ethnic minorities, with the WHO European Region being the most heavily affected and putting an increased risk on Roma populations. This ethnic minority group is the largest and most vulnerable ethnic minority in Europe and Hungary as well.

Pavlovian cues can influence ongoing instrumental behaviour via Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) processes. While appetitive Pavlovian cues tend to promote instrumental approach, they are detrimental when avoidance behaviour is required, and vice versa for aversive cues. We recently reported that susceptibility to interference between Pavlovian and instrumental control assessed via a PIT task was associated with risky alcohol use at age 18. We now investigated whether such susceptibility also predicts drinking trajectories until age 24, based on AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) consumption and binge drinking (gramme alcohol/drinking occasion) scores. The interference PIT effect, assessed at ages 18 and 21 during fMRI, was characterized by increased error rates (ER) and enhanced neural responses in the ventral striatum (VS), the lateral and dorsomedial prefrontal cortices (dmPFC) during conflict, that is, when an instrumental approach was required in the presence of an aversive Pavlovian cue or vice versa. We found that a stronger VS response during conflict at age 18 was associated with a higher starting point of both drinking trajectories but predicted a decrease in binge drinking. At age 21, high ER and enhanced neural responses in the dmPFC were associated with increasing AUDIT-C scores over the next 3 years until age 24. Overall, susceptibility to interference between Pavlovian and instrumental control might be viewed as a predisposing mechanism towards hazardous alcohol use during young adulthood, and the identified high-risk group may profit from targeted interventions.

Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) represents one of the leading causes of chronic liver disease and is a major cause of liver-related deaths worldwide. ALD encompasses a range of disorders including simple steatosis, alcoholic steatohepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Patients with underlying ALD and continued heavy alcohol consumption can also develop an episode of acute-on-chronic liver injury called alcohol-associated hepatitis, the most severe form of the disease, which portends a poor prognosis. The most important risk factor for the development of ALD is the amount of alcohol consumed. Individual susceptibility to progression to advanced fibrosis among heavy drinkers is likely determined by a combination of behavioral, environmental, genetic, and epigenetic factors, but the mechanisms are largely unknown. The only effective therapy for ALD is prolonged alcohol abstinence. Diagnosis of ALD involves assessing patients for alcohol use disorder and signs of advanced liver disease. In clinical practice, the histological assessment for ALD diagnosis is uncommon, and it is usually based on the medical history, clinical manifestations, and laboratory and imaging tests. Several promising biomarkers that can have both diagnostic and prognostic value in patients with ALD have been identified in recent years. This review provides an overview of the clinical spectrum of ALD, the diagnostic approach of the disease from different perspectives as well as current diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.

Alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) remains one of the leading causes of chronic liver disease and the prevalence of alcohol-related cirrhosis is still increasing worldwide. Thus, ARLD is one of the leading indications for liver transplantation (LT) worldwide especially after the arrival of direct-acting antivirals for chronic hepatitis C infection. Despite the risk of alcohol relapse, the outcomes of LT for ARLD are as good as for other indications such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with 1-, 5-, and 10- year survival rates of 85%, 74%, and 59%, respectively. Despite these good results, certain questions concerning LT for ARLD remain unanswered, in particular because of persistent organ shortages. As a result, too many transplantation centers continue to require 6 months of abstinence from alcohol for patients with ARLD before LT to reduce the risk of alcohol relapse even though compelling data show the poor prognostic value of this criterion. A recent pilot study even observed a lower alcohol relapse rate in patients receiving LT after less than 6 months of abstinence as long as addictological follow-up is reinforced. Thus, the question should not be whether LT should be offered to patients with ARLD but how to select patients who will benefit from this treatment.

The effect of moderate alcohol consumption on NAFLD histology is disputed. Assessment of alcohol consumption is commonly performed with interview or questionnaires. Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) in blood is a highly sensitive and specific alcohol biomarker, which only forms in the presence of ethanol. PEth has hitherto not been evaluated in longitudinal NAFLD studies. This study aimed to examine the impact of moderate alcohol consumption on histologic progression and evaluate the utility of PEth in NAFLD. NAFLD patients with serial biopsies were reviewed for inclusion in the study. At baseline, all patients reported alcohol consumption <140 g/week. Anthropometric and biochemical measurements were performed at baseline and follow-up. Alcohol consumption was assessed thoroughly at follow-up with clinical interview, the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) questionnaire, and analysis of PEth in whole blood. Eighty-two patients were included. Mean follow-up time was 17.2 years (SD±6.0). Patients with significant fibrosis progression (defined as progression of ≥2 stages or development of cirrhosis-related complications) reported higher alcohol consumption and had significantly higher PEth. Consumption >66-96 g/week (but <140 g) (i.e. moderate alcohol consumption) was associated with increased risk of significant fibrosis progression compared with no or low consumption. PEth ≥48 ng/mL and binge drinking showed the highest risk for significant fibrosis progression (aOR: 5.9; 95% CI: 1.6-21.4) and aOR: 5.1; 95% CI: 1.4-18.1, respectively). NAFLD patients consuming moderate amounts of alcohol are at increased risk for significant fibrosis progression and development of cirrhosis-related complications. PEth is a potential biomarker to assess harmful alcohol consumption in NAFLD. Patients reporting moderate consumption or exhibiting PEth ≥48 ng/mL should be advised to reduce alcohol consumption.

