Blackboard

A 2,500 word assignment which requires students to analyse the health status of a patient, to discuss the effects of continued alcohol use at differing levels of consumption and to explore treatment and referral options for managing the person's alcohol consumption. (contributes to meeting all LO's) 100%

Formative feedback / assessment - students will be required to interpret a range of data as part of a classroom exercise

Mechanisms and factors affecting alcohol metabolism
Alcohol and Nutrition - Effects of different drinking patterns on nutritional needs and resulting problems (e.g. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome)
Physiological effects of alcohol on the body
The effects of alcohol on mortality rates
Contribution of alcohol to a range of problems including liver diseases, coronary heart disease / weight / blood pressure / diabetes / ulcers / fractures / renal dysfunction / cancer
Alcohol and older adults
Effects of alcohol on pregnancy and child development
Benefits of alcohol
Psychological and psychomotor effects of alcohol
Injury / accidents related to alcohol
Alcohol and public health issues
Alcohol withdrawal including treatment
Assessment and interpretation of data (blood results, screening tools, symptoms)
Effects of alcohol on medication - potentiation, contra-indications and cross tolerance
Mechanisms of medication for alcohol abuse - disulfiram / acamprosate and naltrexone
The physiology and psychology of addiction
Prochaska and DiClementi's Cycle of change
Pre-contemplation / contemplation strategies - Strategies for raising awareness of alcohol use - information giving / alcohol units / giving blood results / screening tools

Contact Hours: (15)
9 hours Interactive lectures
3 hours Case studies
2 hours Assignment briefing
Tutorial 1 hr (Group / 1:1 / e-mail)

Independent Study Hours: (135)
45 hours Blackboard
45 hours Assignment preparation
45 hours Reading and research

Brick, J. (2008) Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse (2nd Ed), Abingdon, Routledge
Edwards, G., Marshall, E.J., and Cook, C.C.H. (2003) The Treatment of Drinking Problems, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press
Raistrick, D. Heather, N and Godfrey, C (2007) Review of the effectiveness of treatment for alcohol problems, London, National Treatment Agency