The AUDIT-C: screening for alcohol use disorders and risk drinking in the presence of other psychiatric disorders

This article examines the performance of the AUDIT-C, as embedded in a large national survey, as a screener for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and risk drinking among individuals with past-year psychopathology. The analysis is based on data collected in personal interviews from a representative population sample of US adults. The study population consisted of past-year drinkers with any past-year mood disorder (n = 2818), any past-year anxiety disorder (n = 3173), or any personality disorder (n = 4389). Screening performance was evaluated by means of sensitivity, specificity, and areas under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs). The AUCs for the AUDIT-C were from 0.888 to 0.893 for alcohol dependence, from 0.864 to 0.876 for any AUD, and from 0.941 to 0.951 for any AUD or risk drinking-all on a par with those observed in the general population. Among men, cut points of either > or =5 or > or =6 points (the former favoring sensitivity and the latter favoring specificity) were optimal for detecting dependence, and cut points of > or =5 points were optimal for any AUD and for any AUD or risk drinking. Among women, a cut point of > or =4 points was optimal for the outcomes of both alcohol dependence and any AUD, whereas a cut point of > or =3 points was preferable for detecting any AUD or risk drinking.     

Manipulating establishing operations to promote initiations toward peers in children with autism

This study examined the effects of manipulating establishing operations on the frequency of initiations of three children with autism toward peers with autism. The EO targeted was deprivation of preferred edibles, and the target initiation was a mand for the preferred snack. A reversal design was used to assess the effects of the EO conditions on frequency of initiations. Results indicated that when the EO was absent, no spontaneous initiations toward the peer occurred. Two participants required training sessions with an adult to transfer initiations toward peers. Once the EO had been established and was present, the participants initiated mands for the snack. Results are discussed in terms of implications for the use of establishing operations in language training for children with autism.     

What advice do patients with infectious mononucleosis report being given by their general practitioner?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the advice that patients with acute infectious mononucleosis recall having been given by their general practitioner (GP; family or primary care doctor). METHODS: Individuals with a recent diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis were recruited for a randomised controlled trial assessing the effectiveness of a brief educational intervention on recovery. All participants were asked at their initial assessment what advice that they had been given by their GP. They were not given any prompts and were free to give several responses. Responses were grouped into various themes. RESULTS: Seventy-one patients took part. Of these, 11 (15%) recalled being given no specific advice. Of the remaining 60 participants, 70% recalled being given advice to rest, or to "take it easy", usually without any qualification; 10% recalled being given dietary advice, and 17% advice on simple symptom management. CONCLUSION: The majority of individuals with recent onset infectious mononucleosis recall being given advice to rest by their GPs. This finding is discussed in relation to evidence suggesting that rest may be unhelpful.