David Speed

Probabilities of ADD/ADHD and Related Substance Use Among Canadian Adults:

Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and probabilities of comorbidities between self-reported ADD/ADHD and smoking, alcohol binge drinking, and substance use disorders (SUDs) from a national Canadian sample. Method: Data were taken from the Public Use Microdata File of the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey–Mental Health (N = 17 311). The prevalence of (a) smoking, (b) alcohol binge drinking, and (c) SUDs was estimated among those with an ADD/ADHD diagnosis versus those without an ADD/ADHD diagnosis. Results: After controlling for potential socioeconomic and mental health covariates, self-reported ADD/ADHD acted as a significant predictor for group membership in the heaviest smoking, heaviest drinking, and heaviest drug usage categories. Conclusion: Individuals self-reporting a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD were found to have a significantly higher likelihood of engaging in smoking and alcohol binge drinking, and were more likely to meet criteria for SUDs than individuals not reporting an ADD/ADHD diagnosis.

Empowerment or Dependency? the Religion/Religiosity–Mastery Relationship

Whereas religion/religiosity (R/R) tends to have a positive relationship with psychological well-being in general, the relationship between R/R and Mastery is less clear. Research investigating R/R–mastery has reported a positive, nonsignificant, and negative relationship, and often uses informal composite measures to assess R/R without a substantive discussion surrounding their suitability. The current study used a national Canadian sample (N = 12,930) to investigate the moderating effect of socioeconomic status and religious affiliation on R/R–mastery. Researchers used dual analytical strategies (individual R/R predictors [Model 1], a composite R/R variable [Model 2]) in order to investigate the R/R–mastery relationship. In Model 1, R/R variables were associated with lower Mastery levels and there was support for socioeconomic status moderating the R/R–mastery relationship. In Model 2, R/R was again negatively associated with Mastery, but socioeconomic status did not act as a moderator for the R/R–mastery relationship. Results from Model 2 also suggested that while Christian groups experience R/R negatively, the nonreligious experience R/R nonsignificantly. The discussion noted the importance of choice of R/R measurement, the limited role that R/R had on Mastery, whether structural resources are important in the R/R–mastery relationship, and the need to for researchers to attend to religious affiliation when discussing the R/R–mastery relationship. Alors que le rapport entre la religion/religiosité (R/R) et le bien-être psychologique en général tend à être positif, le rapport entre la R/R et la maîtrise lui, est moins évident. Les travaux de recherche sur le rapport entre la R/R et la maîtrise ont fait état d’un rapport positif, non-significatif et négatif et utilisent régulièrement des mesures composites informelles pour évaluer la R/R sans vraiment discuter à fond de leur pertinence. La présente étude a employé un échantillon national canadien (N _ 12 930) pour examiner l’effet modérateur de la situation socioéconomique et de l’affiliation religieuse sur le rapport R/R-maîtrise. Les chercheurs ont utilisé des stratégies analytiques doubles (indicateurs de R/R individuels [modèle 1], une variable R/R composite [modèle 2]) pour étudier le rapport R/R-maîtrise. Dans le modèle 1, les variables R/R étaient associées à des niveaux de maîtrise inférieurs et tout semblait indiquer que la situation socioéconomique avait un effet modérateur sur le rapport R/R-maîtrise. Dans le modèle 2, la R/R était encore associée négativement à la maîtrise mais la situation socioéconomique n’avait pas d’effet modérateur sur le rapport R/R-maîtrise. Les résultats du modèle 2 suggèrent aussi que les groupes chrétiens ont un rapport négatif avec la R/R alors que les groupes non-religieux ont un rapport non significatif avec la R/R. La discussion a permis de constater l’importance du choix de la mesure R/R, le rôle limité de la R/R sur la maîtrise, le degré de pertinence des ressources structurelles au niveau du rapport R/R-maîtrise et la nécessité pour les chercheurs de porter attention à l’affiliation religieuse lors de débats sur les rapports R/R-maîtrise.

The influence of social support on psychological distress in Canadian adults with bipolar disorder

IntroductionIndividuals with bipolar I disorder (BD-I) and bipolar II disorder (BD-II) are at higher risk for experiencing high levels of psychological distress and low levels of social support.ObjectivesThe primary objectives of this study were to examine perceived social support and psychological distress among Canadian adults with self-reported BD-I or BD-II as diagnosed by a health professional and explore the relationship between types of social support and psychological distress within this sample.MethodsUsing a cross-sectional, national datafile, 563 Canadian male and female adults (20–64 years) who reported being diagnosed with BD-I or BD-II were investigated using the Social Provisions Scale (SPS), and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10).ResultsIt was observed that while the BD-I or BD-II sample had significantly lower SPS scores and significantly higher K10 scores than the overall Canadian sample, age and support in the form of reassurance of worth and social integration were associated with decreased psychological distress. Further, a diagnosis of BD-I and BD-II was found to moderate the effect of social support on psychological distress.ConclusionsDespite the limitations, which include self-reported diagnosis of BD-I and BD-II and potential exclusion of those who are not diagnosed but have BD-I or BD-II, these findings suggest that reassurance of worth and social integration may act as protective factors for psychological distress among individuals with BD-I or BD-II.

