Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Criterion Validity Of Protective Behavioral Strategies For Alcohol Consumption Among College Students, Abby L. Braitman, Amy Stamates, Melissa Colangelo, Sarah J. Ehlke, Jordan Ortman, Kristin E. Heron, Kate B. Carey

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Protective behavioral strategies (PBS), or behaviors used to reduce harm associated with alcohol use, are often associated with lower levels of alcohol consumption, lower engagement in high-risk drinking behaviors, and fewer alcohol-related consequences. Although the majority of studies have found significant associations between higher PBS use and lower consumption or consequences, some studies have found nonsignificant or even positive associations. One explanatory hypothesis is that the mixed findings are due to differential content in PBS measures. Objectives: The current study examined the criterion validity of two widely-used PBS measures, the PBSS and the SQ. In a multi-institution online …

Genetic Associations Between Alcohol Phenotypes And Life Satisfaction: A Genomic Structural Equation Modeling Approach, Kaitlin E. Bountress, Shannon E. Cusack, Sage E. Hawn, Andrew Grotzinger, Daniel Bustamante, Robert M. Kirkpatrick, Howard J. Edenberg, Ananda B. Amstadter

Psychology Faculty Publications

Alcohol use (i.e., quantity, frequency) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are common, associated with adverse outcomes, and genetically-influenced. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified genetic loci associated with both. AUD is positively genetically associated with psychopathology, while alcohol use (e.g., drinks per week) is negatively associated or NS related to psychopathology. We wanted to test if these genetic associations extended to life satisfaction, as there is an interest in understanding the associations between psychopathology-related traits and constructs that are not just the absence of psychopathology, but positive outcomes (e.g., well-being variables). Thus, we used Genomic Structural Equation Modeling (gSEM) to analyze …

Time To Ask Program At Greater Portland Health [Infographic], Evelyn Ali Bs, Mary Lindsey Smith Phd

Substance Use Research & Evaluation

The goals of the Time to Ask education and quality improvement program of the Lunder Dineen include increasing the capacity of interprofessional care teams in discussing alcohol use with the patients through the screening, brief intervention, and referral (SBIRT) process, and expanding providers' use of screening and monitoring unhealthy alcohol use of their patients.

This evaluation infographic visualizes the impact of Greater Portland Health's use of this program.

For more information about Time to Ask, visit https://lunderdineen.org/program/alcohol-use-time-to-ask/

For more information about the evaluation, please contact M. Lindsey Smith, PhD, m.lindsey.smith@maine.edu

Alcohol Use In Women: Resources And Recommendations For Counselors, Samantha Haling

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

The research shows that alcohol use is rising rapidly among women, resulting in devastating consequences that have not been sufficiently explored in counselor education and training. This paper aims to address this by providing a review of the literature which shows that women are more vulnerable to many of the physical and mental health consequences of alcohol use than men, and that they have unique treatment needs and face gender-specific risk factors and barriers to treatment. The review examines the interaction between gender and alcohol use, summarizes the existing research on the physical and behavioral health consequences of alcohol use …

Distress Tolerance As A Potential Target For Change: The Relationship Between Distress Tolerance, Craving, And Alcohol Consumption In A Lab-Based Experiment, Isabel F. Augur

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Distress tolerance (DT) has recently been studied as a potential catalyst for the development ofalcohol use disorder (AUD). Research exploring the relationship between DT and craving is limited and has primarily focused on nicotine craving. Furthermore, there are no current studies examining the relationship between DT and alcohol consumption. This study was designed to fill this gap in the literature, which may shed light on a potentially important target for alcohol use treatment. Additionally, the role of mindfulness was explored in the context of the relationship between DT and alcohol craving and consumption, with the intention of expanding on the …

Minority Stress And Alcohol Use In Sexual Minority Women's Daily Lives, Robin J. Lewis, Kelly A. Romano, Sarah J. Ehlke, Cathy Lau-Barraco, Cassidy M. Sandoval, Douglas J. Glenn, Kristin E. Heron

Psychology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Sexual Coercion, Drinking To Cope Motives, And Alcohol-Related Consequences Among Self-Identified Bisexual Women, Michelle L. Kelly, Sarah J. Ehlke, Robin J. Lewis, Abby L. Braitman, Wendy Bostwick, Kristin E. Heron, Cathy Lau-Barraco

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Given higher sexual victimization and greater alcohol use among bisexual women, a critical public health challenge is to understand within-group variation that may heighten or explain these associations in bisexual women. Objectives: The present study tested a moderated-mediation model in which sexual coercion was hypothesized to be associated with alcohol-related consequences via drinking to cope motives in self-identified bisexual women who reported at least occasional binge drinking. Negative affect was hypothesized to moderate the sexual coercion-drinking to cope motives association. Methods: Participants were a community sample of 107 self-identified bisexual women (age M = 20.97, SD = 2.11) who …

