The prevalence of workplace bullying (around 10%) was found to be high in this study as well was the impact of this major job-related stressor on sleep disturbances. Although no conclusion about causality could be drawn from this cross-sectional study, the findings suggest that the contribution of workplace bullying to the burden of sleep disturbances may be substantial.

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of drug use, including injecting drug use, among the prisoner population in the Republic of Ireland. Drug use surveys carried out by the National Advisory Committee on Drugs and Alcohol (NACDA) provide population data, but the most recent drug prevalence data on the Irish prisoner population dated from a 1999 study on Blood Borne Viruses (BBVs) in prisons. Accurate up-to-date data for service planning and policy development were required.MethodsAn observational cross-sectional study was undertaken, with 824 prisoners randomly selected in proportion to the population in each prison. Data collection instruments included a self-completion questionnaire (based on European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction guidelines), and oral fluid samples, which were tested for six drugs. Prevalence proportions and confidence intervals were calculated. T-tests and Chi2 testing were used for group comparisons.ResultsThe response rate was 50% and the sample was representative of the full prison population. Prevalence of any drug  use for individual drugs was, not unexpectedly, higher than in the general population. Results are presented as prevalence range for individual drugs (95% CI lower and upper bounds) for: lifetime, 33% (CI: 30–36%) to 87% (CI: 85–89%); last year, 12 (CI: 10–14%) to 69% (CI: 66–71%); and last month, 2% (CI: 1–3%) to 43% (CI: 40–47%). Lifetime injecting prevalence for any drug was 26% (CI: 23–28%) and lifetime individual drug injecting rates ranged from 2 (CI: 1–2%) to 19% (CI: 17–22%). Women were significantly more likely to inject drugs than men (44% vs 24%, p < 0.01).ConclusionThe findings confirmed the need for drug treatment and harm reduction services in prisons and highlighted key risk areas and groups for specific and targeted interventions. The NACDA has published recommendations for practice, policy and research based on the results.

This study is the first one to provide fractions of diseases attributable to job strain for three health outcomes in France on the basis of a systematic review of the literature. These results could contribute to the estimation of the economic cost of diseases attributable to job strain.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) adherence research has focused predominantly on individuals with less than optimal clinical outcomes; therefore, little is known about the experiences of individuals who sustain undetectable viral loads. The present study used a qualitative method to explore how individuals who have sustained undetectable viral loads account for their success, and to identify challenges, as well as possible needs, for continued success. Participants were 20 patients at an outpatient infectious disease clinic in an urban center. Participants completed two 60-minute interviews. The Critical Incident Technique was used to identify and classify critical incidents linked with sustaining treatment success. Of the 438 critical incidents collected, 316 were identified as helpful and 122 were identified as unhelpful. Helpful categories included resolving ambivalence, using personal strengths, and fostering helpful relationships. Unhelpful categories were mood, lack of social support, financial difficulties, and medication factors. Doing well on antiretroviral therapy is a dynamic process that requires ongoing attention from both the patient and care provider. The results of this study highlight the efforts of patients to maintain their health and remind care providers not to assume that patients are not facing continuous challenges. Findings from the present study suggest that psychosocial factors do contribute to improved clinical outcomes in patients taking HAART.