Publications by authors named "Roisin OʼConnor"

Objective: Simultaneous cannabis and alcohol use is common, but few studies have examined normative perceptions of simultaneous use. This study examined unique associations of baseline descriptive norms for simultaneous use (i.e.

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Objective: Trauma survivors are more likely than others to use cannabis, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) commonly co-occurs with cannabis use disorder (CUD). Automatic memory associations between trauma reminders and cannabis use have been suggested as contributing mechanisms. These associations can be studied experimentally by manipulating trauma cue exposure in a cue-reactivity paradigm (CRP) and examining effects on the accessibility of cannabis information in memory in trauma survivors with and without PTSD.

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Studies have shown that those high in anxiety were at increased risk for alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tension reduction theory points to anxiety sensitivity (AS) as a potential risk factor. Drinking to cope may further increase this risk.

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In recent years, post-secondary students' mental health has become an important public health concern. However, studies examining protective factors of mental health among students and during challenging times are limited. Guided by the strength-based Resilience Portfolio Model and following a group of undergraduates (N = 1004) throughout the 2020/2021 academic year, this study examined multiple domains of resilience internal assets and external resources and simultaneously tested multiple protective mechanisms for student mental health using structural equation modelling.

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The Gambling Craving Scale (GACS) is a multifaceted measure of gambling craving. Initial validation work by Young and Wohl (2009) in university student samples showed that the GACS had a three-factor structure capturing dimensions of Desire, Anticipation, and Relief. Despite its potential clinical utility as a measure of craving, the GACS has yet to be validated in people seeking treatment for gambling problems.

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Background: Simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use is common, but observational studies examining negative consequences of simultaneous use have rarely considered dose-related interactions between alcohol and cannabis. This study examined interactions between quantities of cannabis and alcohol consumed in predicting negative consequences on simultaneous use days.

Methods: Young adults (N = 151; 64% female; 62% White) reporting recent simultaneous use and at least weekly alcohol and cannabis use completed 21 daily, smartphone-based surveys assessing previous day quantities of cannabis and alcohol used, types of cannabis used (flower, concentrates, edibles), and negative substance-related consequences.

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Negative affect (depression/anxiety) and alcohol use among Indigenous youth in Canada remain a concern for many communities. Disparate rates of these struggles are understood to be a potential outcome of colonization and subsequent intergenerational trauma experienced by individuals, families, and communities. Using a longitudinal design, we examined change in alcohol use and negative affect, and reciprocal associations, among a group of Indigenous adolescents.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on the risky drinking behaviors of undergraduates and examines how perceptions of social approval (injunctive norms) influence these behaviors.
  • Researchers developed the Perceived Approval of Risky Drinking Inventory (PARDI), which includes insights from focus groups and extensive questionnaire testing to ensure its effectiveness.
  • The findings confirmed that the PARDI is a reliable, valid tool that measures different aspects of risky drinking and can help in developing targeted interventions and further research on drinking behaviors among students.
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Heavy drinking and smoking have been found to be among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality within Indigenous youth in North America. The focus of this study was to examine the relative roles of cultural identity, parent-child communication about the harms of substance use (SU), and perception about peers' opinions on heavy drinking and cigarette smoking among Indigenous youth. Strong Indigenous cultural identity, parent-child communication about SU, and affiliation with peers who do not use and/or who disapprove of substance use were all expected to reduce risk for heavy drinking and smoking.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study looked at how people feel and how it relates to how much alcohol they drink.
  • Researchers found that people do not drink more when they’re feeling sad or upset, but they drink more when they're feeling happy.
  • The results are important because they challenge the idea that people drink mainly to cope with negative feelings, and now researchers want to look deeper into this topic.
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Gleason scoring is used within a five-tier risk stratification system to guide therapeutic decisions for patients with prostate cancer. This study aimed to compare the predictive performance of routine H&E or biomarker-assisted ISUP (International Society of Urological Pathology) grade grouping for assessing the risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR) and clinical recurrence (CR) in patients with prostate cancer. This retrospective study was an assessment of 114 men with prostate cancer who provided radical prostatectomy samples to the Australian Prostate Cancer Bioresource between 2006 and 2014.