Interactive Effects Of Ovarian Steroid Hormones On Alcohol Use And Binge Drinking Across The Menstrual Cycle, Michelle M. Martel, Tory Eisenlohr-Moul, Bethan A. Roberts

Psychology Faculty Publications

Patterns and features of substance use and abuse vary across the menstrual cycle in humans. Yet, little work has systematically examined the within-person relationships between ovarian hormone changes and alcohol use across the menstrual cycle. Our study was the first to examine the roles of within-person levels of estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) in relation to daily alcohol use and binge drinking in young women. Participants were 22 naturally cycling women, ages 18-22, recruited through a university subject pool who reported any alcohol use and who completed a screening visit assessing study eligibility, followed by 35 subsequent days of data …

Protective Behavioral Strategies As A Context-Specific Mediator: A Multilevel Examination Of Within- And Between-Person Associations Of Daily Drinking, Abby L. Braitman, Ashley N. Linden-Carmichael, James M. Henson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Research indicates that a drinker’s environmental and social context can be differentially associated with drinking outcomes. Further, although many researchers have identified that more frequent use of protective behavioral strategies (PBS) is associated with lower alcohol consumption and negative consequences, scant research has examined how one’s drinking context may promote or hinder PBS use. The present study examined how the context of drinking each day (i.e., where and with whom) is associated with level of consumption and reported alcohol-related problems among n = 284 college drinkers (69.0% female) directly, as well as indirectly through the use of PBS. Two different …

A Preliminary Investigation Of Caffeinated Alcohol Use During Spring Break, Ashley N. Linden-Carmichael, Cathy Lau-Barraco

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Caffeinated alcoholic beverages (e.g., Red Bull and vodka) are popular but associated with negative consequences. CABs may be particularly popular during Spring Break, a potentially risky social event.

Objectives: We aimed to identify the prevalence of Spring Break caffeinated alcohol use, determine how caffeinated alcohol use Spring Break drinking habits differ from usual, and examine the association between Spring Break caffeinated alcohol use and alcohol-related problems.

Methods: Data were collected from 95 college students during March of 2013 and 2014. Students completed questionnaires of their alcohol and caffeinated alcohol use before and during Spring Break and Spring Break alcohol-related …

Alcohol Expectancies Mediate The Relationship Between Age Of First Intoxication And Drinking Outcomes In College Binge Drinkers, Amy L. Stamates, Cathy Lau-Barraco, Ashley Linden-Carmichael

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: While prior research has shown that age of first intoxication (AI) is associated with negative alcohol outcomes, limited research has examined factors accounting for this relationship. Alcohol expectancies, or beliefs about the effects of alcohol, may explain such associations as both positive and negative expectancies have been shown to be key predictors of drinking outcomes.

Objective: The present study examined expectancies as mediators between early AI and alcohol-related outcomes.

Method: Data collection occurred in 2012 and 2013. Participants were college students (N = 562, 65.8% women) who completed an online survey including measures of alcohol use history, alcohol expectancies, …

A Latent Profile Analysis Of Drinking Patterns Among Nonstudent Emerging Adults, Cathy Lau-Barraco, Abby L. Braitman, Amy L. Stamates, Ashley N. Linden-Carmichael

Psychology Faculty Publications

Research indicates that nonstudent emerging adults, as compared to their college-attending peers, are at higher risk for experiencing alcohol-related problems, including alcohol use disorders. The present study sought to extend the limited research on nonstudent drinking by (1) identifying sub-groups of nonstudent drinkers based on their drinking patterns and (2) determining the extent to which social-cognitive between-person factors related to drinking (i.e., social expectancies, perceived drinking norms, social drinking motivations) distinguish these sub-groups. Participants were 195 (65.1% men) nonstudent emerging adult heavy episodic drinkers recruited from the community. Mean age was 21.88 (SD = 2.08) years and 45.4% were unemployed. …

Association Between Childhood Sexual Abuse And Hiv-Related Risk Factors For Hiv-Positive Haitian Women, Marie Sandra Severe

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is one of the least studied HIV-related risk factors in Haiti although research in the United States and Europe has clearly established the link between childhood trauma and HIV risk behaviors. Understanding the role and impact of CSA on HIV-positive Haitian women is likely to strengthen future HIV prevention and treatment efforts aimed at this vulnerable group.

