Impact of implementing a tobacco and recreational nicotine-free policy and enhanced treatments on programmatic and patient-level outcomes within a residential substance use disorder treatment program.

Background: Recent estimates are that 30% of military veterans use tobacco or recreational nicotine products, and rates significantly increase for veterans with co-occurring substance use disorder (SUD). Despite emerging literature that indicate better outcomes when SUD and tobacco use disorder (TUD) are treated simultaneously (in parallel), most SUD programs fail to address tobacco use. This can prove catastrophic, as perhaps the most likely cause of death lifetime for patients admitted to a SUD treatment program is tobacco/nicotine-related.

Substance use consequences, mental health problems, and readiness to change among Veterans seeking substance use treatment.

Individuals seeking substance use treatment who have one or more co-occurring mental health problems tend to have lower treatment engagement, higher rates of attrition, and poorer treatment outcomes. Readiness to change (RTC) is an integral construct in the recovery process, with higher RTC associated with improved treatment outcomes. However, the impact of psychiatric symptoms on RTC is not fully understood, especially among specialty subpopulations, such as military Veterans.

Diversion of prescription stimulants among college students: An initial investigation of injunctive norms.

Nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NMUPS) is an increasing problem among the college student population. Despite recent increases in stimulant prescriptions, little research has examined diversion of prescription stimulants among college students. The purpose of the current exploratory study was to compare normative beliefs about the frequency and motives of NMUPS among a college student sample.

Normative influences on the nonmedical use of prescription stimulants among college students.

Recent epidemiological data indicate an increasing trend in the nonmedical use of prescription drugs among college students. The nonmedical use of prescription drugs involves using a prescription medication without a prescription, or using the medication in a manner inconsistent with a health care provider's instructions. Among college students, prescription stimulants have the highest ratio of nonmedical to medical use and the highest rate of illicit selling and trading on college campuses.

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).

Towards the development of laboratory methods for studying drinking games: initial findings, methodological considerations, and future directions.

Background: Drinking games are prevalent among college students and are associated with increased alcohol use and negative alcohol-related consequences. There has been substantial growth in research on drinking games. However, the majority of published studies rely on retrospective self-reports of behavior and very few studies have made use of laboratory procedures to systematically observe drinking game behavior.

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.

Student perceptions of specific components within a personalized feedback intervention.

Previous research suggests that personalized feedback interventions (PFI) can be an effective tool in reducing risky alcohol use among college students; however, little is known about how students perceive the individual components that are typically used during PFIs. In the current study, participants (N = 219, 63.5% female, 84% Caucasian, undergraduates enrolled in introductory psychology courses) reported their drinking behavior in the past month, and then immediately received a computerized PFI based on their self-reported alcohol use.

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.

Examining alcohol and alcohol-free versions of a Simulated Drinking Game Procedure.

Objective: Drinking games contribute to heavy drinking on college campuses because the rules often result in rapid alcohol consumption and increased risk of negative consequences. The current study used the Simulated Drinking Game Procedure (SDGP) to observe and describe drinking game behavior under controlled laboratory conditions.

Method: Participants (N = 40) age of 21 and older played a laboratory version of beer pong.