Christopher J. Correia

An affective-motivational model of marijuana and alcohol problems among college students.

The study examined models of marijuana (n = 309) and alcohol (n = 731) problems. Impulsivity was directly associated with both marijuana- and alcohol-related problems. Negative mood regulation expectancies were indirectly associated with marijuana problems through coping motives. Sensation seeking was indirectly associated with alcohol problems through enhancement motives. Affect lability and negative affect were indirectly associated with alcohol problems though coping motives. In both models, coping motives were directly associated with use-related problems. A multigroup analysis indicated that the association between negative affect and coping motives as well as use and problems was stronger among participants using both alcohol and marijuana relative to alcohol only. Enhancement motives were a stronger predictor of alcohol use among participants using alcohol only.

A comparison of motives for marijuana and alcohol use among experienced users

Motivational models suggest that individuals use substances to achieve desired effects. Given different pharmacological effects across drug classes, and variations in social context, one would expect that the motives instigating use differ by drug class. However, commonalties in motives across drugs have also been observed. The purpose of this study was to examine similarities and differences across a common set of motives for alcohol and marijuana among experienced users of both drugs. Participants were 46 college students (21 women) who completed a motives assessment twice, once for marijuana and once for alcohol. All had used each drug 60 or more times in their lifetime. Social motives were more highly endorsed for alcohol than marijuana. Expansion motives were more highly endorsed for marijuana. Enhancement motives were more highly endorsed for marijuana than alcohol among women but not men. Endorsement of coping and conformity motives did not differ across drugs. Experienced users of marijuana and alcohol discriminate between their reasons for using the two drugs. These findings are discussed with regard to the differentiation between and commonalties among substances of abuse.

Using Behavioral Theories of Choice to Predict Drinking Outcomes Following a Brief Intervention.

Behavioral theories of choice predict that substance use is partly a function of the relative value of drugs in relation to other available reinforcers. This study evaluated this hypothesis in the context of predicting drinking outcomes following an alcohol abuse intervention. Participants (N = 54, 69% female, 31% male) were college student heavy drinkers who completed a single-session motivational intervention. Students completed a baseline measure of substance-related and substance-free activity participation and enjoyment. Only women showed a significant reduction in drinking at the 6-month follow-up, and the ratio of substance-related to substance-free reinforcement accounted for unique variance in their drinking outcomes. Women who at baseline derived a smaller proportion of their total reinforcement from substance use showed lower levels of follow-up drinking, even after the authors controlled for baseline drinking level. Male and female participants who reduced their drinking showed increased proportional reinforcement from substance-free activities.

Relationship Between Facebook Use and Problematic Internet Use Among College Students

The popularity of Facebook and other online social-networking sites has led to research on the potential risks of use, including Internet addiction. Previous studies have reported that between 8 percent and 50 percent of college students report problems consistent with Internet addiction. The current study assessed a range of variables related to Facebook use, and sought to determine how the use of Facebook relates to problematic Internet use. Undergraduate participants (N=281, 72 percent women) completed a battery of self-report measures, including the Internet Addiction Test, via an online interface. The results of the current study suggest that a sizable minority of students experience problems related to Internet use and that the use of Facebook may contribute to the severity of symptoms associated with Internet addiction.

Severe mental illness and addictions : Assessment considerations

This article provides a selective overview of the empirical literature on substance use assessment for persons with severe mental illness. We organize the review around key questions related to three assessment goals. With regard to screening, we address what screening tools are appropriate for use in psychiatric settings, and what methodological concerns arise regarding their use in these contexts. With regard to diagnosis, we discuss why diagnosing comorbid disorders is difficult and how clinicians can enhance the reliability and validity of their diagnoses. With regard to the related goals of treatment planning and outcome evaluation, we consider what are appropriate outcome measures, and how assessment information can assist in treatment planning. Finally, we outline three promising directions for future research: (a) evaluating the psychometric properties of established substance-related measures in persons with severe mental illness, (b) identifying the conditions under which self-report information is more or less accurate, and (c) improving the population relevance of substance assessment instruments.

