Philip W. Meilman

Alcohol Use and Related Consequences Among Students With Varying Levels of Involvement in College Athletics

Alcohol use, binge drinking, and substance abuse-related consequences among students with varying levels of participation in intercollegiate athletics were examined. Between October 1994 and May 1996, 51,483 students at 125 institutions answered questions about their involvement in athletics, ranging from noninvolvement to participant to leadership positions, on the long form of the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey. In comparisons with nonathletes, both male and female athletes consumed significantly more alcohol per week, engaged in binge drinking more often, and suffered more adverse consequences from their substance use. No support was found for the hypothesis that athletic leaders were more responsible than other team participants in using alcohol. Male team leaders appeared to be at significantly greater risk than female team leaders; they also consumed more alcohol, binged more often, and suffered more consequences than other team members.

Development of the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey: Initial Findings and Future Directions

To assist universities in obtaining accurate information about the effectiveness of their efforts to prevent substance abuse, a committee of grantees of the US Department of Educations Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) developed an assessment tool known as the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey. This self-report instrument is designed to examine the nature, scope, and consequences of the use of alcohol and other drugs among college students. To date, the survey has been administered to nearly half a million students on 800 campuses, and the findings have been aggregated to create what is presently the largest national database on substance use in the higher education setting. The Core survey has often been used by campus health service personnel in assessment and programming efforts. This article describes the development and administration of the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey and provides a sampling of findings from the 1989-1991 FIPSE drug prevention group. This cohort included 58,625 students who completed the survey. Findings regarding consumption patterns, consequences of use, underage drinking, and regional differences are delineated, along with information regarding the future direction of Core survey projects.

Weapon Carrying and Substance Abuse Among College Students

Results from administering the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey on 61 US campuses during the 1994/95 academic year were analyzed to assess weapon carrying among college students. Seven percent of the 26,225 students (11.1% of the men and 4.3% of the women) responded that they had carried weapons (gun, knife, etc) during the last 30 days. A comparison with a matched sample of nonweapon carriers revealed that a greater percentage of the armed than the unarmed students had experienced harassment, violence, and threats of violence, and that they felt less safe on their campuses. The weapon-carrying men consumed significantly more alcohol than their unarmed counterparts, and a higher percentage reported binge drinking, use of other drugs, and adverse consequences from substance abuse. Differences between armed and unarmed female students were not as clearly consistent in terms of substance abuse and consequences.

Pain-patient Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) subgroups: Evaluation of long-term treatment outcome

Six hundred thirty-five chronic pain patients completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) prior to participation in a multidisciplinary inpatient pain treatment program. Three male and four female MMPI subgroups were identified by means of cluster analyses for each of two samples. Pretreatment and long-term follow-up differences were then examined among the MMPI subgroups. Results indicated that the subgroups identified in the present study closely resembled each other and those previously reported in the literature. However, at long-term follow-up only a few outcome differences were identified among male subgroups, while no differences were found among female subgroups. Possible explanations for no differential treatment outcomes among the MMPI subgroups are discussed.

College Health Services Should Promote Good Samaritan Rules as Part of University Alcohol Policies

When a student or organization assists an intoxicated individual in procuring Safety and Security, local or state police, and/or professional medical assistance, neither the intoxicated individual, if a Dartmouth student, nor the individual or group who assists will be subject to formal College disciplinary action for (1) being intoxicated, or (2) having provided that person alcohol. This refers to isolated incidents only and does not excuse or protect those who flagrantly or repeatedly violate the College Alcohol Policy.

Human Resource Issues in University Health Services

Abstract To provide first-rate services to students, college health services need the best possible staff. Managers and supervisors play a critical role in guiding the work of their employees so as to enhance performance. Reference checks for new employees and regular performance appraisal dialogues for ongoing employees are important tools in this process. The author discusses these issues and suggests formats for reference checks and performance appraisals.

Pain assessment index: Evaluationfollowing multidisciplinary pain treatment

Abstract The Pain Assessment Index is a weighted composite of MMPI scales which has been shown tobe useful in predicting surgical outcome for chronic pain patients. In this study, 48 patients treated at a nonsurgical multidisciplinary pain clinic were categorized into predicted success (N=23) or predicted failure (N=25) groups based on their PAI scores. The groups did not differ on any of the pretreatment variables, and they differed on only one follow-up outcome measure. More patients in the predicted failure group reported using narcotics than did their predicted success group counterparts. Implications of these results and recommendations for future research are discussed. J Pain Sympt Manag 1987;2:23–27.