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Substance use disorders (SUDs) are highly prevalent and have deleterious effects on one's health and well‐being. Inpatient treatment for SUDs reduces patient relapse, which subsequently ameliorates these negative effects on the individual and society. Additionally, those who complete treatment are less likely to relapse compared to those who do not complete treatment. Thus, maintaining patient engagement in treatment and reducing the rates of those leaving against medical advice (AMA) is particularly important. Examining the factors and comorbidities that may contribute to treatment dropout has the potential to identify at‐risk patients in need of additional individualized intervention. The current study aimed to examine comorbid anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms as predictors of dropout AMA in a residential substance use treatment population. Results showed that patients with social anxiety were more likely to leave treatment AMA, while those with PTSD were more likely to complete treatment. Findings suggest that PTSD‐specific treatment, as offered in this facility, may help with patient retention, while group focused therapy may be distressing to those with social anxiety. Clinical implications of this research may include incorporating evidence‐based practice for social anxiety early during inpatient treatment to reduce anxiety such that patients may better engage with SUDs treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: There is limited research examining the relationship between alcohol use and eating pathology in men or factors that may moderate this association. The current study investigated the relationship between alcohol use and eating pathology, and examined emotion dysregulation as a moderator of this association, among heavy‐drinking college men. Method: Men mandated to receive an alcohol intervention (N = 88; average age = 19 years) completed questionnaires related to alcohol use, emotion dysregulation, and eating pathology. Results: Results demonstrated positive relationships between alcohol use and some eating pathology, and a significant interaction between alcohol use and emotion dysregulation. However, results were contrary to hypotheses, such that there was a positive relationship between alcohol use and eating pathology at low levels of emotion dysregulation. Conclusion: Future studies should continue to examine the overall presentation of eating pathology in men and investigate factors that may impact the relationship between alcohol use and eating pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine whether adverse mental health (i.e., symptoms of anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and depression) mediated the relation between childhood physical abuse (CPA) and physical dating violence (DV) victimization/perpetration in young adulthood. Method: We used four waves of data from an ongoing longitudinal study. The sample consisted of 864 adolescents including 282 Hispanic Americans, 248 European Americans, 240 African Americans, and 94 other, with a mean age of 17 years at Wave 3. Results: Structural equation modeling suggested that posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms mediated the link between CPA and both physical DV victimization (β = .06, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.11) and perpetration (β = .07, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.13). Anxiety and depressive symptoms, however, did not show significant indirect effects. Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of interventions targeting posttraumatic stress symptoms for adolescents who experienced CPA in preventing physical DV in young adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Untreated compulsive sexual behaviour (CSB) poses a risk to efficacious substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Yet the ways in which CSB manifests in women with SUDs remains poorly understood. Shame and trauma exposure are well‐documented correlates for women's CSB. Prior theory suggested women with shame and trauma‐related symptoms may engage in CSB in an effort to escape aversive internal experiences. Thus, the present study examined experiential avoidance as a mediator of the relationship between defectiveness/shame beliefs, post‐traumatic stress disorder symptoms, and CSB in a sample of women with SUDs. Method: Cross‐sectional, self‐report data were collected from 446 women (M age = 37.40) in residential treatment for SUDs. Results: Experiential avoidance partially mediated the relationship between both post‐traumatic stress disorder symptoms and defectiveness/shame beliefs and CSB. Conclusions: These results extend theoretical conceptualizations of women's CSB to a treatment population. CSB intervention efforts may benefit from targeting women's avoidance of painful experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objectives: Mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) promotes numerous psychological benefits, but few studies have identified for whom MBSR is most effective. The current study tested the hypothesis that lower baseline mindfulness invites more “room to grow” and, thus, predicts greater improvement during MBSR. Method: We examined three facets of mindfulness (awareness, acceptance, decentering) among 131 MBSR participants prior to enrollment, to test the hypothesis that lower baseline mindfulness predicts greater improvements in perceived stress, positive affect (PA), and negative affect (NA) following MBSR. Results: Lower acceptance and decentering predicted greater decreases in perceived stress. Higher awareness, acceptance, and decentering predicted