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<p>African American adolescents have historically been considered at low risk for substance use relative to the White adolescent majority based on national prevalence estimates. However, during the last decade, African American adolescents’ rates of marijuana use—alone and in combination with other substances—have increased disproportionately relative to those of their White peers. Given the strong relationship between marijuana use and other substance use and the functional consequences associated with concurrent substance use during adolescence, the increase in marijuana use among African American youth may contribute to increased substance-related health disparities across the lifespan. Thus, the current study examined daily associations between marijuana use and other substance use among African American adolescents relative to their White peers. It also examined whether those associations differentially predicted behavioral health consequences among African American adolescents. Participants (N = 35; 42.9% African American) were adolescents age 14-18 who reported past 30-day use of marijuana, alcohol, and/or tobacco products. Respondents completed daily diaries reporting their substance use for 14 consecutive days, followed by self-report measures of internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, and substance use problems. Multilevel regression and structural equation models were used to account for the nesting of days within individuals. Participants completed 458 diaries for a completion rate of 93.5%. African American respondents reported greater daily- and individual-level rates of marijuana use and concurrent substance use than White respondents. However, in multilevel models controlling for demographics, marijuana use was not related to concurrent use of alcohol and/or tobacco use and this relationship did not vary by race. Racial differences in the relationship between concurrent substance use and behavioral health consequences were observed such that the relationship was positive among White youth but not African American youth. Findings suggest that African American youth are at high risk for engagement in problematic patterns of substance use but that daily diary methods may not be most appropriate for illuminating these patterns. Despite these unexpected results, disparities in substance-related consequences among African Americans adults persist. Future research should examine long-term rather than proximal consequences of concurrent substance use among African American adolescents.</p><br>

Religiousness has been shown to have an inverse relationship with at least some types of addiction. The present study examined whether intrinsic religiousness predicts substance addiction in a sample of participants that included mostly undergraduate students from the Appalachian region, as well as some participants surveyed with the use of social media advertisements. Intrinsic religiousness has been defined as internalizing the tenets of one’s faith. Participants self-reported their religiousness using the Religious Surrender and Attendance Scale – 3 (RSAS-3), which has been shown to measure intrinsic religiousness. Substance use was measured by the TCU Drug Screen V (TCUDS). Religiousness, as measured by the RSAS-3, predicted lower levels of substance use addiction as measured by the TCUDS both continuously and dichotomized: X2 (1, N=517) =8.296, p=.004. The odds ratio for the model was 3.724 95% CI [1.305, 10.625] meaning that the odds of being addicted to a substance was 3.724 times more likely for someone who did not meet the threshold for being high in religious commitment than for someone who did. The present study extends findings regarding religiousness and addiction but further research should be done to analyze different theological traditions and their relationship with health outcomes.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to risky health behaviors, and chronic disease. Children exposed to trauma are seven times more likely to develop a substance use disorder (SU) in adulthood. However, not all children who experience ACEs will grow up to have detrimental outcomes. Parental emotion socialization (ES) may be particularly relevant for promoting risk or resilience in the context of adversity. The present study aimed to examine ES as a moderator of the relationship between ACEs and SU. Participants were recruited from East Tennessee State University. Simple regression revealed that non-supportive ES significantly moderated the relationship between ACEs and drug use, r2 = .041, F (7, 456) = 2.772, p < 0.001. Supportive ES significantly moderated the relationship between ACEs and drug use, r2=.051, F (7, 456) = 3.473, p < 0.001. Overall, the results provide further understanding on the relationship between ACEs, ES, and SU.

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INTRODUCTION: Drug overdose death is now the leading cause of mortality among homeless adults in Boston, with opioids implicated in a majority of those deaths. Harm reduction interventions help minimize the risks associated with substance use, and are critical in supporting individuals with substance use disorder. Medical monitoring programs are an effective harm reduction strategy that work to prevent fatal drug overdoses and keep people safe while still actively using. METHODS: Visit data from the Supportive Place for Observation and Treatment (SPOT) was compiled and analyzed. The two measures of interest were the count of referrals to substance use disorder treatment and the count of visits prior to the first referral to treatment. Chi-square tests of independence, odds ratios, and binary logistic regression models were used to describe the association between factors of interest and referrals to substance use disorder treatment. RESULTS: Gender and age did not show any significant association to a connection to treatment. Overdose history (Adjusted Odds Ratio 6.59), reported stimulant use (AOR 2.59), and documented health or harm reduction education (AOR 5.14) were all associated with increased odds of being referred to substance use disorder treatment. Heavy sedation (AOR 0.55) was associated with decreased odds of a treatment referral.When examining factors associated with rapid connection to treatment, male gender (OR 1.87) was associated with increased odds, while overdose history (AOR 0.42) was associated with decreased odds. DISCUSSION: The two most impactful factors associated with increased odds of connecting to substance use disorder treatment were reported overdose history and documented education. Both of these factors suggests that a strength of SPOT is its ability to form and maintain meaningful connections with participants. One way that SPOT could improve referral outcomes would be to increase its ability to engage participants, such as through the recruitment of more harm reduction specialists or peer recovery coaches.