Relationships between binge drinking and substance-free reinforcement in a sample of college students A preliminary investigation

Heavy episodic drinking is a relatively common phenomenon among college students, and students who engage in binge drinking are at increased risk for a variety of adverse consequences. This paper investigates relationships between substance use and reinforcement derived from specific categories of substance-free activities among a sample of 256 college undergraduates. Data from a standardized behavioral inventory were used to compare the frequency, pleasure, and reinforcement potential of substance-free events and activities experienced by binge drinkers and a comparison group. Binge drinkers reported significantly lower scores across a variety of substance-free activity categories and, in the majority of the cases, the relationship between binge drinking and decreased reinforcement density remained significant after accounting for the effects of the use of other drugs and demographic variables. These results are consistent with a growing body of evidence linking substance use to deprivation of substance-free reinforcement.

Brief alcohol intervention with college student drinkers: face-to-face versus computerized feedback.

Research has demonstrated that brief interventions featuring personalized feedback can be used to decrease alcohol use among heavy-drinking college students. The current study investigated the efficacy of face-to-face and computer delivered interventions relative to an assessment-only control condition. The content of the personalized feedback was identical across the face-to-face and computerized conditions. There were 84 at-risk students assessed before, and 4 weeks after, the delivery of the interventions. The results suggest that both face-to-face and computerized interventions were equally successful in reducing the quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption, and that both interventions were more effective than the control condition. Participants also rated both interventions as acceptable, although the face-to-face intervention was given a more favorable rating. These initial results suggest that computerized interventions can be used to efficiently reduce alcohol use among college students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

Predicting drug use: application of behavioral theories of choice.

The current study sought to test the utility of Herrnsteins (1970) matching law in predicting drug use occurring in the natural environment. Participants were 206 college students. Behavioral allocation was measured across two concurrently available sets of activities: those engaged in while using or under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol (drug related) and those engaged in when drug free. Results from regression analyses indicate that predictions of drug use are improved with the addition of reinforcement received from drug-free activities, which enters the model with a negative coefficient value. The addition of a reinforcement ratio, based on matching law equations, also accounted for unique variance. Results demonstrate the utility of applying behavioral theories of choice to drug use and highlight the importance of viewing behaviors within their broader environmental context.

Reliability and validity of the Addiction Severity Index among outpatients with severe mental illness.

This study provides psychometric data for the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) when administered to persons with severe and persistent mental disorders. Participants were 97 outpatients (26 women) at a public psychiatric facility. The internal consistency of the composite scores was lower in this psychiatric sample than in previous nonpsychiatric samples. Interrater reliability was acceptable for most composite scores but low for many severity ratings. Several scores showed low temporal stability. Validity evidence was weak for the employment and family-social subscales, acceptable for drug and alcohol subscales, and mixed for psychiatric, medical, and legal subscales. Due to mixed reliability and validity evidence, caution should be exercised when using the ASI with patients having severe mental illness.

Measuring Substance-Free and Substance-Related Reinforcement in the Natural Environment

The present study sought to provide further evidence for the validity of a modified version of the Pleasant Events Schedule (PES; D. J. MacPhillamy & P. M. Lewinsohn, 1982) designed to measure substance-free and substance-related reinforcement. A sample of 134 young adults completed the modified PES along with measures of substance use and quality of life. The results extend previous research on the modified PES in 3 ways: (a) Information regarding the relationships between substance-related reinforcement and substance use are expanded to include substance-use frequency, quantity, and related negative consequences; (b) relationships between substance-free reinforcement and non-substance-related variables are established; and (c) the distinctiveness of the substance-free and substance-related reinforcement scores is demonstrated. The utility of reinforcement surveys in the study of substance use is discussed, with special emphasis placed on possible treatment implications.