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Client Heart Rate Variability In Motivational Interviewing For Alcohol Use, Brigitte R. Stevens

Psychology ETDs

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a useful tool for clinical practice and substance use research, as it may provide insight into liability for relapse or development of addiction, as well as provide indicators of recovery outcomes and response to treatment. Psychotherapy would benefit from an integrated understanding of physiological regulation systems such as what are measured by HRV, as HRV is linked to psychopathology and substance use disorders.

HRV was measured in non-treatment-seeking adult drinkers as they underwent a motivational interviewing (MI) session. Subjects’ HRV from the interview was then regressed on therapist MI-consistent behaviors. The subjects’ drinking at both …

Substance Use Treatment Accessibility For Pregnant And Postpartum Women, Adrienne Borders

Psychology ETDs

This study aimed to (1) characterize substance use treatment preferences, barriers, and attitudes in an under-represented sample of pregnant and postpartum women; (2) examine associations between barriers and help-seeking preferences, treatment attitudes, treatment engagement, substance use, and well-being; and (3) examine moderating effects of culture. Participants were 27 women, most of whom were treatment-experienced, of ethnic minority status, and from lower-income households. Results indicated flexibility in treatment preferences, and positive attitudes about treatment despite an extensive number of barriers. Participants indicated greater interference from stigma, relative to instrumental barriers. Qualitative responses revealed unique barriers experienced by this sample, and offspring …

Evaluating Differences In Drink Refusal Training And Posttreatment Outcomes In Women In Individual Alcohol Treatment, Rosa Munoz

Psychology ETDs

This study sought to establish the topography of drink refusal behaviors clients engage in while undergoing manual-guided Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD). Prior research has demonstrated that clients who receive specific skills training on how to assertively refuse drinks are less likely to relapse. Behavioral coding has been used previously to explore in-session behaviors by both client and therapist. Using this methodology, a coding manual (Drink Refusal and Motivation-Alcohol; DRAM-A) was developed for the present study. We sought to explore the relationship between differential types of drink refusal behaviors uttered by clients receiving treatment for AUD …

The Role Of Descriptive Social Norms In Opioid And Other Substance Use Among College Students, Karlyn A. Edwards

Psychology ETDs

Recreational opioid use among college students has increased steadily over the past decade, and has been shown to be influenced by social pressures. Social norm informed interventions have been used to help correct student misperceptions of peer substance use and curb personal substance use, however most of this research has been centered on alcohol use. This study examined the role of descriptive social norms of two peer reference groups (close friend and acquaintance) at two time periods (30 days and 12 months) in a number of different substances, including opioids, alcohol, marijuana, stimulants, sedatives, and psychedelics in a diverse sample …