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / Substance use is certainly not a new phenomenon, however, it is one that remains a significant problem in the lives of adolescents, especially in low-income communities. This phenomenon not only affects the individual and society, but also the family and parents/guardians of the substance user. Parents within low-income contexts may feel overlooked in planning and service delivery initiatives, which may lead to a lack of appropriate knowledge and resources for parents when confronted with a child who uses substances.

Introduction Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, causing one in every five female deaths, and high blood pressure is a precursor to CVD. Approximately half a million people attend the emergency departments with complications arising from substance use, many of which are concerned with cardiovascular events. The higher the number of substances used, the greater the risk of cardiovascular heart diseases; this association is even stronger among women than men. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which women's substance-related behavior impacts high blood pressure, which in turn is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease in the US. Methods This cross-sectional study used the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to examine the relationship between having blood pressure and women who smoke and engage in binge drinking. Women who responded yes, yes during pregnancy and were told borderline high or pre-hypertensive to the question of "ever been told by a doctor, nurse or another health professional that you have high blood pressure” were categorized as having high blood pressure. Those who responded no, don’t know/not sure, and refused were considered as not having high blood pressure. Smoking and binge drinking were the two key independent variables for this study. Women were categorized into 4-level smoker status: everyday smoker, someday smoker, former smoker, and non-smoker. Binge drinkers were women who takes four or more drinks on one occasion, with responses being "yes, no or don't know/refused/missing.” A chi-square test for independence was examined to determine the association between having high blood pressure and smoking or binge drinking. Multivariable regression analysis was also performed to account for other factors (such as age, race, educational attainment, income, body mass index and blood cholesterol) potentially associated with high blood pressure among women. Results Approximately 418, 264 individuals responded to the survey items. Among respondents are 227,706 women, who are the study population of interest. The women included in this study are 18-34, 35-64, and above 65 years old. Among the study population, 33% reported having high blood pressure with no record of high blood pressure, amongst 67%. Among women who reported binge drinking, 22.9% reported high blood pressure compared to 34.6% of women who did not binge drink (p= Conclusion This study found that substance abuse was not associated with having high blood pressure. It is possible that women with high blood pressure quit or reduced these behaviors due to a high blood pressure diagnosis. Notwithstanding the high prevalence of high blood pressure and substance use, further research is needed to examine this association among women overall and subpopulations at high risk. This research should support prioritizing interventions and informing public health programs.

Stigma surrounding substance use has been documented as a roadblock to recovery, posing a greater barrier to care for some populations more than others. In particular, pregnant and parenting women are an often overlooked and understudied demographic who could benefit considerably from targeted resources. Though, due to stigma surrounding substance use and motherhood, this demographic is routinely subject to judgement and discrimination resulting in delayed treatment entry. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, issues of access have been compounded by a reduction in services despite heightened mental health struggles caused by prolonged periods of isolation and abrupt changes in lifestyle and environment. The purpose of this study is to understand how stigmatization affects help-seeking behaviour and to explore the impact of COVID-19 on women’s mental health and treatment experiences. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted from October 2020-February 2021, with current and past clients of integrated treatment programs in Ontario (n=24). Using an interpretive description approach, data was constructed to identify how stigma is internalized, anticipated, and embodied in the context of help-seeking behaviour, as well as to determine the extent to which the pandemic has interfered with maternal wellbeing. The following themes emerged: (1) stigma and help-seeking (2) COVID-19 and maternal wellness (3) stigma at the structural level: barriers to care and (4) mitigating stigma to enhance help-seeking: facilitating recovery through relationships. This research contributes evidence to a growing body of literature emphasizing the importance of relationships in the recovery process for combatting the effects of stigma and promoting early treatment entry and lends insight into the ways in which pregnant and parenting women with problematic substance use have navigated recovery during COVID-19. / Graduate

This study identified peak periods of the onset, prevalence, and correlates of early adolescent substance use, and evaluated the feasibility of implementing a brief student survey at a high school in the southeastern United States. A brief survey was selfadministered and 791 students with a mean age of 16.2 years (SD = 1.24) provided complete data including demographics, past and current substance use, academic performance, absenteeism, and indications of substance dependence. Over half (54.3%) of the current tobacco users reported initiating tobacco use prior to the age of 14 years. Age of tobacco use onset was associated with the use of alcohol and other drugs, indications of substance dependence, absenteeism, and obtaining poor grades. Annual monitoring of substance use rates appears both practical and economical.