greater increases in PA. Higher awareness predicted greater reductions in NA. Lower decentering predicted greater reductions in NA. Conclusion: Findings partly supported the hypothesis that lower baseline mindfulness predicts greater improvement following MBSR and emphasize the importance of assessing multiple mindfulness facets given their unique, contrasting relations to outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has previously demonstrated that perceptions of peer's teen dating violence (TDV) is associated with one's own perpetration of TDV, although little research has examined whether this relationship is consistent across developmental time periods (i.e., mid-to-late adolescence). The present study examined whether changes in perceptions of peer's TDV predicted change in one's own perpetration of TDV in a sample of ethnically diverse adolescents from ages 15 to 18 (N = 1,042). Parallel process modeling demonstrated that decreases in perceptions of peer's TDV predicted decreases in TDV perpetration over time, and this relationship was more pronounced for males than females. These findings lend further support to the need for TDV prevention and intervention programs to include peer influence in their programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly one-third of individuals in treatment for substance use disorders endorse at-risk levels of compulsive sexual behaviours (CSBs). Untreated sexual compulsivity may facilitate relapse for treatment-seeking men. Previous research and theory suggest that CSBs are maintained by efforts to escape or alter negative affect (e.g., depression and anxiety). However, this hypothesis has not been examined within a sample of men in treatment for substance use disorders. In an effort to better understand CSBs within a population of men with substance use disorders, the present study is the first to examine experiential avoidance as one potential mechanism underlying the relation between men's symptoms of depression and anxiety and their use of CSBs. The present study reviewed medical records of 150 men in residential treatment for substance use disorders. Structural equation modelling was used to examine pathways from men's depression and anxiety symptoms to CSBs directly and indirectly through experiential avoidance while controlling for alcohol/drug problems and use. Results revealed significant indirect effects of both depression and anxiety symptoms on CSB through experiential avoidance. These results support and extend existing research on CSB in a treatment population. Findings suggest that intervention efforts for CSB may benefit by targeting men's avoidance of painful internal events. Key Practitioner Message Compulsive sexual behaviour is related to symptoms of depression and anxiety amongst men in residential treatment for substance use disorders., Experiential avoidance is positively related to compulsive sexual behaviour amongst men with substance use disorders., For men in treatment for substance use disorders, the relation between symptoms of depression and anxiety and compulsive sexual behaviour is explained, in part, by experiential avoidance., Helping men with substance use disorders develop more adaptive methods of processing aversive experiences, as opposed to escaping them, may reduce their use of compulsive sexual behaviours when faced with aversive affect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Although the prevalence of e-cigarette use among adolescents and young adults has caught up to or eclipsed that of combustible cigarette use, there is relatively little known about (a) the link between e-cigarettes and other substances and (b) the reasons underlying this increase in e-cigarette use. To address this gap in knowledge, the current study examined associations between e-cigarette use and other substances and identified motives for e-cigarette use among young adults.Methods: Participants included an ethnically diverse sample of African American, White, and Hispanic young adults (N = 662; 61% female) who were participating in an ongoing survey-based longitudinal study of health and risky behaviors.Results: Hispanic, White, and male young adults reported significantly greater past year e-cigarette use compared to their African American and female counterparts. Bivariate correlations showed that use of e-cigarettes was positively associated with use of combustible cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, inhalants, hallucinogens, ecstasy, and misuse of over-the-counter and prescription medications. Furthermore, e-cigarette users reported a higher prevalence of substance use relative to those who did not use e-cigarettes. The taste of e-cigarettes was identified as an important motive for use.Conclusions and Significance: Although the potential harm associated with e-cigarettes remains largely unknown, e-cigarettes appear to be a risk marker for the use of substances that are known to pose substantial health problems. Health care providers should screen for e-cigarette use, and youth substance use prevention programs should target the reduction of e-cigarette use with particular attention to addressing their taste appeal. (Am J Addict 2017;26:343-348). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims: Alcohol use is one of the most widely accepted and studied risk factors for teen dating violence (TDV). Too little research has explored longitudinally if it is true that an adolescent's alcohol use and TDV involvement simultaneously occur. In the current study, we examined whether there were latent status based on past-year TDV and alcohol use and whether female adolescents changed their statuses of TDV and alcohol use over time.Methods: The sample consisted of 583 female youths in seven public high schools in Texas. Three waves of longitudinal data collected from 2011 to 2013 were utilised in this study. Participants completed self-report assessments of alcohol use (past-year alcohol use, number of drinks in the past month and episodic heavy drinking within the past month) and psychological and physical TDV victimisation and perpetration. Latent transition analysis was used to examine if the latent status based on TDV and alcohol use changed over time.Results: Five separate latent statuses were identified: (i) no violence, no alcohol; (ii) alcohol; (iii) psychological violence, no alcohol; (iv) psychological violence, alcohol; and (v) physical and psychological violence, alcohol. Latent transition analysis indicated that adolescents generally remained in the same subgroup across time.Discussion: This study provides evidence on the co-occurrence of alcohol use and teen dating violence, and whether teens' status based on dating violence and alcohol use are stable over time. Findings from the current study highlight the importance of targeting both TDV and substance use in intervention and prevention programs. [Choi HJ, Elmquist J, Shorey RC, Rothman EF, Stuart GL,Temple JR. Stability of alcohol use and teen dating violence for female youth: Alatent transition analysis. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;36:80-87]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Extant literature has documented a significant relationship between borderline symptoms and substance use disorders. As supported in past work, there is a significant theoretical relationship between borderline symptoms and compulsive sexual behaviors because both disorders share common underlying behaviors and traits. There is no known research that has examined the empirical relationship between borderline symptoms and compulsive sexual behaviors in a population with substance use disorders. To fill this important gap in the literature, this relationship was examined in the current study. Method Medical records from 120 women admitted to a private, residential treatment program for substance use disorders were reviewed for the current study. Results Hierarchical multiple regression analysis demonstrated that borderline symptoms were significantly associated with compulsive sexual behaviors after controlling for alcohol use and problems, drug use and problems, age, and positive impression management. Conclusion Results from this study provide potentially important research and clinical implications, which could ultimately aid treatment and reduce relapse. However, continued research is needed to further examine the relationship between symptoms and compulsive sexual behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To determine whether being the victim of violence during a date among female college students on any given day predicted cannabis and alcohol use the following day. Design, Setting and Participants Between August 2010 and January 2013, we conducted a 90-day daily diary study with 174 females who were in current dating relationships from a large university in the Southeastern United States. The mean age of the sample was 18.70 years [standard deviation (SD) = 1.27]; participants were primarily non-Hispanic Caucasian (86.2%). Participants answered questions about contact with their dating partner, being the victim of violence (physical and sexual) during a date, physical perpetration, alcohol use and cannabis use for up to 90 days. The mean number of diaries completed was 54.90 (SD = 27.66). Measurements The primary outcomes were self-reported daily cannabis and alcohol use. Being the victim of violence during a date was assessed each day using self-report items from the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales and Sexual Experiences Survey. Findings Being the victim of violence during a date predicted cannabis use the following day (odds ratio = 2.25), and this effect held when controlling for contact with a partner, cannabis and alcohol use the previous day, physical perpetration the previous day, alcohol use the same day and the overall likelihood of being the victim of violence during a date, substance use and physical perpetration. Being the victim of violence during a date did not predict next-day alcohol use. Being the victim of sexual and physical violence during a date did not differentially predict next-day substance use. Conclusions Among female college students in the United States, being the victim of violence during a date appears to increase the risk for cannabis use the following day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective It is imperative that research identifies factors related to depression among individuals in substance use treatment, as depression is associated with substance use relapse. Dispositional mindfulness and spirituality may bear an important role in the relationship between depression and substance use. Method Using preexisting patient medical records ( N = 105), the current study investigated dispositional mindfulness and spirituality in relation to depressive symptom clusters (affective, cognitive, and physiological) among men in residential substance use treatment. The mean age of the sample was 41.03 (standard deviation = 10.75). Results Findings demonstrated that dispositional mindfulness and spirituality were negatively associated with depressive symptoms. After controlling for age, alcohol use, and drug use, dispositional mindfulness remained negatively associated with all of the depression clusters. Spirituality only remained associated with the cognitive depression cluster. Conclusion Mindfulness-based interventions may