Master of Public Health - MPH / South Africa is overwhelmed by the increase of substance abuse among adolescents. Having consulted the literature, South Africa is not the only country faced with this problem. It raises concerns with regard to the social health of adolescents in this country. In order to develop effective intervention strategies to reduce the wide spread abuse of substances, it is important to first understand how adolescents perceive this problem. In this study the perceptions of boys will be explored with regard, to substance abuse among adolescents.

Mental illness is a problem that affects many people; however, little to almost no research relates to mental illness and reunification rates for mothers who have had their children removed from them by the child welfare system. The purpose in this study was to assess and compare reunification rates between mothers with mental illness, those with substance abuse, and those with co-occurring substance abuse and mental illness. The conceptual framework for this study was the use of the structured decision making (SDM) assessment tool in child welfare. The research questions addressed the differences in reunification rates among mothers with mental illness, substance use, and co-occurring mental illness and substance use in cases where children are removed due to neglect or abuse. This study also addressed the difference in timelines for reunification for mothers with mental illness in comparison with mothers with substance use and mothers with co-occurring substance use and mental illness in cases where children are removed due to neglect or abuse. In addition, this study addressed the dynamic assessment factors from the family assessment of needs and strengths (FANS) that predict reunification. This study used archival data related to the reunification status, reunification timelines, and the strengths and needs of the mother. A ï?£2 analysis was used to determine whether a difference exists in reunification rates between the groups. In this study, no statistical significance was found; however, the study brought to light areas for further research. This includes using larger sample sizes that cover an entire state to compare reunification rates. This can assist in program development for reunification and decrease the number of children in care.

While a comorbid relationship between substance abuse and depression in Caucasian adults has been widely documented, comorbid substance abuse and depression in minorities remains unexplored, leaving a gap in knowledge concerning the treatment of these comorbid disorders in the fastest growing population in the United States. Cognitive behavior theory posits that specific stressors increase the likelihood of substance abuse. These factors may include structural discrimination experienced by minorities. This quantitative, pretest-posttest archival study examined the effects of a substance abuse treatment program in reducing comorbid depressive symptoms among 317 participants from 3 minority subgroups and a comparison nonminority group enrolled in a court-mandated residential program in Texas. Depression scores were assessed at intake and 30 days later by the Client Evaluation of Self and Treatment-Psychological Functioning. Using gender and age as covariates, a 2 x 2 and a 2 x 3 mixed ANOVA design evaluated changes in depression scores among different racial groups. All participants who completed treatment experienced a significant decline in symptoms associated with depression. By adding to the existing literature regarding the successful treatment of those who participate in a CBT-oriented therapy, this study informs programs seeking successful strategies in helping minorities to enter and complete treatment, which lends itself to positive social change. Further, the efficacy of CBT-oriented therapies across all groups, regardless of race or ethnic identity, provides a unique opportunity for counselors and doctors to develop successful long-term strategies for patients struggling with comorbid substance abuse and depression.

Researchers have shown a relationship between mental health disorders and alcohol dependence. However, only 5-10% of individuals with substance use problems co-occurring with mental health problems are correctly identified. The purpose of this research was to identify predictors of relapse using three different instruments of varying complexity: the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Modified Mini Screen (MMS), and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III). Researchers have found that using alcohol produces relief, similar to a pharmacological intervention, from troublesome mental health symptoms that individuals experience. Considering this association, the self-medication hypothesis was the conceptual lens used for the study as it provides a practical framework for analyzing the relationship between mental health disorders and relapse. At the request of this researcher, data were collected on 45 individuals who were provided detoxification services at a public treatment facility in central Wisconsin. Regression analyses were conducted and identified a statistically significant, although weak, predictive relationship between relapse and the variable of depression as measured by the PHQ-9 (R = .311a, R2 = .097, p = .037), and depression as measured by the MCMI-III (R = .364a, R2 = .133, p = .014). The implications for positive social change from this study include the potential to increase the effectiveness and efficiency in identifying co-occurring mental health disorders among individuals who are treated for alcohol detoxification, enhancing the accuracy of referrals for aftercare, and reducing readmissions for detoxification amongst the individuals served.

