Publications by authors named "Stacy R Ryan"

The purpose of this study was to conduct a randomized test of clinic- and home-based incentives plus parent training for adolescent problem alcohol use. Adolescents (N = 75) with alcohol misuse, with or without other substance misuse, were enrolled. All youth received individual Motivational Enhancement Therapy/Cognitive Behavior Therapy and weekly urine drug testing.

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Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Conduct Disorder (CD) experience deficits in neuropsychological measures of attention, inhibition, and reward processes. Methylphenidate treatment for ADHD and CD has acute effects on these processes. Some of these same aspects of performance are separately described in the Behavioral Model of Impulsivity, which uses a modified approach to measurement.

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Background: Problem substance use often begins in adolescence. This vulnerability likely stems, at least partially, from relatively rapid increases in sensation seeking occurring in early to mid-adolescence and more gradual improvements in impulse control occurring through later adolescence. Better understanding how these processes develop in high-risk youth may lead to enhanced substance use disorder treatment and prevention strategies.

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Objective: Previous studies have suggested that maternal characteristics are related to family environment; however, the relation between maternal impulsivity, in particular, and family environment is not well understood. As such, we examined direct relations between maternal impulsivity and family environment, as well as whether the relation between maternal impulsivity and family environment was moderated by child problems for sons and daughters. We hypothesized that child problems would moderate the association between maternal impulsivity and family environment.

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Objectives: While early onset of puberty among girls has been related to substance use involvement and other adverse outcomes, less research has examined pubertal development and outcomes in boys. Further, research on puberty has not been conducted in the context of other risk factors for substance use involvement such as impulsivity. To address these gaps, this study characterized boys' pubertal development from preadolescence to mid-adolescence and related it to substance use risk and behavioral impulsivity.

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A number of studies have associated impulsivity and sensation seeking with level of substance use and risk for developing a substance use disorder. These relationships may be particularly apparent during adolescence, when developmental changes in impulsivity and sensation seeking occur at the same time as increased opportunities for substance use. To examine this, the current study measured impulsivity and sensation seeking from pre-adolescence to mid-adolescence in a sample of youth, the majority of whom were identified as being at risk for developing a substance use disorder based on their family history of substance use disorders.

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Unlabelled: Impulsivity is strongly related to the development of adolescent substance use. Therefore, understanding factors that influence impulsive characteristics is important for the development of prevention and intervention programs. Intervention and prevention programs focused on factors that influence impulsive characteristics are especially important for those at particularly high risk for the expression of impulsivity - those with a family history of substance use disorder.

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This is a descriptive study of the recruitment and clinical/environmental characteristics of a child cohort (ages 10-12) established to test transmission of impulsivity in children with (FH+; n = 305) and without (FH-; n = 81) family history of substance use disorder. Among this cohort FH children had more emotional and behavioral symptoms, worse family relationships, and more deviant peers compared to FH children. This cohort of children was established prior to the initiation of regular substance use and significant clinical problems, which will allow the opportunity to examine reciprocal relations between development of impulse control and substance use development.

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Background: Alcohol use patterns that are hazardous for one's health is prevalent among DWI (driving while intoxicated) offenders and is a key predictor of recidivism. The aim of this program evaluation was to determine the feasibility and usability of implementing a computer-assisted screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) program for DWI offenders to enable the identification of those in need of treatment services soon after arrest. Our treatment program consisted of a web-based, self-guided screening tool for assessing alcohol use patterns and generating a personalized feedback report that is then used to deliver a brief motivational intervention and if needed, a referral to treatment.

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Background: Youths with family histories of alcohol and other drug use disorders (FH+) are at increased susceptibility for developing substance use disorders relative to those without such histories (FH-). This vulnerability may be related to impaired adolescent development of impulse control and elevated risk-taking. However, no previous studies have prospectively examined impulse control and risk-taking in FH+ youth across adolescence.

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Objective: The aim of this study was to conduct a randomized test comparing 2 multicomponent, contingency management interventions, 1 with and 1 without a full parent training curriculum, and an individual treatment for adolescent cannabis use disorders.

Method: A total of 153 adolescents who met DSM-IV criteria for cannabis abuse or dependence were randomized to motivational enhancement therapy/cognitive-behavioral therapy (MET/CBT), MET/CBT+abstinence-based contingency management (CM), or MET/CBT+CM+Parent Training (PT).

Results: Overall, during treatment, abstinence was greater for youth receiving clinic- and home-based CM without PT compared to those who received individual MET/CBT.

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Individuals with a family history of substance use disorders (Family History Positive) are more likely to have early-onset substance use (i.e., prior to age 15), which may contribute to their higher rates of substance use disorders.

