The protective role of valuing cultural activities on cannabis use in reserve-Dwelling First Nation youth.

Cannabis legalization and use across North America disproportionately negatively affects North American Indigenous (NAI) youth. Cultural activities may function as an alternative reinforcer to protect against substance use and promote engagement in substance-free activities. The present study explored the role of valuing cultural activities on positive cannabis expectancies and past-month cannabis use.

The relationship between discrimination, alcohol use severity, and PTSD symptoms among Latinx heavy drinkers.

Introduction: Discrimination is linked to alcohol use severity among Latinx adults, who also show high prevalence rates of PTSD compared to non-Latinx adults. We know little about whether PTSD symptoms affects the relationship between discrimination and alcohol use severity. We hypothesized that the association between discrimination and alcohol use severity might differ by level of PTSD symptom severity.

The Role of Savoring in Young Adult Cannabis Use and Associated Consequences: A Replication Study.

Young adults exhibit high rates of cannabis use and are at heightened risk of experiencing negative cannabis-associated consequences. The purpose of the present study was to replicate and extend to prior work on savoring, the ability to experience positive experiences/emotions, and cannabis use frequency on cannabis-associated consequences. Young adults (18-25 years old,  = 122, 36.

Discrimination and school outcomes in first nation youth: The role of positive psychological characteristics.

Introduction: Positive psychological characteristics have been found to be associated with discrimination and school outcomes separately; however, no work has examined these associations together or in North American Indigenous (NAI) populations. NAI adolescents experience high rates of racial discrimination. Because discrimination has a detrimental impact on academic outcomes it is critical to identify factors that could buffer this impact.

Ground-up approach to understanding the impacts of historical trauma in one reserve-dwelling first nations community.

Objective: First Nations peoples experience disproportionate health inequities compared to most non-Indigenous populations. Historical trauma is one factor that has received growing attention in relation to health inequities among First Nations populations. The goal of the present study was to improve understanding of the specific forms, impacts, and mechanisms of transmission of events that lead to historical trauma and the historical trauma response in First Nations peoples.

Primary Socialization Theory and American Indian Adolescents' Intentions to Use Substances.

Intentions to use substances are a robust risk factor for future substance use. Primary Socialization Theory (PST), with its focus on relational factors, is well-suited to provide insight into American Indian adolescents' intentions to use substances given the importance of relationships in American Indian communities. The goal of the present study was to examine the role of PST-related factors (i.

The role of culture in the association between racial discrimination and alcohol use among North American Indigenous adolescents reporting recent drinking.

Background: North American Indigenous (NAI) communities have identified alcohol use as a primary health concern. Experiences of racial discrimination are associated with greater alcohol use, but findings are mixed regarding the role of culture in this relationship. The goal of the present study was to examine the role of culture in the association between racial discrimination and alcohol use.

Perceived Racial Discrimination, Alcohol Use, and Alcohol-Related Problems: The Moderating Role of Self-Compassion in Reserve-Dwelling First Nation Youth.

North American Indigenous youth experience disproportionate rates of racial discrimination as well as consequences associated with alcohol use. Self-compassion has been found to be related to both racial discrimination and alcohol use, separately. However, no work to date has examined the role of self-compassion as a moderator of the links among racial discrimination and alcohol use and alcohol-related problems.

Cultural identity affiliation and alcohol use and related consequences among American Indian and White adolescents: A latent profile analysis.

Background: Adolescent alcohol use is a significant public health concern and rates of alcohol use are higher among American Indian (AI) adolescents than national samples of non-AI youth. A potential factor in understanding AI alcohol use is cultural identity, which can vary widely based on experiences of historical trauma. We used latent class analysis to examine cultural identity in AI and White adolescents and their alcohol use outcomes in relation to the latent class solutions.

The protective effects of self-compassion on alcohol-related problems among First Nation adolescents.

Given the disproportionate alcohol-related consequences experienced by North American Indigenous youth, there is a critical need to identify related risk and protective factors. Self-compassion, which has been found to mitigate the effects of trauma exposure, may serve as one such protective factor given the high-degree of historical trauma and contemporary discrimination identified as contributing to the alcohol-related disparities experienced by Indigenous communities. However, no research has examined how self-compassion (i.

Trauma and Substance Use among Indigenous Peoples of the United States and Canada: A Scoping Review.

Substance use has been identified by Indigenous populations as contributing to health disparities facing their communities. Rates of trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder are higher in Indigenous, compared to non-Indigenous, populations and have been linked to substance use. Historical trauma is thought to be one mechanism underlying substance use and related disorders.

Inclusion and reporting of sex, gender, and race/ethnicity in randomized controlled trials of nonpharmacological treatments for alcohol use disorder: A meta-epidemiologic review.

Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are among the most prevalent behavioral and mental health diagnoses. Individuals with an AUD are at increased risk for numerous consequences across their social, health, and psychological functioning. Research suggests that differences may exist in the prevalence and consequences of AUD and in the efficacy of AUD treatment across demographic characteristics (i.

