Monica Susanne Bachmann

Comparing growth trajectories of risk behaviors from late adolescence through young adulthood: an accelerated design

Risk behaviors such as substance use or deviance are often limited to the early stages of the life course. Whereas the onset of risk behavior is well studied, less is currently known about the decline and timing of cessation of risk behaviors of different domains during young adulthood. Prevalence and longitudinal developmental patterning of alcohol use, drinking to the point of drunkenness, smoking, cannabis use, deviance, and HIV-related sexual risk behavior were compared in a Swiss community sample (N = 2,843). Using a longitudinal cohort-sequential approach to link multiple assessments with 3 waves of data for each individual, the studied period spanned the ages of 16 to 29 years. Although smoking had a higher prevalence, both smoking and drinking up to the point of drunkenness followed an inverted U-shaped curve. Alcohol consumption was also best described by a quadratic model, though largely stable at a high level through the late 20s. Sexual risk behavior increased slowly from age 16 to age 22 and then remained largely stable. In contrast, cannabis use and deviance linearly declined from age 16 to age 29. Young men were at higher risk for all behaviors than were young women, but apart from deviance, patterning over time was similar for both sexes. Results about the timing of increase and decline as well as differences between risk behaviors may inform tailored prevention programs during the transition from late adolescence to adulthood.

Sexual Risk Behavior in Emerging Adults: Gender-Specific Effects of Hedonism, Psychosocial Distress, and Sociocognitive Variables in a 5-Year Longitudinal Study

The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal effects of HIV protection intention, condom self-efficacy, psychosocial distress and hedonism on sexual risk behavior up to 5 years later. The sample included 1,290 Swiss heterosexual young adults aged 16-24 years. A series of hierarchical logistic regression analyses yielded clear gender-specific results showing that for women condom self-efficacy and psychosocial distress, and for men HIV protection intention and hedonism, predicted sexual risk behavior up to 5 years later. The relationship between psychosocial distress and sexual risk behavior in women was partially mediated by a lower condom self-efficacy but not by a lower HIV protection intention. High hedonism in young men did not decrease HIV protection intention but had a direct effect on sexual risk behavior. Theoretical consequences for sociocognitive models of sexual risk behavior and practical implications for prevention are discussed.

Effects of depressive symptoms on antecedents of lapses during a smoking cessation attempt: an ecological momentary assessment study

AIMS To investigate pathways through which momentary negative affect and depressive symptoms affect risk of lapse during smoking cessation attempts. DESIGN Ecological momentary assessment was carried out during 2 weeks after an unassisted smoking cessation attempt. A 3-month follow-up measured smoking frequency. SETTING Data were collected via mobile devices in German-speaking Switzerland. PARTICIPANTS A total of 242 individuals (age 20-40, 67% men) reported 7112 observations. MEASUREMENTS Online surveys assessed baseline depressive symptoms and nicotine dependence. Real-time data on negative affect, physical withdrawal symptoms, urge to smoke, abstinence-related self-efficacy and lapses. FINDINGS A two-level structural equation model suggested that on the situational level, negative affect increased the urge to smoke and decreased self-efficacy (β = 0.20; β = -0.12, respectively), but had no direct effect on lapse risk. A higher urge to smoke (β = 0.09) and lower self-efficacy (β = -0.11) were confirmed as situational antecedents of lapses. Depressive symptoms at baseline were a strong predictor of a persons average negative affect (β = 0.35, all P < 0.001). However, the baseline characteristics influenced smoking frequency 3 months later only indirectly, through influences of average states on the number of lapses during the quit attempt. CONCLUSIONS Controlling for nicotine dependence, higher depressive symptoms at baseline were associated strongly with a worse longer-term outcome. Negative affect experienced during the quit attempt was the only pathway through which the baseline depressive symptoms were associated with a reduced self-efficacy and increased urges to smoke, all leading to the increased probability of lapses.

Predictors of depressed mood 12 months after injury. Contribution of self-efficacy and social support

Abstract Purpose: There is evidence that depressed mood and perception of pain are related in patients with chronic illness. However, how individual resources such as self-efficacy and social support play a role in this association remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of both variables as either moderator or mediator. Method: In a longitudinal study, 274 injured workers (M = 43.24 years) were investigated. Data were collected on sociodemographics, depressed mood, pain, social support, and self-efficacy at three months post-injury, and depressed mood one year post-injury. Results: Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses revealed that pain (β = 0.14; p < 0.01) and social support (β = −0.18; p < 0.001) were significant predictors of depressed mood. Self-efficacy moderated the relationship of pain (β = −0.12; p < 0.05) and depressed mood after one year. Lower self-efficacy in combination with pain had a stronger impact than higher self-efficacy and pain on depressed mood. Social support did not moderate the association. Conclusions: Self-efficacy for managing pain is important in the development of depressed mood. According to the results of this study, we suggest that the detection of low social support and low self-efficacy might be important in long-term rehabilitation process. Implications for Rehabilitation Risk for depressed mood one year after an accident is high: One in five workers report depressed mood. Protective factors for depressed mood in injured workers needs to be considered in the rehabilitation. Focusing on resources like social support and self-efficacy could be protective against depressed mood. The early detection of low social support and low self-efficacy might be important in long-term rehabilitation processes.

Entwicklung eines Screening-Instruments zu Rumination und Suppression RS-8

Rumination and suppression are 2 maladaptive emotion regulation strategies known to be involved in pathological behaviors such as overeating and uncontrolled drinking. Until now, no short screening scale has been available focusing on both strategies. The RS-8 questionnaire includes 8 items assessing both dimensions: rumination and suppression. Psychometric properties were investigated in 2 clinical (alcohol-dependent [n = 79] and obese patients [n = 53]), and one non-clinical population (n = 133). Findings reveal the RS-8 to be a reliable and valid instrument. Both dimensions (rumination and suppression) showed good internal consistency and excellent factorial validity. The RS-8 is a short instrument, which can be used as a screening instrument in clinical and non-clinical samples.