What do you mean, "what does it all mean?" Atheism, nonreligion, and life meaning

Nonreligion is often thought to be commensurate with nihilism or fatalism, resulting in the perception that the nonreligious have no source of meaning in life. While views to this effect have been advanced in various arenas, no empirical evaluation of such a view has been conducted. Using data from the 2008 American General Social Survey (N = ~1,200), we investigated whether atheists, the religiously unaffiliated, and persons raised religiously unaffiliated were more likely than theists, the religiously affiliated, and persons raised with a religious affiliation to report greater levels of fatalism, nihilism, and the perception that meaning in life is self-provided. Results suggested that these groups did not differ with regard to fatalism or nihilism. However, atheists and the religiously unaffiliated (but not persons raised in a religiously unaffiliated household) were more likely to indicate that meaning in life was endogenous—that is, self-produced. While atheists and the nonreligious differed from their counterparts on source of meaning in life, this was not associated with any “penalty” for overall existential meaning.

Predicting age of atheism: credibility enhancing displays and religious importance, choice, and conflict in family of upbringing

ABSTRACT The cultural learning concept of Credibility Enhancing Displays (CREDs) concerns the extent to which behavioral models consistently live out their professed ideals. While researchers have suggested that past CRED exposure is an important variable for predicting who does and does not become a religious believer, it is unclear how CREDs relate to when a person rejects the religious beliefs modeled to them during their upbringing. Using a large sample of formerly believing atheists, two analyses assessed the ability of CREDs to predict the age at which an individual became an atheist. In the first analysis (n = 5,153), CREDs were positively associated with a delay in Age of Atheism, with family-level religious variables (Religious Importance, Religious Choice, and Religious Conflict) moderating this relationship. In the second analysis (n = 3,210), CREDs remained a stable predictor of Age of Atheism while controlling for demographics, parental quality, religious variables, relational variables, and institutional variables. Overall, while findings support a robust relation of CREDs to atheistic outcomes even when controlling for many other variables that influence religious transmission processes, they also highlight the importance of considering how such other variables modify the impact of CREDs on (non)religious outcomes.

Response to “Masturbation: Scientific Evidence and Islam’s View”

In a recent article entitled, ‘‘Masturbation: Scientific Evidence and Islam’s View’’, the author Hoseini (2017) set out to discuss the harmful effects of masturbation and how it was prohibited within Islam. Generally, Hoseini’s arguments appeared to have started with a conclusion rather than arriving at one based on all of the available data. Overall, Hoseini’s argumentation suffered from three recurring issues: (1) Masturbation was inexplicably portrayed as deviant; (2) Evidence to support a negative relationship between masturbation and health was not scrutinized; (3) Evidence to support a non-negative relationship between masturbation and health was largely ignored. Each of these points will be addressed in turn.

Putting research in place: an innovative approach to providing contextualized evidence synthesis for decision makers.

AbstractBackgroundThe Contextualized Health Research Synthesis Program (CHRSP), developed in 2007 by the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Applied Health Research, produces contextualized knowledge syntheses for health-system decision makers. The program provides timely, relevant, and easy-to-understand scientific evidence; optimizes evidence uptake; and, most importantly, attunes research questions and evidence to the specific context in which knowledge users must apply the findings.MethodsAs an integrated knowledge translation (KT) method, CHRSP:Involves intensive partnerships with senior healthcare decision makers who propose priority research topics and participate on research teams;Considers local context both in framing the research question and in reporting the findings;Makes economical use of resources by utilizing a limited number of staff;Uses a combination of external and local experts; andWorks quickly by synthesizing high-level systematic review evidence rather than primary studies. Although it was developed in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the CHRSP methodology is adaptable to a variety of settings with distinctive features, such as those in rural, remote, and small-town locations.ResultsCHRSP has published 25 syntheses on priority topics chosen by the provincial healthcare system, including:Clinical and cost-effectiveness: telehealth, rural renal dialysis, point-of-care testing;Community-based health services: helping seniors age in place, supporting seniors with dementia, residential treatment centers for at-risk youth;Healthcare organization/service delivery: reducing acute-care length of stay, promoting flu vaccination among health workers, safe patient handling, age-friendly acute care; andHealth promotion: diabetes prevention, promoting healthy dietary habits. These studies have been used by decision makers to inform local policy and practice decisions.ConclusionsBy asking the health system to identify its own priorities and to participate directly in the research process, CHRSP fully integrates KT among researchers and knowledge users in healthcare in Newfoundland and Labrador. This high level of decision-maker buy-in has resulted in a corresponding level of uptake. CHRSP studies have directly informed a number of policy and practice directions, including the design of youth residential treatment centers, a provincial policy on single-use medical devices, and most recently, the opening of the province’s first Acute Care for the Elderly hospital unit.