Addictive behaviors
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Addictive behaviors · Jun 2009
Randomized Controlled TrialFactor structure of the SOCRATES questionnaire in hospitalized medical patients.
The Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES), a 19-item instrument developed to assess readiness to change alcohol use among individuals presenting for specialized alcohol treatment, has been used in various populations and settings. Its factor structure and concurrent validity has been described for specialized alcohol treatment settings and primary care. The purpose of this study was to determine the factor structure and concurrent validity of the SOCRATES among medical inpatients with unhealthy alcohol use not seeking help for specialized alcohol treatment. ⋯ Psychology of Addictive Behavior, 10, 81-89.). The first component measured Perception of Problems and was more strongly correlated with severity of alcohol-related consequences, presence of alcohol dependence, and alcohol consumption levels (average number of drinks per day and total number of binge drinking days over the past 30 days) compared to the second component measuring Taking Action. Our findings support the view that the SOCRATES is comprised of two important readiness constructs in general medical patients identified by screening.
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Addictive behaviors · Apr 2009
Multicenter StudyAthletic identity, descriptive norms, and drinking among athletes transitioning to college.
College student-athletes are at risk for heavy alcohol consumption and related consequences. The present study evaluated the influence of college student and college athlete descriptive norms and levels of athletic identity on drinking and related consequences among incoming college students attending two universities (N=1119). Prior to the beginning of their first year of college, students indicating high school athletic participation completed assessments of athletic identity, alcohol consumption, drinking-related consequences, and normative perceptions of alcohol use. ⋯ Athletic identity moderated associations among gender, perceived norms, drinking, and related consequences. Athlete-specific norms had a stronger effect on drinking among those reporting higher levels of athletic identity, and higher levels of athletic identity exclusively protected males from experiencing drinking-related consequences. Implications of the role of athletic identity in the development of social norms interventions targeted at high school athletes transitioning to college are discussed.
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Addictive behaviors · Jan 2009
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyNicotine dependence, psychological distress and personality traits as possible predictors of smoking cessation. Results of a double-blind study with nicotine patch.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is an effective treatment for smokers who want to quit, however, the rates of successful quitting can be improved even more. In this context, nicotine dependence (assessed via the Fagerström Tolerance Questionnaire, FTQ), psychological distress (measured via the Symptom Rating Test, SRT), and personality traits (evaluated via the Adult Eysenck Personality Inventory, AEPI) were evaluated as possible predictors of smoking cessation. ⋯ Nicotine dependence, neuroticism, psychoticism and, over time, psychological distress were the main factors influencing the long-term outcome (i.e., up to 12 months) of smoking cessation under NRT.
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Addictive behaviors · Oct 2008
Trends in prescription drug abuse and dependence, co-occurrence with other substance use disorders, and treatment utilization: results from two national surveys.
This study examined trends in prescription drug abuse and dependence (sedatives, tranquilizers, opioids, and stimulants), co-occurrence with other substance use disorders and substance abuse treatment utilization among those with diagnoses of prescription drug abuse and dependence in two large, nationally representative, independent samples of adults in the United States in 1991-1992 and 2001-2002. ⋯ The findings reinforce the importance of continued national monitoring based on the increases in prescription drug abuse and dependence, high co-occurrence with other substance use disorders, and underutilization of substance abuse treatment services.
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Addictive behaviors · Oct 2008
How important are parents during the college years? A longitudinal perspective of indirect influences parents yield on their college teens' alcohol use.
Building on previous findings supporting the continuing influence of parents on their teens after they have gone to college [Turrisi, R., Jaccard, J., Taki, R., Dunnam, H., & Grimes, J. (2001). Examination of the short-term efficacy of a parent intervention to reduce college student drinking tendencies. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 15(4), 366-372.; Turrisi, R., Padilla, K., & Wiersma, K. (2000). ⋯ Results from SEM indicated that friend alcohol use (first semester freshman year) mediated the relationship between parental knowledge about what their teen was doing in his/her free time (baseline pre-matriculation to college) and individual use in college (second semester freshman year). Findings suggest that even at this late stage of early adulthood parents continue to exhibit influence on the choices their teens make as far as friends, which in turn influences their teens' drinking in college. Implications for prevention are discussed.