Declines in social-emotional skills in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: The present study investigated whether social-emotional skills in first year college students differed before and after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdowns.

Methods: Participants ( = 1,685) consisted of first year college students (mean age 18.53 years) selected from a broader cohort enrolled in a longitudinal study on college mental health at liberal arts colleges in the United States.

The Differential Role of Coping, Physical Activity, and Mindfulness in College Student Adjustment.

Research has examined the function of stress management techniques, including coping, physical activity, and mindfulness on college students' adjustment. The present study examined the differential contributions of three stress management techniques to students' maladaptation (perceived stress, depression, anxiety, and loneliness) and adaptation (self-esteem). Undergraduate students ( = 1185) responded to an online survey.

Emotional Intelligence, Belongingness, and Mental Health in College Students.

Mental health problems are prevalent amongst today's college students and psychosocial stress has been identified as a strong contributing factor. Conversely, research has documented that emotional intelligence (EQ) is a protective factor for depression, anxiety and stress (mental health problems). However, the underlying mechanism whereby EQ may support stronger mental health is currently not well understood.

Gender effects on mental health symptoms and treatment in college students.

Mental health problems are a growing concern on college campuses. Although postsecondary institutions often provide mental health services to students free of charge, it is unclear which students access such treatment and why. This study examined predictors of mental health treatment among college students.

Loneliness as a mediator for college students' social skills and experiences of depression and anxiety.

Introduction: Rates of anxiety and depression are increasing among college undergraduates. Existing research has demonstrated a link between social skills and mental health outcomes. This study explores the relationship between verbal social skills (encoding and decoding) and anxiety and depression by measuring the extent to which loneliness mediates these relationships.

Body Dissatisfaction in a Diverse Sample of Young Men Who Have Sex With Men: The P18 Cohort Study.

Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) may be at greater risk for body dissatisfaction, compared to their heterosexual peers. However, differences within YMSM populations are understudied, precluding the identification of YMSM who are at greatest risk. This study examined body dissatisfaction in a racially/ethnically diverse sample of YMSM ages 18-19 in New York City.

When the emotions really started kicking in, which ended up being a problem: sex, HIV, and emotions among young gay and bisexual men.

Interviews from 10 young gay and bisexual men aged 18 to 29 were examined to explore how young gay and bisexual men make decisions regarding sexual behaviors in the age of AIDS. Three main themes emerged: (a) disconnections between what an individual knows about HIV, their motivations to remain HIV-negative, and their sexual behaviors; (b) a struggle to connect emotionally and intimately with another man; and (c) a power dynamic whereby the individual acts as an autonomous decider in the decision-making process. Participants indicated high levels of HIV knowledge, and were engaged in a struggle to balance emotional experiences with sexual partners in a complex gendered dynamic.

Targeting HIV prevention messaging to a new generation of gay, bisexual, and other young men who have sex with men.

HIV prevention messaging has been shown to reduce or delay high-risk sexual behaviors in young men who have sex with men (YMSM). Since the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, a new generation of YMSM has come of age during an evolution in communication modalities. Because both these communication technologies and this new generation remain understudied, the authors investigated the manner in which YMSM interact with HIV prevention messaging.

Sexual health screening among racially/ethnically diverse young gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men.

Purpose: Screening for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is a crucial element of improving health and reducing disparities, and young men who have sex with men (YMSM) face high rates of both STIs and human immunodeficiency virus. We examined sexual health screening among a diverse sample of adolescent YMSM living in New York City.

Methods: Between 2009 and 2011, cross-sectional data were collected from 590 YMSM in New York City.

Methamphetamine use and HIV in relation to social cognition.

The relation of methamphetamine abuse and HIV infection to social cognition (Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task and Faux Pas Recognition Task) was examined in men who have sex with men (N = 56): Of the methamphetamine users (n = 29), 19 were identified as HIV positive, and of the nonusers (n = 27), 13 were identified as HIV positive. Both methamphetamine use and HIV were associated with impaired performance on the Eyes Task (p < .05).

Measurement model exploring a syndemic in emerging adult gay and bisexual men.

The current study was designed to develop a better understanding of the nature of the relationships between mental health burden, drug use, and unprotected sexual behavior within a sample of emerging adult gay and bisexual men, ages 18-19 (N = 598) and to test a theory of syndemics using structural equation modeling. Participants were actively recruited from community-based settings and the Internet for participation in a seven-wave cohort study. Data for participant characteristics and mental health were collected via computer-assisted survey, while drug use and unprotected sex behaviors for the month prior to assessment were collected via a calendar-based technique.