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Objective: This study aimed to characterize and compare the treatment needs of adults with driving while intoxicated (DWI) offenders recruited from a correctional residential treatment facility and the community to provide recommendations for treatment development.

Method: A total of 119 adults (59 residential, 60 community) with at least one DWI offense were administered clinical diagnostic interviews to assess substance use disorders and completed a battery of questionnaires assessing demographic characteristics, legal history, psychiatric diagnoses, medical diagnoses, and health care utilization.

Results: Almost all (96.

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Having a family history of substance use disorders (FH+) increases risk for developing a substance use disorder. This risk may be at least partially mediated by increased exposure to childhood stressors among FH+ individuals. However, measures typically used to assess exposure to stressors are narrow in scope and vary across studies.

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Article Synopsis
  • Youth with family histories of substance use (FH+) show increased impulsivity, particularly in delay discounting and response inhibition, compared to those without such histories (FH-).
  • A study involving 386 children aged 10-12 explored different types of impulsivity, revealing that FH+ individuals performed worse on certain impulsivity measures, while no differences were noted in response initiation impulsivity.
  • Findings suggest that understanding these impulse control deficits in FH+ youth may help identify those at higher risk for developing substance use disorders, emphasizing delay discounting as a critical indicator.
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Article Synopsis
  • Adolescents with substance use issues show poor treatment responses, linked to how they make impulsive decisions, specifically their tendency to prefer immediate rewards over delayed ones (delay discounting).
  • A study involving 30 adolescents assessed their decision-making through a task while using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to observe brain activity, revealing that higher impulsivity was connected to less engagement in brain areas responsible for executive control and more activation of reward valuation areas.
  • The findings highlight the interaction between decision-making networks in the brain, suggesting that understanding and addressing impulsivity could improve treatment outcomes for adolescent substance abuse.
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Objective: To adapt and pilot test a multicomponent motivational intervention that includes family-based contingency management (CM) for adolescents with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes.

Methods: A total of 17 adolescents, age 12-17 years (M = 14.8, SD = 1.

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  • The study investigated how problem severity and race/ethnicity influence therapist adherence and the emotional bond between families and therapists during Multisystemic Therapy (MST).
  • Data was analyzed from 185 adolescents and their caregivers, revealing differing patterns in therapist adherence and emotional bonding based on youth's race/ethnicity and behavioral issues.
  • Findings indicate that Caucasian youth with lower delinquency report better therapist adherence, while Hispanic/Latino caregivers with higher problem severity report lower adherence; interestingly, African-American youth with higher behavioral issues tend to report stronger emotional bonds with their therapists.
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This study examined biological (testosterone) and social (deviant peer affiliation) factors early in treatment as predictors of treatment outcome among adolescent boys receiving Multisystemic Therapy (MST) in community settings. Outcome variables included changes in youth aggression and delinquency as reported by the primary caregiver. Testosterone and deviant peer affiliation were assessed at treatment onset; and outcome variables (aggression and delinquency) were assessed at treatment onset, mid-treatment and end-of-treatment.

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The current study examined the impact of disruptive behavior disorder (DBD) on substance use outcomes in an adolescent sample. Sixty-eight adolescents and their caregivers were randomized to one of two fourteen-week, outpatient treatments: Motivational Enhancement Therapy/Cognitive Behavior Therapy (MET/CBT)+Parent Management Training+Contingency Management (CM; experimental) and MET/CBT+Parent Drug Education (attention control). This study assessed abstinence, substance use, externalizing behavior, and parenting outcomes over five assessment periods for youth with DBD (DBD(+)) and without DBD (DBD(-)).

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Little is known about the mechanisms of action that link perinatal risk and the development of aggressive behavior. The aim of this study was to examine whether perinatal risk and parenting interacted to specifically predict reactive aggression, as opposed to general aggressive behavior, and to examine cortisol reactivity as a mediator of this developmental risk process. In a community sample of 99 elementary school-aged children, prenatal risk was measured by a count of minor physical anomalies (MPAs), reactive aggression was measured by laboratory observations of aggression in response to provocation, and general aggression was measured by parent report.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to find predictors of delay discounting in adolescents undergoing treatment for marijuana abuse, and how this affects their treatment outcomes.
  • Results showed that younger adolescents valued smaller rewards less than larger rewards and that demographic variables, like socioeconomic status and race, were linked to their delay discounting rates.
  • Additionally, higher delay discounting for $1,000 was associated with better abstinence outcomes during treatment, suggesting that these teens may need customized intervention strategies focused on impulsivity and immediate reward preferences.
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