Publications by authors named "Sandra Morissette"

One in five college students (21%) report using cannabis in the past month, and approximately 10% develop cannabis use disorder (CUD). Further, college students have high rates of trauma exposure, and CUD is prospectively linked to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Given the high rate of co-occurrence, research is needed to understand transdiagnostic, modifiable factors that could account for the relationship between CUD and PTSD.

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Objective: Individuals with anxiety frequently use cannabis to cope and are at greater risk for developing probable cannabis use disorder (CUD). Previous literature suggests avoidant coping styles are associated with higher anxiety levels and risk for problematic cannabis use, while action-oriented coping is associated with lower anxiety and problematic cannabis use. No studies have examined whether anxiety and action-oriented coping or avoidant coping interact to influence risk for CUD, which was the aim of the present study.

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Article Synopsis
  • - PTSD is linked to negative health behaviors and cognitive deficits, which may lead to increased chronic disease risk; three main hypotheses were tested regarding the connections between PTSD severity, health behaviors, and cognitive functioning.
  • - A study of 124 post-9/11 veterans found that higher PTSD severity correlated with poorer health-promoting behaviors and cognitive performance, specifically in verbal memory and executive functioning.
  • - The findings suggest that improving cognitive functions related to verbal learning and memory could help mitigate the negative effects of PTSD on health behaviors, highlighting a need for further research to better understand these relationships and their implications for veterans' long-term health.
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The impact of cannabis use disorder (CUD) on education functioning and GPA was examined within the context of co-occurring alcohol use disorder (AUD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Undergraduates ( = 210) who reported using cannabis within the past six months were recruited. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to determine whether CUD symptom severity and presence of probable CUD diagnosis predicted educational impairment and current GPA, over and above other mental health conditions.

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Using a four-wave longitudinal design, three competing hypotheses (i.e., social selection, social causation, and reciprocal causation) were tested pertaining to the relation between social functioning and several indices of behavioral health [i.

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Purpose: Anxiety disorders can impact the health, performance, and retention of military service members. To inform prevention initiatives and long-term treatment planning, incidence rates across anxiety disorders were evaluated among U.S.

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The recognition that individual GPCRs can activate multiple signaling pathways has raised the possibility of developing drugs selectively targeting therapeutically relevant ones. This requires tools to determine which G proteins and βarrestins are activated by a given receptor. Here, we present a set of BRET sensors monitoring the activation of the 12 G protein subtypes based on the translocation of their effectors to the plasma membrane (EMTA).

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This special issue was inspired by a desire to shine a light on new ways to think about stress and trauma through resilience, perseverance, and posttraumatic growth. Difficult times help individuals and communities develop, create, and evaluate opportunities to grow and become resilient. Articles range from youth to adulthood, including at-risk populations and multicultural considerations.

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Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs at high rates among college students, and there is an urgent need to develop brief and accessible interventions to help these at-risk students achieve academic and career success. This open-trial pilot study tested the feasibility and effectiveness of Written Exposure Therapy (WET; Sloan & Marx, 2019), a brief, five-session exposure-based treatment, when delivered in a real-world Counseling Services Center. Students who met criteria for probable PTSD were assessed at baseline, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up using self-report assessments of PTSD and depression.

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Scholars suggest traditional feminine gender roles (TFGRs) influence alcohol use among U.S. Latinas, but relevant literature is limited.

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Article Synopsis
  • Psychological inflexibility is identified as a significant risk factor for developing and maintaining posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS) among returning US veterans.
  • A longitudinal study with 305 veterans used bivariate latent difference score modeling to assess changes in psychological inflexibility and PTS severity over one year.
  • The findings show that early decreases in psychological inflexibility can lead to later reductions in PTS severity, suggesting that addressing psychological inflexibility may aid in PTS recovery.
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Alcohol use is a concerning issue for the military given its potential negative impact on human performance. Limited data are available regarding the incidence of alcohol use disorder in the military, which is critical to understand to evaluate force readiness, as well as for preventative initiatives and treatment planning. The aim was to examine the alcohol use disorder incidence rates (overall and across demographics) among active duty service members from 2001 to 2018.

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Article Synopsis
  • Firefighters serve as a valuable group to study the impact of trauma exposure and the development of mental health symptoms, with the study focusing on their experiences over the first three years of service.* -
  • A total of 322 firefighter recruits participated in this study, which involved annual psychological assessments and regular symptom check-ins to track exposure to traumatic events and the development of disorders like PTSD.* -
  • Despite facing around nine potentially traumatic events on average, only 3% were diagnosed with major mental health disorders, highlighting the resilience among firefighters and the need for further research to reconcile these findings with existing literature on PTSD risks in the fire service.*
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Firefighters (FFs) protect the public despite significant risks to their health and well-being stemming from frequent trauma exposure and other occupational stressors. A minority of FFs develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or related mental health problems, whereas most remain remarkably resilient despite enormous stress. This points toward substantial variability in responses to traumatic stress among FFs.

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Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects approximately 8% of the general population. The prevalence of PTSD is twice as high in active duty service members and military veterans. Few studies have investigated the incidence rates of PTSD in active duty military personnel.

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Distress tolerance (i.e., perceived or actual capacity to tolerate aversive internal states) has received considerable research attention as a transdiagnostic risk-factor underlying the development and maintenance of psychopathology.

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The introduction of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) was accompanied by the elimination of the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale, which was previously used to assess functioning. Although the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule, Version 2.0 (WHODAS 2.

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Article Synopsis
  • Some veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan adjust well after war, but others struggle with mental health issues and injuries like mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).
  • Researchers studied 264 veterans to see how personality traits and support from others affect their recovery.
  • Results showed that veterans with a resilient personality had better mental health and quality of life, and being flexible with their thoughts helped them adjust better over time.
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Article Synopsis
  • PTSD is prevalent among student veterans and significantly affects their educational performance, but its specific impacts are complicated due to overlap with other mental health issues.
  • A study aimed to assess how PTSD symptom severity influences educational functioning in student veterans, considering factors like demographics and co-occurring conditions.
  • Findings revealed that PTSD, particularly the reexperiencing symptoms, was a major contributor to educational difficulties, remaining significant even when accounting for other mental health conditions like major depressive disorder.
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