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Introduction: Research has found extensive similarities between symptoms of gaming disorder/Internet gaming disorder (GD/IGD) and symptoms of other addictive disorders, including the presence of cravings, tolerance, and inability to stop despite adverse consequences (Müller & Montag, 2017). Significant associations between GD/IGD and financial strain, occupational difficulties, sleep deprivation, malnutrition, obesity, and the development and/or exacerbation of other mental illness have been found, contributing to growing concern over the detrimental impact of GD/IGD (Kohorst et al., 2018). Video gaming is also associated with increased use of substances, including nicotine as found in electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS; Cranwell et al., 2016). The harmful consequences of ENDS use may exacerbate the health risks associated with GD/IGD, especially in connection to sleep, nutrition, and mental health. There is extensive overlap between the demographic and psychosocial characteristics of typical video gamers and typical users of ENDS, including being young, male, highly impulsive, sensation-seeking, and having a diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which may account for the rates of concurrent dependence (Von der Heiden et al., 2019; Mathews, 2019). However, definitive characteristics of individuals demonstrating symptoms of both GD/IGD and ENDS dependency remain unknown. The present study aims to explore the demographic and psychological associations of co-occurring symptoms of GD/IGD and ENDS dependency. Method:Participants (n = 2,174) were college students age 18-24 (M=19.25) recruited as part of a multi-university study examining psychological variables within young adults. Participants completed a battery of self-report questions assessing for demographic characteristics, symptoms of ADHD, and level of impulsivity and sensation seeking as measured by the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, Brief Sensation Seeking Scale, and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale Version 11, respectively. ENDS dependency was evaluated through the PROMIS E-cigarette Dependence Scale, and GD/IGD was measured by the Video Game Dependency Scale. Pearson correlations, chi-square tests, MANCOVAS, and moderation analyses were used to evaluate this data. Results:Results found that 7.3% of the sample met criteria for probable ENDS dependency, 4.7% of the sample endorsed symptoms of GD/IGD dependency, and 1.4% of the sample endorsed both dependencies. Age, gender, and race/ethnicity were all associated with increased risk of concurrent GD/IGD and ENDS dependency. The moderating effect of ADHD symptoms on the relation between GD/IGD and ENDS dependency was significant, ΔR2 = .067, F(1, 1036) = 24.75, p < .001, indicating that the relation between GD/IGD and ENDS dependency was stronger when participants endorsed more symptoms of ADHD. Impulsivity and sensation seeking also had significant interaction effects on the relation between ENDS dependency and GD/IGD. Conclusion:Ultimately, there is ample evidence that ENDS dependency and GD/IGD occur at significant levels on college campuses. Heightened impulsivity and sensation seeking and the diagnosis of ADHD significantly correspond with increased rates of GD/IGD and ENDS dependency. These results are supported by prior research findings that impulsivity and sensation seeking are risk factors for many behavioral health concerns, including engagement in risky sexual behaviors and substance addiction. Future research examining protective factors and treatment of co-occurring GD/IGD and ENDS dependency is warranted. References: Cranwell, J., Whittamore, K., Britton, J., & Leonardi-Bee, J. (2016). Alcohol and tobacco content in UK video games and their association with alcohol and tobacco use among young people. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 19(7), 426-434. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2016.0093 Kohorst, M. A., Warad, D. M., Nageswara Rao, A. A., & Rodriguez, V. (2018). Obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and video games: The new thrombophilia cocktail in adolescents. Pediatric Blood & Cancer, 65(7), e27041. Mathews, C. L., Morrell, H. E. R., & Molle, J. L. (2019). Video game addiction, ADHD symptomatology, and video game reinforcement. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 45(1), 67-76. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2018.1472269 Müller, M., & Montag, C. (2017). The relationship between internet addiction and alcohol consumption is influenced by the smoking status in male online video gamers. Clinical Neuropsychiatry: Journal of Treatment Evaluation, 14(1), 34–43. Von der Heiden, J. M., Braun, B., Müller, K. W., & Egloff, B. (2019). The association between video gaming and psychological functioning. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 17-31. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01731

With high rates of cannabis use in college students and increasing legalization of cannabis, psychometrically sound scales of cannabis consumption remain a high research priority. The Daily Sessions, Frequency, Age of Onset, and Quantity of Cannabis Use Inventory (DFAQ-CU; Cuttler & Spradlin, 2017) assesses daily sessions, frequency, age of onset, and quantity of marijuana, concentrates, and edibles consumed. Preliminary psychometric properties have been established in a population of college students using cannabis legally. The current study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the DFAQ-CU in college students using cannabis illicitly. Participants (N=114) were 18- to 58-years-old (M=21.25). They completed the DFAQ-CU, Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT), and Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ). Analyses were performed using the original factor structures. The factor analysis will be replicated once the full sample has been obtained (~400 by 02/2021). Cronbach's alphas ranged from.32 to.92, with some factors showing stronger reliability (e.g., frequency) than others (e.g., daily sessions). Bivariate correlations indicated daily sessions (r(54)=.32, p=.02), frequency (r(53)=.50, p<.001), marijuana quantity (r(78)=.32, p=.004), and edible (r(25)=.54, p=.006) factors demonstrated high convergent validity with the DUDIT total score. The age of onset and concentrate quantity factors did not. All factors were significantly divergent from the BPAQ. Overall, the original six-factor scale appears to have a poor fit within a college student population with illicit use. Notably, the concentrate quantity and daily sessions factors have poor internal consistency and convergent validity. These will be further explored upon completion of data collection.

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In the United States, at least 65% of adults have gambled and/or played a video game in the past year. An emerging form of entertainment combines gambling and video game play and has led to an approximately $30 billion per year industry. Despite an explosion in growth, this form of potentially high-risk behavior has received little research attention. This paper will present a systematic review of the available peer-reviewed and grey literature related to gambling on video games. Our review identifies three major methods of combining gambling and video games. First is betting directly on the outcomes of eSports, either with money or via skin gambling. Second is gambling within video games where players purchase a chance to win a valued prize or consumable virtual item (e.g., loot box, prize crate, gacha). Prizes change the within game experience, from superficial items that change an in-game character’s appearance to items that substantially improve a player’s chance of winning. Further, if desired, these items can be sold for actual money in secondary marketplaces. Third, there are gamified casino games with the sequential, skill-based feel of video games and real money at stake. Implications: This paper is the first comprehensive review of this nascent literature. Results will provide clinicians with important insights into the language and behaviors of clients who gamble on video games. Further, findings may have future policy implications as some gambling on video games is potentially accessible to underage gamblers.