Sex differences in the relation between military sexual trauma and risk for alcohol misuse among U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers.

Background: Military sexual trauma (MST) is linked to a range of deleterious health outcomes. Extant literature has focused disproportionately on mental health sequelae of MST. Research is needed to better understand the extent to which MST contributes to alcohol misuse and related problems - key issues facing service members.

Real-Time Monitoring of Cannabis and Prescription Opioid Co-Use Patterns, Analgesic Effectiveness, and the Opioid-Sparing Effect of Cannabis in Individuals With Chronic Pain.

Despite a rapid expansion of cannabis use for pain management, how cannabis and prescription opioids are co-used and whether co-use improves analgesia and promotes reduction of opioid use in the daily lives of individuals with chronic pain is poorly understood. Based upon ecological momentary assessment (EMA), the present study examined 1) how pain and use of opioids and/or cannabis in the previous moment is associated with individuals' choice of opioids and/or cannabis in the next moment, 2) the effects of co-use on pain severity and pain relief, and 3) whether daily total opioid consumption differs on days when people only used opioids versus co-used. Adults with chronic pain (N = 46) using both opioids and cannabis who were recruited online completed a 30-day EMA.

Effects of Social Network Characteristics on Mental Health Outcomes Among United States Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers.

We sought to examine the relative salience of multiple social network structural characteristics (e.g., size, composition, quality, substance use) for understanding soldiers' mental health symptoms (anger, anxiety, depression, PTSD).

Differences in beliefs about COVID-19 by gun ownership: a cross-sectional survey of Texas adults.

Objectives: We investigated the association between gun ownership and perceptions about COVID-19 among Texas adults as the pandemic emerged. We considered perceived likelihood that the pandemic would lead to civil unrest, perceived importance of taking precautions to prevent transmission and perceptions that the threat of COVID-19 has been exaggerated.

Methods: Data were collected from 5 to 12 April 2020, shortly after Texas' stay-at-home declaration.

Feasibility and acceptability of using smartphone-based EMA to assess patterns of prescription opioid and medical cannabis use among individuals with chronic pain.

Background: Intensive longitudinal studies are needed to examine the co-use of prescription opioid medication and medical cannabis and their effects on chronic pain. The current study sought to investigate the feasibility and participant compliance with a smartphone-based Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) data collection protocol among individuals who use multiple substances and suffer from chronic pain.

Methods: A total of 46 participants (mean age = 44.

Drinking location moderates the association between social group size and alcohol consumption among young adults: An event-level study.

Introduction: Previous studies have demonstrated relationships between social and environmental characteristics of the drinking context and alcohol use. However, the use of event-level data to investigate individual and joint relationships between such characteristics and alcohol use remains a gap in the literature. This study aimed to examine associations between drinking context (location and social group size) and alcohol consumption, and estimate the relationship between the interaction of context and alcohol consumption.

Political partisanship and stigma against people who use drugs in opinions about allocating COVID-19 prevention resources to vulnerable populations.

Background: The distribution of resources during the COVID-19 pandemic has been politicized and contentious in the United States. Vulnerable populations, such as those living in poverty, experiencing homelessness, or who use drugs, are particularly susceptible to becoming infected with COVID-19 and often have limited access to protective supplies, such as masks and hand sanitizer. Our aim was to understand public opinion on increasing the allocation of COVID-19 prevention resources to vulnerable populations.

Risk and protective effects of social networks on alcohol use problems among Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers.

Background: Military personnel engage in alcohol-related behaviors for a variety of reasons, some of which may be socially-motivated. Although civilian-based research has established that peers' drinking behaviors are correlated with individuals' own drinking behaviors, military work has not yet examined the influence of social network characteristics on soldier drinking behaviors. This study describes characteristics of soldiers' social networks in association with soldier alcohol use problems.

Characteristics of U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard couples who use family readiness programs.

Use of family readiness programs (FRPs) by military families is not well understood. This work uses the Gelberg-Andersen Behavioral Model to identify characteristics of Reserve and National Guard (R/NG) couples who access FRPs. Data are from Operation: SAFETY, a study of R/NG soldiers and partners.

Adolescent Marijuana Use, Marijuana-Related Perceptions, and Use of Other Substances Before and After Initiation of Retail Marijuana Sales in Colorado (2013-2015).

Due to the recentness of changes to marijuana policies in a number of states, the effect on adolescent use and perceptions is not yet well understood. This study examines change in adolescent marijuana use and related perceptions in Colorado, before and after the implementation of legal commercial sale of recreational marijuana for adults starting on January 1, 2014. The data are from a repeated cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of Colorado high school students, with separately drawn samples surveyed in fall 2013 (prior to implementation) and fall 2015 (18 months after implementation).

Socioecological Risk and Protective Factors for Smoking Among Active Duty U.S. Military Personnel.

Introduction: Cigarette smoking can have negative consequences in military populations including injury, reduced physical endurance, higher frequency of sick days, and reduced combat readiness. This study used the socioecological model to understand individual, interpersonal, and organizational influences on cigarette smoking among military members.

Materials And Methods: The sample for this secondary analysis was drawn from personnel at 24 large U.