The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of school policies aimed to reduce adolescent alcohol and marijuana use. More specifically, the study investigated whether more severe school policy measures are related to the increased or decreased instances of overall alcohol and marijuana use on and beyond school grounds among grade 10 and 12 students. I used data from the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS). After controlling for a number of prior measures of environmental and demographic factors that are significant predictors of adolescent alcohol and marijuana use, the school policy measures showed no impact on either alcohol or marijuana use at any level of its consumption. This was true for both grade 10 and grade 12 students. The study’s findings suggest that instead of constructing punitive policy measure, policymakers should develop prevention and intervention programs that more specifically target the needs of adolescents, peers, parents, and teachers.

This investigation examined multidimensional perfectionism, shame and maltreatment in 45 women with bulimia nervosa, 14 women with binge eating disorder and 26 women with anorexia nervosa, purging type, all of whom suffered from comorbid substance use disorders. Participants completed three perfectionism scales, one shame scale and one maltreatment scale. Results revealed that in the bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder group, perfectionistic self-promotion and bodily shame were significant predictors of eating disorder severity while other-oriented perfectionism was a significant predictor of alcohol use severity. In the anorexia group, other-oriented perfectionism and bodily shame were significant predictors of eating disorder severity and nondisplay of imperfection was a significant predictor of drug use severity. All participants experienced elevated levels on all types of shame and maltreatment and on most perfectionism dimensions compared to normative samples. Findings should be utilized in developing treatment programs for those with comorbid eating and substance use disorders.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of school policies aimed to reduce adolescent alcohol and marijuana use. More specifically, the study investigated whether more severe school policy measures are related to the increased or decreased instances of overall alcohol and marijuana use on and beyond school grounds among grade 10 and 12 students. I used data from the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS). After controlling for a number of prior measures of environmental and demographic factors that are significant predictors of adolescent alcohol and marijuana use, the school policy measures showed no impact on either alcohol or marijuana use at any level of its consumption. This was true for both grade 10 and grade 12 students. The study’s findings suggest that instead of constructing punitive policy measure, policymakers should develop prevention and intervention programs that more specifically target the needs of adolescents, peers, parents, and teachers.

This investigation examined multidimensional perfectionism, shame and maltreatment in 45 women with bulimia nervosa, 14 women with binge eating disorder and 26 women with anorexia nervosa, purging type, all of whom suffered from comorbid substance use disorders. Participants completed three perfectionism scales, one shame scale and one maltreatment scale. Results revealed that in the bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder group, perfectionistic self-promotion and bodily shame were significant predictors of eating disorder severity while other-oriented perfectionism was a significant predictor of alcohol use severity. In the anorexia group, other-oriented perfectionism and bodily shame were significant predictors of eating disorder severity and nondisplay of imperfection was a significant predictor of drug use severity. All participants experienced elevated levels on all types of shame and maltreatment and on most perfectionism dimensions compared to normative samples. Findings should be utilized in developing treatment programs for those with comorbid eating and substance use disorders.

The current study investigated the cognitive organization of alcohol expectancies using event-related potentials (ERPs). Building on previous behavioral and ERP paradigms, the goal of the current study was to quantify the relationship among alcohol expectancies using ERP indices of salience, congruence, and cognitive distance. The ERP components being evaluated fit perfectly into the alcohol expectancy theory and research; however, implementing specific paradigms to reliably measure individual differences in alcohol expectancies using ERPs has proven to be more elusive than originally thought. This study utilized established cognitive modeling techniques coupled with ERP responses to linguistic stimuli. In essence, this study provides an implicit measure of how particular types of words, in the context of alcohol, are categorized and integrated into individuals' expectancy frameworks. The study looked at two specific ERP components, the P300 and the N400, that have been shown to be sensitive to expectancy violations. In a sentence processing task the P300 was predicted to be related to individuals' alcohol expectancies and in a word pair task the N400 was predicted to index these expectancies. Results indicated that the P300 and N400 were both related to alcohol expectancies in the sentence task and the N400 was related to alcohol expectancies in the word pair task. While the results supported parts of the hypotheses, they were not unequivocal endorsements of the hypothesized relationships, perhaps highlighting the countervailing forces of salience and expectancy congruence. Furthermore, there were unexpected differences between males and females in the sample that interacted with the effect of expectancy on ERPs. In sum, prior research has highlighted individuals' expectations about alcohol as a mediator of biopsychosocial risk for alcohol use disorders (Goldman, 2002), and the results of this study provide a model for how ERP measures of expectancy could capture an aspect of individuals' risk based on reactions to expectancy related stimuli

Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual youth are at increased risk for the use of substances (Moon, Fornili & O’Briant, 2007; Remafedi, 1987), including cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and ecstasy (Bontempo & D’Augelli, 2002; Corliss, Rosario, Wypij, Wylie, Frazier & Austin, 2010). Currently, no interventions exist designed to meet the needs of LGB adolescents (NREPP, 2011), and little theory exists to explain substance use by LG adolescents. To begin the process of developing tailored interventions, this three-study dissertation sought to: (1) explore the perspectives of LGB youth, and identify their perspectives on unique prevention development, (2) systematically review the empirical literature on culturally based risk factors in LGB youth and to identify most relevant salient themes for testing, and (3) explore the relationship between identified minority related stressors and substance use patterns in a large sample of LGB youth. Findings indicate that LGB adolescents have unique cultural experiences not captured in current prevention programming. Additionally, five constructs from minority stress are described, and their relationship to marijuana use is explained. Future research should focus on the development of better measurement instruments for minority stress in LGB adolescents and the exploration of its impact on behavioral health outcomes. / text

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Despite high rates of alcohol and marijuana use and dating violence among individuals between the ages of 15 and 24, limited research has examined a link between substance use and dating violence within adolescent samples. Moreover, although both problem drinking and dating violence perpetration have been linked to a history of childhood maltreatment (CM), few studies have examined the potential mechanisms of a relationship between these variables. The current study tested the predictive role of CM in adolescent alcohol and cannabis use and dating violence perpetration in a sample of youth with CM histories; in particular, we were interested in predicting the temporal co-occurrence of these behaviours. It was hypothesized that trauma symptomatology would play a mediating role in this relationship. Results demonstrated that only witnessing emotional domestic violence predicted the co-occurrence of substance use and dating violence; in general, trauma symptomatology was not found to be a significant mediator.

This is a case study examining the children's perceptions and experiences on substance abuse in the Primary School. Interviews were used as a research tool. The research sample of five respondents was drawn using the purposive sampling method. The data was analyzed qualitatively on themes drawn up. The findings of the study were based on four themes: peer pressure, moral decay, bravado and solace, socio-economic factors and psychological factors Furthermore recommendations were drawn. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.

Substance abuse is a major problem amongst the youth worldwide. The goal of this study was to explore the knowledge and perceptions on the dangers of substance abuse among the affected youth attending St John of God Community Services, in Mzuzu, Malawi. The participants in the study were selected on the basis that they had been diagnosed as having a substance induced psychotic disorder and are currently receiving treatment from the hospital either as hospitalised or as outpatients. The study used both quantitative and qualitative research designs. The purposive sampling method was used to identify the quantitative sample while the qualitative sample was selected by using the theoretical sampling method. Forty-five participants completed the questionnaire to provide the quantitative data and 7 participants were interviewed to provide the qualitative data. The quantitative data was analysed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and the results were presented in tables and graphs. The qualitative data was analysed manually and the results were presented by using the participants' direct quotes. The findings of the study revealed that lack of knowledge and perceptions of the dangers of substance abuse are not the only contributing fac tors to substance abuse amongst the youth. As the results showed, that the youth had vast knowledge on the dangers of substance abuse and they also perceived these dangers negatively. However, it was found that other factors such as the enjoyment aspect and unemployment influenced the youth to start abusing substances. / Thesis (M.N.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.