SUMMARY The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of various forms of TV exposure on the quality of children's sleep. In this randomized population-based survey questionnaires concerning TV viewing, sleep disturbances, and psychiatric symptoms were administered to 321 parents of children aged 5-6 years. Sleep disturbance scores were the main outcome measures. Active TV viewing and passive TV exposure were related to sleeping difficulties, especially sleep-wake transition disorders and overall sleep disturbances. Particularly, passive TV exposure and viewing adult-targeted TV programs were strongly related to sleep disturbances. The association remained significant when socioeconomic status, family income, family conflicts, the father's work schedule, and the child's psychiatric symptoms were controlled statistically. The adjusted odds ratios were 2.91 (95% CI 1.03-8.17) and 3.01 (95% CI 1.13-8.05), respectively. TV viewing and particularly passive TV exposure and viewing adulttargeted programs significantly increase the risk of sleeping difficulties. The results suggest that health-care professionals should be aware of the association between TV exposure and sleep disturbances.

This study, funded by the Academy of Finland, explores how different stakeholder groups in Finland attribute responsibility for various addictions. A random general population survey and surveys with addiction treatment professionals and clients (n = 1,338) were conducted in 2007-2008. The data were analyzed with analyses of variance and logistic regression analysis. Individual responsibility was emphasized by all groups. The Moral model dominated in behavioral and the Enlightenment model in hard drug addictions, views on other substance addictions varied more. Some signs of the actor-observer asymmetry were observed. Personal addiction experiences and sex were the major predictors of the average response tendencies. The heavy emphasis on individual responsibility may prevent help-seeking.

The findings suggest that co-viewing and discussing television programmes are more common in families where television exposure is high. Because both co-viewing and discussing television programmes were associated with higher fear scores regardless of the quantity and quality of television exposure, the research shows that in everyday life co-viewing may not be done in such a way that it leads to a reduction of children's fears. More studies are needed to explore the co-viewing practices of families in more detail.

AIMS -This study compares how different stakeholder groups in Finland perceive the dangerousness of diverse addictions to the individual and society. It also tests the hypothesis that familiar addictions are regarded as less dangerous than unfamiliar ones. DATA -The data consisted of surveys with 1) a random general population sample (n=740); 2) addiction treatment professionals (n=520); and 3) inpatient clients (n=78). The dangerousness of alcohol, hard drugs, cannabis, prescription drugs, tobacco, gambling and Internet use were assessed by their perceived addiction potential, chances of recovery and relative gravity as societal problems. RESULTS -The observed group differences, even if significant, were mostly of degree rather than of kind. The largest disagreements involved cannabis and prescription drugs. Lay respondents worried more about cannabis while professionals were rather more concerned about prescribed drugs. Clients saw less difference in the addiction potential of legal and illegal substances than did lay respondents. Professionals trusted most in treatment but they saw less need to treat cannabis dependence than the others. All groups ranked alcohol as the greatest addiction-related societal problem in Finland. The familiarity hypothesis was not consistently supported by the data. Clients familiar with many addictive substances and behaviours did not downplay their harmfulness.

Cultural factors shape the ways in which alcohol use disorders are perceived more pervasively than the other background variables. The French professionals' low trust in treatment and the Finnish professionals' lack of concern for the addiction potential of alcohol and stronger tendency to regard the person as responsible for the problem could be seen as potential impediments to effective ways of helping alcohol abusers in these countries.