hold promise as an effective intervention for reducing substance use and concurrent depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dating violence is a serious and prevalent problem on college campuses. Although there is a robust literature documenting that alcohol use is consistently associated with increased risk for perpetrating dating violence, little research has examined the role of cannabis in dating violence perpetration. With increasing legalisation of cannabis throughout the world, it is imperative to understand what role, if any, cannabis may play in the important public health problem of dating violence. In this commentary, we discuss the current state of the research on cannabis and dating violence and suggest avenues for additional research in this area. It is critical that we conduct methodologically sound research on the association between cannabis and dating violence so that we can understand what role, if any, cannabis exerts on this important problem. [Shorey RC, Haynes E, Strauss C, Temple JR, Stuart GL. Cannabis use and dating violence among college students: A call for research. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;36:17-19]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with substance use disorders are more likely to have antisocial and borderline personality disorder than non-substance abusers. Recently, research has examined the relations between early maladaptive schemas and personality disorders, as early maladaptive schemas are believed to underlie personality disorders. However, there is a dearth of research on the relations between early maladaptive schemas and personality disorders among individuals seeking treatment for substance abuse. The current study examined the relations among early maladaptive schemas and antisocial and borderline personality within in a sample of men seeking substance abuse treatment ( n = 98). Results demonstrated that early maladaptive schema domains were associated with antisocial and borderline personality symptoms. Implications of these findings for substance use treatment and research are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Message Antisocial (ASPD) and Borderline (BPD) personality disorder symptoms are prevalence among individuals seeking substance abuse treatment., Early maladaptive schemas are believed to underlie the development of ASPD and BPD symptoms, and are also prevalence among individuals seeking substance use treatment., Findings from the current study suggest that specific early maladaptive schema domains predict ASPD and BPD symptoms in a substance abuse treatment seeking sample of adult males., The treatment of ASPD and BPD among men seeking substance use treatment may want to focus on early maladaptive schemas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early maladaptive schemas, defined as cognitive and behavioural patterns of viewing oneself and the world that cause considerable distress, are increasingly being recognized as an important underlying correlate of mental health problems. Recent research has begun to examine early maladaptive schemas among individuals seeking treatment for substance abuse. Unfortunately, there is limited research on whether substance abusers score higher on early maladaptive schemas than non-clinical controls. Thus, the current study examined whether a sample of young adult female substance abuse treatment seekers ( n = 180) scored higher than a non-clinical group of female college students ( n = 284) on early maladaptive schemas. Results demonstrated that the substance abuse group scored higher than the non-clinical group on 16 of the 18 early maladaptive schemas. In addition, a number of differences in early maladaptive schemas were large in effect size. Implications of these findings for future research and substance abuse treatment programmes are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Message Young adult female substance users have a number of early maladaptive schemas that may be contributing to the onset and maintenance of substance use., Findings from the current study suggest that early maladaptive schemas are more prevalent among young adult female substance abusers than a non-clinical control group, even after controlling for demographic differences between groups., The treatment of substance abuse among young adults should consider targeting early maladaptive schemas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abuse of opioids is a serious and prevalent problem and research is needed on factors that may place individuals at risk for misusing opioids. Depression is a common co-morbid mental health problem among opioid users. Theory and research suggest that early maladaptive schemas may underlie mental health problems including depression and substance abuse. The current study sought to determine whether early maladaptive schemas were associated with depression among a treatment seeking sample of male and female opioid users ( n = 194). We also examined whether depression, as assessed by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Second Edition, varied by gender and whether gender differences in depression remained after controlling for early maladaptive schemas. Results showed that women scored significantly higher than men on three of the five early maladaptive schema domains and that gender did not predict depression after controlling for schema domains. Early maladaptive schemas were also more strongly associated with depression for men than women. Implications of these findings for interventions and future research are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practicioner Message Individuals with opioid dependence have a number of