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Gray's original Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) posits that an oversensitive behavioral inhibition system (BIS) may increase risk for negative-reinforcement-motivated drinking, given its role in anxiety. However, existing data provides mixed support for the BIS-alcohol use association. The inconsistent evidence is not surprising, as the revised RST predicts that the behavioral approach system (BAS) should moderate the effect of the BIS on alcohol use.

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This review is an overview of the current knowledge regarding circulating tumour cells (CTCs), which are potentially the most lethal type of cancer cell, and may be a key component of the metastatic cascade. The clinical utility of CTCs (the "Good"), includes their diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic potential. Conversely, their complex biology (the "Bad"), including the existence of CD45+/EpCAM+ CTCs, adds insult to injury regarding their isolation and identification, which in turn hampers their clinical translation.

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Objective: Alcohol use and related problems increase during adolescence and peak in early adulthood. Tension reduction theories suggest that those high in anxiety sensitivity (AS) may be at risk for misusing alcohol for its anxiolytic effects. Cognitive theories point to drinking motives and alcohol expectancies as explanatory mechanisms of this risk pathway.

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Antimicrobial stewardship is essential to reducing antimicrobial resistance, reducing costs, and, crucially, ensuring good patient care. Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common medical condition, the symptoms of which show a significant overlap with those of COVID-19. Following the COVID-19 outbreak in Ireland, patients presenting to our hospital with features of a respiratory infection were more commonly reviewed within 24 hours (24h) of admission by an infectious disease (ID) or respiratory specialist.

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Diagnosis and assessment of patients with prostate cancer is dependent on accurate interpretation and grading of histopathology. However, morphology does not necessarily reflect the complex biological changes occurring in prostate cancer disease progression, and current biomarkers have demonstrated limited clinical utility in patient assessment. This study aimed to develop biomarkers that accurately define prostate cancer biology by distinguishing specific pathological features that enable reliable interpretation of pathology for accurate Gleason grading of patients.

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Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been identified as a significant etiological agent in the development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). HPV's involvement has alluded to better survival and prognosis in patients and suggests that different treatment strategies may be appropriate for them. Only some data on the epidemiology of HPV infection in the oropharyngeal, oral cavity, and laryngeal SCC exists in Europe.

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The association between restrained eating and alcohol use remains poorly understood among undergraduates. Consistent with tension reduction theory, individuals with disordered eating may be motivated to drink alcohol to cope with negative emotionality. Perhaps what pushes them to drink despite restriction goals is impulsivity.

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Unlabelled: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers around the world have made efforts to assess its impact on youth mental health; however, the breadth of this topic has impeded a clear assessment of pandemic outcomes. This study aimed to address this gap by reviewing changes in youth (age ≤ 25) mental health, psychological wellbeing, substance use, and the use or delivery of relevant services during the pandemic. PubMed and Embase were searched in May 2021 to conduct a rapid review of the literature.

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Background: Gambling and tobacco smoking are highly comorbid among North American adults. However, there is a paucity of treatment options that are integrated (i.e.

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Background: Bacterial respiratory coinfection in the setting of SARS-CoV-2 infection remains poorly described. A description of coinfection and antimicrobial usage is needed to guide ongoing antimicrobial stewardship.

Objectives: To assess the rate of empirical antimicrobial treatment in COVID-19 cases, assess the rate and methods of microbiological sampling, assess the rate of bacterial respiratory coinfections and evaluate the factors associated with antimicrobial therapy in this cohort.

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Aims: To assess clinical outcomes and adverse drug events in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 treated with off-label hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and azithromycin (Az).

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of hospitalised patients who had a positive polymerase chain reaction test for SARS-CoV-2 and received HCQ plus Az or no targeted therapy. The primary end point was clinical improvement on day 7 defined as either hospital discharge or an improvement of 2 points on a 6-category ordinal scale.

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