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Background: Transitioning to college life in young adulthood can represent a challenging developmental period and college students are at heightened risk for engaging in suicidality. Aims: We aimed to investigate the roles dispositional optimism and coping strategies play in suicide risk (viz., suicidality) and suicide protection (viz., reasons for living) in college students. Method: A sample of 252 American college students were surveyed using anonymous questionnaires and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to analyze the data. Results: Coping strategies, as a set, played an important role in both suicidality and reasons for living, after controlling for demographic factors (age and sex). When dispositional optimism was entered into the model, it was found to account for a significant amount of additional unique variance in both suicidality and reasons for living, even after accounting for coping. Limitations: It is unknown whether optimism remains meaningful in its association with suicide risk and protection beyond coping in other populations. Conclusion: Effective coping and optimism are associated with decreased suicide risk and increased suicide protection. Our findings point to the consistent role of dispositional optimism, over coping, in both suicide risk and protection.

Adherence to ARV medicines is essential to halt HIV progression, increase CD4 counts, decrease virologic impact, and improve quality of life for the infected people. However, sustaining good adherence among adolescents and young adults (AYA) has been a challenge caused by various problems such as distance to clinic, improved CD4 count which lead to complacency in adherence, and the nature of the environment. This was a quantitative, retrospective, correlational, cross-sectional study anchored by the transtheoretical model, which was used to understand how adherence rate among the study population was impacted by the predictive factors. Secondary data was collected from patient's medical records at the Federal Medical Center, Makurdi in Benue State, Nigeria. Univariate analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics. The study sample size of 656 patients was drawn from AYA ages 15-24 years. Independent t tests showed a statistically significant difference in adherence rates between rural (94%) and urban (89%) AYA, t (424) = -3.280, .001, p -?¤ .05. There was also a statistically significant difference in adherence rates of ART for patients who lived within 50 kilometers of the hospital and those who lived more than 50 kilometers away from the hospital, t (509) = -2.37, .018, p -?¤ .05. Also, there was a statistically significant correlation between adherence rate to ART and CD4 of less than 500 cells/mm3, R = .214, NS = .003, p -?¤ .05. This study provides findings for HIV implementing partners (IPs) and relevant health professionals in Nigeria useful for designing strategies that would improve adherence rate to antiretroviral therapy among AYA in Nigeria.

This qualitative study investigated the religious motivation of college-age LDS young single adults. In particular, this study sought to answer the following question: “What are the contexts and social factors that influence religious motivation of collegeage LDS young adults to study religious texts?” To examine this question, a phenomenological approach was used to explore what participants had in common with feeling motivated to read religious texts. The primary sources of data came from one-on-one interviews that describe the personal experiences and perspectives of 10 college-age LDS young single adults. Sociocultural theory guided the analysis and interpretation of data and findings. Findings indicated the following: (a) regardless of the context, it appeared that involvement in discussions about the scriptures increased the likelihood of an individual feeling motivated to read, (b) even when other contexts included elements that encouraged scripture reading, it appeared that friends strongly influenced whether or not individuals felt motivated to read scriptures, (c) it appeared that environments of expectation influenced motivation to read, and (d) it appeared that individuals who spent time marking and writing in their scriptures felt motivated to read. Based on these findings, it is recommended that further research be done to explore the following: (a) What types of discussions influence motivation to read religious texts? (b) What other religious practices are influenced by friends? (c) How should expectations be communicated and maintained? (d) Is there a difference in motivation between marking (coloring) things in the scriptures and writing (journaling) in the scriptures? It is also important to examine these findings to see if they hold true within other religious contexts and denominations.

One hundred eight individuals between the ages of 17 and 25 completed measures assessing identity style, family functioning, and substance use. Fifty-seven respondents were evaluated as they were applying for services at a local substance abuse treatment center. Fifty-one respondents were surveyed from a local university general education class. The identity style construct is a self-report measure that evaluates the problem-solving and decision -making strategies of respondents. These constructs echo Marcia's identity statuses with the Normative and Diffuse/Avoidant subscales being utilized in this study. Family functioning was also assessed by self-report and evaluated overall family functioning. A factor analysis of the substance use measure resulted in two factors that were defined as Gateway drugs (alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana) and Illicit Substances (cocaine, hallucinogens, etc.) and were assessed as either use or nonuse during the last 4 weeks. Findings support the identity developmental paradigm of problem behavior and suggest that Normative-oriented respondents reported less use of Gateway Drugs and more functional family attributes. Conversely, the Diffuse/Avoidant-oriented respondents reported more use of substances and less functional family attributes. Difficulties in measurement are presented as well as suggestions for family-based intervention strategies designed to reduce young adult substance use and abuse.

Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health Waves I and III are used to estimate the effect of parental attachment on independence in emerging adults ages 18 to 27. The nature of independence focused on living in a place of their own and not receiving financial support from parents, which described about half of the sample. The study finds that emerging adults who, in their youth, expressed high attachments to their parents, were slightly less likely to become independent as emerging adults. Rather, age and gender are greater positive predictors of independence.

In most countries marijuana is recognized as an illegal drug. Yet, many young individuals in contemporary societies have used the drug in some shape or form. It often occurs in the company of peers. Realizing that marijuana-use is illegal in Sweden, what motives do young adults in Sweden have to use marijuana and how can we understand their choices to smoke?The aim of this study is to conclude and develop further understanding on marijuana use by young adults. Furthermore, we aim to examine factors such as peer-pressure and expectations and their impact on a young adult's marijuana-use. This study also attempts to clarify the social processes and norms in which the individuals may or may not base their identity and behavior on. This is done by applying Goffman’s theoretical framework combined with Howard Becker’s theories regarding deviant behavior and marijuana use and social control.The study is based on eight semi-structured interviews with male participants in the ages ranging from 21-27, which are defined as young adults. They all originate from similar demographic locations in southern Sweden. The initial attempt of marijuana use most often occurs alongside friends, whilst continued use most frequently emerges as a result of peer-pressure by group members. The ability to recognize peer-pressure is a social competence which requires an individual to realise the social mechanics and dynamics of a group. This in turn suggests that the individuals adapt to the expectations that reside within a deviant group. The main conclusion suggests that young adults use marijuana, to a certain extent, because of personal motives. However, these motives appear to stem from the individual’s ability to create their identity in order to adapt to the norms found in their adhering group.

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Places like nightclubs or pubs are frequently visited in order to find partners for love, sex and relationships. This study examins behavioral patterns and trends among young adults in these environments. A computer-based questionnaire has been implemented on entertainment establishments - two studentclubs, one youth club and three nightclubs - in Malmoe and Lund in southern Sweden. The emprical material contains at most 149 answers, and at least 109. Sex, love and relationships are less important than expected, but are still some of few big reasons for visiting nightclubs. Expectations of meeting somebody for sex are medium, the sexual encounter is expected to take place within the next 24 hours, in one of five cases directly on site, containing primarily intercourse, kissing and petting, and resulting in love or a ”fuck-buddy”-relationship. Most of the respondents are looking forward to see their new sexual partner again, while the sex is expected to feel less positive one week later, especially among the regular visitors. Most of the respondents assume they will be able to influence the type of sexual actitvity, and most of them consider reducing risks of STI transmittion. Still, many respondents never consider reducing risks, and quite few think they are not going to reduce the risks, or don´t know how to reduce them. Disinterest and lack of knowledge are the main reasons not knowing how to reduce the risks. The theoretical frame consists of Goffmans ”The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life”.