Methods: By adopting

the Self-Stigma in Mental Illness Scale (SSMI), we developed the Self-Stigma in Alcohol Dependence Scale (SSAD). The scale is based on a focus-group derived list of 16 negative stereotypes about alcohol dependent persons. It consists of four 16-item subscales measuring four hypothetical stages of self-stigma, stereotype awareness (aware), stereotype agreement (agree), self-concurrence (apply), and self-esteem decrement (harm). We employed the SSAD in a cross-sectional study of 153 patients hospitalized for alcohol detoxification to examine its reliability and validity. Results: The four stages of self-stigma could be reliably measured with the SSAD (Cronbach’s alpha, 0.86-0.93). LDN-193189 supplier Each step in the process of self-stigmatization was most closely associated with its preceding step. Other significantly related independent variables in multiple regression analyses included desire for social distance (associated

with agree), duration of drinking problems (associated with apply) and depressive symptoms (associated with apply and harm). Both apply and harm were significantly related to reduced drinking-refusal self-efficacy in analyses controlling for depressive symptoms and variables related to duration and severity of the drinking problem.

Discussion: The SSAD showed good validity and reliability Cell Cycle inhibitor measuring the stages of self-stigma in this group. Self-stigma appears to be associated with lower drinking-refusal self-efficacy. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection may run undetected. Unawareness of an ongoing infection delays the

diagnosis of HBV-related liver disease and favours the spread of the virus. We have evaluated among hepatitis B surface antigen-positive (HBsAg) inpatients admitted to a Southern Italian hospital the proportion of those aware of their carrier status and correlated the status to signs of liver disease. All patients admitted to the San Giovanni Rotondo Hospital from March 2008 to July 2009 were tested for HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) markers, and those positive for HBsAg were interviewed and underwent examinations NSC23766 in vivo for liver function and abdominal ultrasound. Overall, of 25 000 patients admitted during the observation period 311 (1.2%) were positive for HBsAg, most of them (98%) being anti-HBe positive. HCV and HDV co-infections were ascertained in 2.9% and 0.6% of cases, respectively. Two hundred and fifty-three subjects (81%) agreed to undergo further investigation, 132 of them (52%) were HBV-DNA positive. One hundred and two patients (40.3%) were unaware of their infection; this was encountered among 29% of HBV-DNA-positive and 52% of HBV-DNA-negative subjects (P < 0.01). Subjects already aware of their infection were more likely to present with abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (27% vs 15%), serological presence of HBV-DNA (63.