A retrospective examination of changes in drinking motives during the early COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to substantial changes in college student alcohol use. Changes in drinking motives may explain some of these changes in drinking patterns. The purpose of the present study is to explore how drinking motives and alcohol use have changed amongst college students considering the timeframes before and after the onset of COVID-19 pandemic (i.

Harm reduction acceptability and feasibility in a North American indigenous reserve community.

Aims: The present study assessed community and culturally specific alcohol-related harm among North American Indigenous (NAI) individuals, as well as the acceptability and feasibility of harm reduction approaches in one reserve-based NAI community.

Methods: Participants lived on or near a NAI reserve in Canada. Semi-structured focus groups were conducted with health care workers (N = 8, 75% NAI) and community members (N = 9, 100% NAI).

Assaultive trauma, alcohol use, and alcohol-related consequences among American Indian adolescents.

Background: American Indian (AI) adolescents report disproportionate higher rates of alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences than adolescents from other racial/ethnic groups. Trauma exposure is also reported at high rates among AI individuals and likely confers risk for alcohol use. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of assaultive trauma experiences (e.

Depression and alcohol use in American Indian adolescents: The influence of family factors.

Background: Rates of both depression and alcohol use are disproportionately higher among American Indian (AI) adolescents than adolescents in the general population. The co-occurrence of depression and alcohol use is common and clinically relevant given their reciprocal negative influences on outcomes. Family factors may be especially relevant because they could have a buffering effect on this relationship due to the importance of kinship and community in AI communities.

Drinking to Fit in: The Effects of Drinking Motives and Self-Esteem on Alcohol Use among Female College Students.

Over the past two decades, rates of alcohol use among female students have risen to meet or even surpass those seen among males. Yet, little is known about factors that play a role in the relationship between drinking motives and alcohol consumption for female college students. The present study examines self-esteem as a moderator in the association between categories of drinking motives and alcohol use in a sample of female college students.

Racial discrimination, racial identity affiliation, and heavy alcohol use among multiracial individuals.

Background: Alcohol use is disproportionately higher among multiracial than monoracial adults; yet, associated risk and protective factors are underexplored. The present study compared levels of experienced racial discrimination, racial identity affiliation, and heavy alcohol use among multiracial and monoracial adults and tested whether racial identity affiliation, experienced racial discrimination, and their interaction were significantly associated with heavy alcohol use among multiracial individuals.

Methods: We conducted secondary analyses of data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III.

Testing the competing life reinforcers model for substance use in reserve-dwelling First Nation youth.

Purpose: North American Indigenous (NAI) communities often cite substance misuse as problematic in their communities. The Competing Life Reinforcers (CLRs) model suggests that when reinforcers are valued, important, and incompatible with substance use, they will be associated with less substance misuse. Three categories of CLRs were identified in our formative work and include the following: cultural, social, and extracurricular activities.

A Framework for the Adaptation of Positive Psychological Interventions to North American Indigenous Populations.

Positive psychology research has led to the development of brief interventions designed to promote positive emotions: positive psychological interventions (PPIs). Randomized controlled trials examining PPIs have found them to be effective in increasing well-being and decreasing depressive symptoms. PPIs have been studied in samples consisting primarily of White Americans; however, PPIs may be useful for members of North American Indigenous groups.

Diversity inclusion in United States opioid pharmacological treatment trials: A systematic review.

Pharmacological treatments for opioid use disorders (OUDs) may have mixed efficacy across diverse groups, i.e., sex/gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES).

Marijuana use and intentions among American Indian adolescents: Perceived risks, benefits, and peer use.

Objective: The present study examines how perceptions of peer use, risks of use, and benefits to oneself and others from marijuana use are associated with past-month marijuana use and intentions to use marijuana socially among American Indian (AI) youth.

Method: The American Drug and Alcohol Survey (ADAS), a measure of substance use and related factors, was administered to AI youth living on or near reservations across six geographic regions (n = 3,498, 49.5% female, M age = 14.

Valuing Cultural Activities Moderating the Association Between Alcohol Expectancies and Alcohol Use Among First Nation Adolescents.

Objective: Indigenous youth often exhibit high rates of alcohol use and experience disproportionate alcohol-related harm. We examined the moderating role that valuing cultural activities has on the relationship between positive alcohol expectancies and alcohol use and heavy drinking in a sample of Indigenous youth.

Method: First Nation adolescents between ages 11 and 18 living on a reserve in eastern Canada (N = 106; mean age = 14.

Three As of American Indian adolescent marijuana use: Availability, acceptability, and approval.

Background: American Indian (AI) adolescents report high rates of marijuana use and related consequences and availability of marijuana has a robust relationship with marijuana use. The purpose of the present study was to examine the role of perceptions of approval (i.e.