Modeling motivations for non-medical use of prescription drugs.

Introduction: Non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) is a growing problem among college-aged individuals. Motivations for use of a substance have been shown to predict consumption behavior across a variety of substances, but research on motivations for engaging in NMUPD is limited. We hypothesize that Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) would support a two-factor latent structure for motivations (self-treatment and recreational) for NMUPD across three classes of drugs (stimulants, tranquilizers and sedatives, and pain relievers).

Associations among depressive symptoms, drinking motives, and risk for alcohol-related problems in veterinary students.

Hazardous alcohol consumption among medical students appears to occur at a level comparable to the general population; however, among medical students, it has been found that the motivation to use alcohol partially stems from unique stressors related to their professional training. Although veterinary students may also experience psychological distress in association with their training, little work has focused on the way that these students use alcohol to cope with their distress. The current study sought to examine the severity of depressive symptoms and alcohol consumption among veterinary students as well as students' specific motives for drinking alcohol.

Alcohol use, impulsivity, and the non-medical use of prescription stimulants among college students.

The non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) is a growing public health concern. College students have been identified as a particularly at risk population for engagement in NMUPD. Across all prescription drug classes, stimulants show the highest ratio of illicit to medical use and are thus important to examine within this population.

The role of personality variables in drinking game participation.

Drinking games are prevalent among college student and associated with increased risk of experiencing negative alcohol-related consequences. Personality variables, and specifically impulsivity and sensation seeking, have been linked to increased alcohol consumption and related negative consequences, but research on the relationship between personality and drinking game participation is limited. The current study used path analysis to assess the impact of sensation seeking and impulsivity on frequency of drinking game participation and related consequences in a sample of undergraduate college students.

Alcohol-related problems and life satisfaction predict motivation to change among mandated college students.

The present study investigated the role specific types of alcohol-related problems and life satisfaction play in predicting motivation to change alcohol use. Participants were 548 college students mandated to complete a brief intervention following an alcohol-related policy violation. Using hierarchical multiple regression, we tested for the presence of interaction and quadratic effects on baseline data collected prior to the intervention.

Thinking and drinking: alcohol-related cognitions across stages of adolescent alcohol involvement.

Alcohol-related cognitions, particularly expectancies for drinking and nondrinking and motives for nondrinking, are involved in the initiation, maintenance, and cessation of alcohol use and are hypothesized to play key roles in adolescent decision making. This study explored (a) the relationships between alcohol use expectancies, nondrinking expectancies, and nondrinking motives; (b) the roles of these cognitions across hypothesized developmental stages of adolescent alcohol use; and (c) the relationships between these cognitions and recent or intended future changes in drinking behavior in a cross-sectional sample. Surveys assessing alcohol use behaviors and attitudes were administered to 1,648 high school students.