The current study was a cross-sectional examination of baseline data collected during a randomized trial of a cognitive-behavioral stress management (CBSM) intervention in Haiti. The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between CSA and sexual risk …

State Responses To Alcohol Use And Pregnancy: Findings From The Alcohol Policy Information System, Laurie Drabble, Sue Thomas, Lisa O'Connor, Sarah Roberts

Faculty Publications

This article describes U.S. state policies related to alcohol use during pregnancy, using data from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Alcohol Policy Information System. Specifically, this study examines trends in policies enacted by states over time and types of policies enacted across states in the United States, with a focus on whether laws were supportive or punitive toward women. Findings revealed substantial variability in characteristics of policies (19 primarily supportive, 12 primarily punitive, 12 with a mixed approach, and 8 with no policies). Findings underscore the need to examine possible consequences of policies, especially of punitive policies …

Drinking Buddies: Who Are They And When Do They Matter?, Cathy Lau-Barraco, Ashley N. Linden

Psychology Faculty Publications

The present study sought to further examine the role of peers on alcohol use and problems among young adults. In particular, we focused on a specific subset of peers in one's social network mostly for activities related to alcohol use called "drinking buddies." The presence of drinking buddies in one's social network has been shown to predict heavy drinking uniquely over time but few studies have focused on potential factors moderating the relationship. Consequently, an aim of present study was to examine the influence of drinking buddies on alcohol outcomes and the extent to which the relationship may be dependent …

Leveraging Family Values To Decrease Unhealthy Alcohol Use In Aging Latino Day Laborers, Homero E. Del Pino, Carolyn Méndez-Luck, Georgiana Bostean, Karina Ramírez, Marlom Portillo, Alison A. Moore

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

In one Los Angeles study, 20% of day laborers reported excessive drinking. Older adults are more sensitive to alcohol’s effects, yet heavy drinking persists among Latinos until they are in their 60s. No interventions to reduce heavy drinking exist for aging day laborers. We recruited 14 day laborers aged 50 and older in Los Angeles. We identified their unhealthy alcohol use behaviors and comorbidities and conducted semi-structured interviews to understand their perceptions of unhealthy alcohol use. We found social disadvantages and conditions exacerbated by alcohol use, like depression. Participants were concerned with dying and premature aging, and reported that family …

Predictive Effects Of Good Self-Control And Poor Regulation On Alcohol-Related Outcomes: Do Protective Behavioral Strategies Mediate?, Matthew R. Pearson, Benjamin A. Kite, James M. Henson

Psychology Faculty Publications

In the present study, we examined whether use of protective behavioral strategies mediated the relationship between self-control constructs and alcohol-related outcomes. According to the two-mode model of self-control, good self-control (planfulness; measured with Future Time Perspective, Problem Solving, and Self-Reinforcement) and poor regulation (impulsivity; measured with Present Time Perspective, Poor Delay of Gratification, Distractibility) are theorized to be relatively independent constructs rather than opposite ends of a single continuum. The analytic sample consisted of 278 college student drinkers (68% women) who responded to a battery of surveys at a single time point. Using a structural equation model based on the …

Unplanned Drinking And Alcohol-Related Problems: A Preliminary Test Of The Model Of Unplanned Drinking Behavior, Matthew R. Pearson, James M. Henson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Much research links impulsivity with alcohol use and problems. In 2 studies, unplanned (or impulsive) drinking is assessed directly to determine whether it has direct effects on alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. In Study 1, we examined whether unplanned drinking serves as a proximal mediator of the effects of impulsivity-like traits on alcohol-related outcomes. With a sample of 211 college student drinkers, we found that the Unplanned Drinking Scale was significantly related to alcohol use, and perhaps more important, had a direct effect on alcohol-related problems even after controlling for frequency and quantity of alcohol use. Furthermore, unplanned drinking partially …

The Assessment Of Protective Behavioral Strategies: Comparing The Absolute Frequency And Contingent Frequency Response Scales, Benjamin A. Kite, Matthew R. Pearson, James M. Henson

Psychology Faculty Publications

The purpose of the present studies was to examine the effects of response scale on the observed relationships between protective behavioral strategies (PBS) measures and alcohol-related outcomes. We reasoned that an "absolute frequency" scale (stem: "how many times..."; response scale: 0 times to 11 + times) conflates the frequency of using PBS with the frequency of consuming alcohol; thus, we hypothesized that the use of an absolute frequency response scale would result in positive relationships between types of PBS and alcohol-related outcomes. Alternatively, a "contingent frequency" scale (stem: "When drinking ... how often ..."; response scale: never to always …

Daily Use Of Protective Behavioral Strategies And Alcohol-Related Outcomes Among College Students, Matthew R. Pearson, Gabrielle M. D'Lima, Michelle L. Kelley

Psychology Faculty Publications

The purpose of the present study was to examine associations between use of protective behavioral strategies (PBS) and alcohol-related outcomes (alcohol consumption, negative alcohol consequences, and positive alcohol consequences) using a daily diary approach. This approach is less affected by retrospective memory biases than typical self-reports of alcohol-related variables and allows the examination of both between-subjects and within-person effects. Using hierarchical linear modeling of data from 40 subjects who completed daily dairies for up to 15 days, we found significant within-person variation in PBS use over time, and each type of PBS had unique relationships with alcohol-related outcomes. For example, …