Alcohol use among young men who have sex with men.

This study reveals associations between alcohol use and demographic variables, as well as the relation between alcohol use and sexual activity, using episodic data. Data were obtained during summer and fall 2008 from a sample of 558 gay, bisexual, and other young men who have sex with men (YMSM), ages of 13-29 years in New York City. Recruitment strategies targeted potential participants at gay-related venues and public spaces often frequented by YMSM.

Cigarette smoking as part of a syndemic among young men who have sex with men ages 13-29 in New York City.

The prevalence of cigarette smoking among young men who have sex with men (YMSM) is significantly higher than among their heterosexual peers. We undertook an analysis to examine cigarette smoking in relation to demographic factors and other risk behaviors among 580 YMSM, ages 13-29, in New York City. Cross-sectional data were collected as part of larger study of risk behaviors using palm devices and targeted active recruitment strategies across all five boroughs of the city.

Sexual behaviors of adolescent emerging and young adult men who have sex with men ages 13-29 in New York City.

Content: HIV infections among young men who have sex with men (YMSM), ages 13-29 in New York City have been steadily increasing over the last decade.

Objective: To document the sexual onset and behavior of YMSM as a means for informing the development of new HIV prevention messaging.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Substance use in the MSM population of New York City during the era of HIV/AIDS.

This literature review considers the historical significance, emergence of, and interplay between the HIV and illicit drug use epidemics among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) in New York City (NYC). The continual rise in HIV infections in recent years among MSM, particularly among young MSM (YMSM), commands a need for the examination of the effectiveness of current HIV prevention strategies and a more comprehensive understanding of the complex biopsychosocial influences that place YMSM at risk. A chronological perspective of both the HIV and illicit drug use epidemics affecting NYC MSM is presented, followed by a review of the existing research on the synergistic relation between the two.

Personality traits and mental health states of methamphetamine-dependent and methamphetamine non-using MSM.

This analysis considers the relation between personality traits, mental health states and methamphetamine (MA) use in 60 men who have sex with men (MSM). Thirty MA-dependent and 30 MA non-using MSM were assessed on the Neo Five Factor Inventory, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version tests. Our results indicate differences between groups on a variety of measures of personality traits and mental states.

Methamphetamine use among gay, bisexual and non-identified men-who-have-sex-with-men: an analysis of daily patterns.

This study sought to understand the patterns, methods of administration and contexts for methamphetamine use (MA) in a sample of racially diverse men who have sex with men (MSM). Inclusion into the study required participants to be classified as clinically dependent on MA, but indicate no other illicit substance use. Use was assessed using Timeline Followback for a period of 30 days.

Sexual practices of gay, bisexual, and other nonidentified MSM attending New York City gyms: patterns of serosorting, strategic positioning, and context selection.

This descriptive paper characterizes the sexual behaviors of a diverse sample (N=311) of gay, bisexual, and other nonidentified men who have sex with men (MSM) who regularly attended gyms in New York City. Approximately 50% of the sample indicated sex with primary male partners, while 88% of the men had sexual relations with male casual partners in the 6 months prior to assessment. The participants met their casual partners in a variety of different venues, including the Internet.

Methamphetamine and poly-substance use among gym-attending men who have sex with men in New York City.

Background: Methamphetamine and other drug use has been documented among men who have sex with men (MSM). Patterns of use may be influenced by point of recruitment into these studies.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to describe patterns of methamphetamine and other drug use and to delineate psychosocial and demographic factors which accompany these patterns of use in a sample of MSM attending gyms in New York City.

Methamphetamine abuse and impairment of social functioning: a review of the underlying neurophysiological causes and behavioral implications.

The highly addictive drug methamphetamine has been associated with impairments in social cognitions as evidenced by changes in users' behaviors. Physiological changes in brain structure and functioning, particularly in the frontal lobe, have also been identified. The authors propose a biopsychosocial approach to understanding the effects of methamphetamine addiction by relating the physiological effects of the drug to the behaviors and social cognitions of its users, through the application of the theory of mind paradigm.

Serosorting.

Serosorting guides partner selection and may also inform choices about condom use. As public health and media attention increasingly focus on serosorting as a form of risk reduction for both HIV positive and HIV negative individuals, it has become increasingly important to understand this phenomenon. Lately, serosorting has been thrust into the mainstream media because it is thought to be partly responsible for the recent decrease in new HIV infections in San Francisco.