Daniel Lloret Irles

Diseño y validación de una escala de intención de consumo de cannabis (CUIQ) para adolescentes

In Spain, one in four 14 to 18-year-old adolescents has used cannabis during the last twelve months. Demand for treatment has increased in European countries. These facts have prompted the development of preventive interventions that require screening tools in order to identify the vulnerable population and to properly asses the efficacy of such interventions. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), widely used to forecast behavioural intention, has also demonstrated a good predictive capacity in addictions. The aim of this study is to design and validate a Cannabis Use Intention Questionnaire (CUIQ) based on TPB. 1,011 teenagers answered a set of tests to assess attitude towards use, subjective norms, self-efficacy towards non-use, and intention to use cannabis. CUIQ had good psychometric properties. Structural Equation Modelling results confirm the predictive model on intention to use cannabis in the Spanish adolescent sample, classified as users and non-users, explaining 40% of variance of intention to consume. CUIQ is aimed at providing a better understanding of the psychological processes that lead to cannabis use and allowing the evaluation of programmes. This can be particularly useful for improving the design and implementation of selective prevention programmes.

Predicting cannabis use among adolescents in four European Countries: combining personal values and the theory of planned behaviour

Abstract Aims: The onset and maintenance of cannabis use have been explained with reference to the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). At the same time, personal values play an important role in determining appropriate behaviour during social interactions, and cannabis use is no exception. Combining Schwartz’s Theory of Human Values and the TPB offers a framework for identifying the relationship between adolescents’ personal values structure and cannabis use. The two main aims of this study are to: (1) test a predictive model that combines these two theories to explore the interaction of cultural and personal variables that influence cannabis use during adolescence; and (2) analyse the moderation effect of four European countries on the proposed model. Methods: A total of 3768 secondary school students from Spain, Italy, Romania and Portugal completed a questionnaire on personal values and the TPB applied to cannabis use intention. Direct and indirect effects were assessed using path analysis and moderation effects using multi-group analysis. Results: Collectivistic values (i.e. conformity and tradition) were associated with low cannabis intention and use, individualistic values (i.e. hedonism and power) with higher cannabis intention and use. Regarding the moderation effect of countries, the effects of attitudes on intention and cannabis use were higher among Italian participants, who also showed a high prevalence of cannabis use. Meanwhile the effect of abstinence self-efficacy was lower among Romanian and Portuguese participants, both of whom reported lower cannabis use. Conclusion: The results support the notion that personal values are background variables that affect cannabis use through the TPB variables.

Impulsividad y adicción a los videojuegos

La impulsividad ha sido asociada con el abuso de drogas y las adicciones comportamentales. La impulsividad puede modular el desarrollo de la adiccion a los videojuegos. El objetivo del presente estudio es analizar la relacion entre impulsividad, la frecuencia e intensidad de uso de videojuegos y la adiccion a los videojuegos. Un total de 411 adolescentes de 12 a 16 anos de edad, cumplimentaron la escala GASA (Gaming Addiction Scale for Adolescents), la Escala de Impulsividad de Plutchik y un cuestionario sobre la conducta de juego. Los analisis descriptivos de la conducta de juego revelaron diferencias de genero, por lo tanto se adopto un enfoque de genero. Los resultados indican que la impulsividad esta asociada a la adiccion a los videojuegos en ambos generos y mantiene relacion unicamente con el tiempo dedicado a los videojuegos en dias laborales. La impulsividad es un factor a tener en cuenta en el desarrollo de la conducta problematica de juego y debe ser tenida en cuenta para explicar la conducta problematica de videojuegos y en las intervenciones preventivas y/o terapeuticas.