Harmful alcohol use is an important risk factor for premature mortality and morbidity and associated with increased HIV risk and lower uptake of and adherence to HIV interventions. This study aimed to assess the extent of harmful alcohol use and associated socio-structural vulnerability factors among female sex workers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, a key population in the HIV epidemic. Data from a study of female sex workers initiating pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) recruited through respondent driven sampling were used. We assessed harmful alcohol use with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) defined as having an AUDIT score ≥ 16. Associations between harmful alcohol use and socio-structural factors were assessed using logistic regression with marginal standardization. Of the 470 women recruited, more than one third (37.3%) had a drinking pattern suggestive of harmful alcohol use. Such use was independently associated with sex work-related mobility (aPR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.11-1.61), arrest/incarceration (aPR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.27-1.84) and gender-based violence (aPR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.06-1.56). The high prevalence of harmful alcohol use and the interconnectedness with socio-structural factors indicate a need for a holistic programmatic approach to health for female sex workers. Programming should not solely direct attention to individual behavior but also include strategies aiming to address socio-structural vulnerabilities.

This study describes gender-specific patterns in alcohol and drug use among Swedish high school students throughout 2020 and questions the current cutoffs for identifying addiction in this population. From September 2020 to February 2021, 1590 Swedish upper secondary high school students (mean age 17.15 years, age range 15-19 years, 39.6% male, and 60.4% female) completed the anonymous, electronic survey of the Mental and Somatic Health without borders study. The respondents reported their substance use habits during the previous 12 months using the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). They also answered questions about changes in their alcohol and illegal drug use habits after the COVID-19 outbreak. No gender differences were detected in the prevalence and degree of alcohol use. Compared to female adolescents, significantly more male adolescents used drugs (and to a significantly higher degree, although with a small effect size). Substance use problems peaked in females at age 17 and in males at age 18. The COVID-19 outbreak affected alcohol consumption and illegal drug use in male and female adolescents similarly. For both genders, of those who used illegal drugs, over 40% reported increased use after the outbreak. Our results reinforce previous suggestions of the narrowing of gender differences in Swedish adolescents' risk behaviors and challenge the previously validated gender-specific cutoffs for the AUDIT and DUDIT. An improved understanding of the impacts of gender diversity and evolving gender roles and norms on behaviors and mental health is warranted.

Given the well-established impact of COVID-19 on university students' health and lifestyle parameters, the current study sought to investigate these impacts within an Irish university setting. A cross-sectional design was employed, with a 68-item questionnaire instrument disseminated to all Year 2 undergraduate students in the host institution (N = 2752), yielding a 9.7% response rate (n = 266). This questionnaire elicited students' self-reported changes to health-related behaviours, mental well-being and academic engagement across 4 defined time-points: (T0: prior to COVID-19, T1: initial onset of COVID-19, T2: during COVID-19, and T3: time of data collection). Many items were adapted from previous Irish research and additional validated scales included the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C) and the World Health Organisation's Well-being scale (WHO-5). Key findings revealed that at T1, substantially more males reported 'good/very good' general health than females (76.3% vs. 70.8%), while physical activity patterns followed a similar trend at both T0 (80% vs. 66.1%) and T1 (66.7% vs. 61%). A total of 78.4% of participants reported a body mass gain from T0 to T3, thus reflecting the reduced physical activity levels and compromised nutritional patterns across this period. Worryingly, AUDIT-C scale data revealed hazardous drinking habits were evident in both males and females, while fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity levels, and mental well-being among this cohort remained notably sub-optimal. Ratings of positive academic engagement also decreased substantially between T0 (90.3%) and T3 (30.4%). These findings substantiate the rationale for tailored health promotion interventions in university settings to support students' transition back to traditional programme delivery and, of equal importance, to improve general health and well-being post-COVID-19 within this cohort.

This cross-sectional study aimed (a) to explore levels of compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, and symptoms of burnout among Ugandan mental health nurses working in regional referral hospitals in Uganda during the Covid-19 pandemic, and (b) to investigate associations between compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, and symptoms of burnout and sedentary levels, physical activity (PA) levels, sleep quality, and harmful drinking.

Hazardous alcohol consumption causes approximately 4% of deaths globally, constituting one of the leading risk factors for the burden of the disease worldwide. Alcohol has several health consequences, such as alcohol-associated liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma, nonliver neoplasms, physical injury, cardiac disease, and psychiatric disorders. Alcohol misuse significantly affects workforce productivity, with elevated direct and indirect economic costs. Due to the high impact of alcohol consumption on the population, public health has led to the development of a range of strategies to reduce its harmful effects. Regulatory public health policies (PHP) for alcohol can exist at the global, regional, international, national, or subnational levels. Effective strategies incorporate a multilevel, multicomponent approach, targeting multiple determinants of drinking and alcohol-related harms. The World Health Organization categorizes the PHP into eight categories: national plan to fight the harmful consequences of alcohol, national license and production and selling control, taxes control and pricing policies, limiting drinking age, restrictions on alcohol access, driving-related alcohol policies, control over advertising and promotion, and government monitoring systems. These policies are supported by evidence from different populations, demonstrating that determinants of alcohol use depend on several factors such as socioeconomic level, age, sex, ethnicity, production, availability, marketing, and others. Although most policies have a significant individual effect, a higher number of PHP are associated with a lower burden of disease due to alcohol. The excessive consequences of alcohol constitute a call for action, and clinicians should advocate for developing and implementing a new PHP on alcohol consumption.