Drinking Buddies And Their Prospective Influence On Alcohol Outcomes: Alcohol Expectancies As A Mediator, Cathy Lau-Barraco, Abbly L. Braitman, Kenneth E. Leonard, Miguel Padilla

Psychology Faculty Publications

The process by which peers or the social network influence individual alcohol use, particularly among adults, remains a necessary area of research. The purpose of the present study was to examine the longitudinal influence of "drinking buddies" on alcohol outcomes (i.e., alcohol use, heavy drinking, and alcohol-related problems) as mediated by alcohol expectancies of social facilitation. Participants were 1347 (men = 660, women = 687) newly married individuals recruited from the community. They were assessed at the time of marriage and through the fourth wedding anniversary. Longitudinal mediation across time was evaluated using latent growth modeling. Overall, the prospective association …

Characteristics Of Patients Admitted With Alcohol Related Traumatic Injuries, Jessica Wolf

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Alcohol use is well recognized as a contributor to traumatic injury. The purpose of this review was to describe the demographics of patients admitted to a regional trauma center with alcohol related traumatic injuries in order to improve service to this population and provide injury prevention programs directed towards this population.

Research Question: What are the characteristics of patients admitted to St. Marys Hospital with an alcohol related traumatic injury?

Development And Vulnerability Factors In Adolescent Alcohol Use, Karen G. Chartier, Michie N. Hesselbrock, Victor M. Hesselbrock

Social Work Publications

This article provides an overview of the characteristics of adolescent alcohol use, normative and subgroup variations in drinking behavior, and important factors associated with an increased risk for developing alcohol problems in later adolescence and young adulthood. A parental/family history of alcoholism, temperament traits, conduct problems, cognitive functioning, alcohol expectancies, and peer and other social relations are identified as influencing an adolescent’s susceptibility for initiating a variety of alcohol use behaviors. The Deviance Prone Model, proposed by Sher (1991), is presented as an important tool for testing possible relationships among the various risk factors and their sequencing that leads to …

College Students Concern Toward Public Intoxication, Ashley N. Mason

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

A survey of college students was administered in order to better understand why students choose to either walk after consuming alcoholic beverages or drive after consuming alcoholic beverages. Students were asked to answer demographic questions along with opinion questions as well. The main variables used in this study were perceived severity of offense, perceived certainty of offense (i.e. level of concern about getting stopped), moral condemnation and punishment avoidance.

Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analyses were examined to see what characteristics have an impact on students behavior regarding public intoxication. Although significant with one or both dependent variables, perceived severity, perceived …

Globalization And Drug And Alcohol Use In Rural Communities In Nigeria: A Case Study, Charles Fiki

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper presents an exploratory study of alcohol and drug use in two rural communities in Plateau State, Nigeria. The aim is to raise awareness of the rural alcohol and drug problem. The paper examines the patterns of alcohol consumption and drug use, and their perceived functions for substance use among rural farmers in Nigeria. The study shows the common use of marijuana and alcohol in addition to prescription drugs. There is also evidence of multiple or combinational drug use. Pleasure and relaxation emerged as the major reasons for drug and alcohol use. Factors influencing alcohol and drug use are …

Early Adolescent Through Young Adult Alcohol And Marijuana Use Trajectories: Early Predictors, Young Adult Outcomes, And Predictive Utility, Kate Flory, Donald Lynam, Richard Milich, Carl Leukefeld, Richard Clayton

Psychology Faculty Publications

The present study takes a developmental approach to subgrouping and examines the trajectories of substance use from early adolescence through young adulthood among a community sample of 481 individuals. The patterns of use were examined, subgroups were identified separately for men and women and for alcohol and marijuana, and psychosocial predictors and psychopathology outcomes that differentiated the groups were identified. The results revealed three substantially overlapping subgroups for both alcohol and marijuana: early onset, late onset, and nonuser. Although the general patterns of which dependent variables were related to group were similar for alcohol and marijuana, a closer examination revealed …

An Exploratory Study Of The Correlates Of Drug Use Among Juveniles: Analysis Of Regional Variations In The United States, Denise D. Nation

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Research on substance use and abuse has increased exponentially over the past twenty-five years. However, research focusing on regional differences in drug use seems to be very limited. The purpose of this study is to examine the correlates of drug use among juveniles in the four major geographic regions of the United States: the Northeast, the North Central, the South and the West. Here, drug use is defined in terms of alcohol and marijuana use for the age group 12-19. Four research hypotheses are proposed. The 1996 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse data was used to assess and analyze …