early maladaptive schemas that may be contributing to the onset and maintenance of substance use., Although there are generally broad gender differences in major depression, findings from the current study suggest that early maladaptive schemas are a better predictor of depressive symptoms than gender among opioid dependent adults., The treatment of opioid dependence, with or without co-morbid depressive symptoms, should target early maladaptive schemas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Early maladaptive schemas are cognitive and behavioral patterns that cause considerable distress and are theorized to underlie mental health problems. Research suggests that early maladaptive schemas may underlie substance abuse and that the intensity of early maladaptive schemas may decrease after brief periods of abstinence. The current study examined changes in early maladaptive schemas after a 4-week residential substance use treatment program. Method Preexisting records of a sample of male alcohol- and opioid-dependent treatment seeking adults ( N = 97; mean age = 42.55) were reviewed for the current study. Results Pre-post analyses demonstrated that 8 of the early maladaptive schemas significantly decreased by the end of the 4-week treatment. Conclusions Findings indicate that early maladaptive schemas can be modified during brief substance use treatment and may be an important component of substance use intervention programs. Implications of these findings for substance use treatment are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims The efficacy of batterer intervention programs to reduce intimate partner violence ( IPV) is questionable, with individuals with alcohol problems particularly unlikely to benefit. We examined whether adding adjunctive alcohol intervention to batterer intervention reduced the likelihood of substance use and violence relative to batterer intervention alone. Design Randomized clinical trial. Setting Batterer intervention programs in Rhode Island, USA. Participants A total of 252 hazardous drinking men in batterer intervention programs. Participants were randomized to receive 40 hours of standard batterer program ( SBP) or the SBP plus a 90-minute alcohol intervention ( SBP + BAI). None withdrew due to adverse effects. Data were collected at baseline, 3-, 6- and 12-month follow-up, with follow-up rates of 95, 89 and 82%, respectively. Measurements Substance use was measured with a well-validated calendar-assisted interview. Violence was measured with a validated questionnaire. Arrest records were obtained for all participants. The primary substance use outcome was drinks per drinking day ( DPDD) and the primary violence outcome was frequency of any physical IPV. Findings Relative to SBP alone, men receiving SBP + BAI reported consuming fewer DPDD at 3-month follow-up [ B = −1.36, 95% confidence interval ( CI): −2.65, −0.04, P = 0.04] but not 6- or 12-month follow-up. In secondary analyses, men receiving SBP + BAI reported significantly greater abstinence at 3- ( B = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.14, P = 0.002) and 6-month ( B = 0.06, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.11, P = 0.01) follow-up but not 12-month follow-up. There were no significant differences in physical IPV between men receiving SBP and men receiving SBP + BAI. In secondary analyses, men receiving SBP + BAI reported less severe physical aggression at 3-month ( IRR = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.65, P = 0.009) but not 6- or 12-month follow-up. Men receiving SBP + BAI reported less severe psychological aggression ( B = −1.24, 95% CI: −2.47, −0.02, P = 0.04) and fewer injuries to partners at 3- and 6-month follow-up ( IRR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.92, P = 0.03), with differences fading by 12 months. Conclusions Men with a history of intimate partner violence and hazardous drinking who received a batterer intervention plus an alcohol intervention showed improved alcohol and violence outcomes initially, but improvements faded by 12 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are prevalent and associated with common problems among adults with substance use disorders (SUDs), including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and compulsive behaviors. Most studies consider cumulative ACEs when examining their associations with health and behavioral outcomes. We tested whether patterns of ACEs related to SUD symptoms, PTSD symptoms, and compulsive behaviors among adults receiving treatment for substance use. We identified latent classes of ACEs using medical record data from 721 patients in residential SUD treatment and conducted Wald chi‐square tests to assess whether these latent classes differed in alcohol and drug use disorder symptoms, PTSD symptoms, compulsive sexual behavior, and compulsive gambling. We identified four latent classes: high ACEs (15.1%), maltreatment (12.4%), household problems (22.3%), and low ACEs (49.1%). There were significant differences across latent classes in drug use disorder symptoms, PTSD symptoms, and compulsive sexual behavior, χ2(1, N = 721) = 37.42–107.07, ps < .001. Participants in the high ACEs and household problems classes had more drug use disorder symptoms than those in the low ACEs class. Relative to all other classes, individuals in the low ACEs class had the lowest PTSD symptoms and those in the high ACEs class had the highest PTSD symptoms. Findings indicate that adults with SUDs who have more ACEs have the highest risk for PTSD symptoms and compulsive sexual behavior. Screening for ACEs while considering ACE patterns and frequency may benefit treatment planning for SUD patients with comorbid concerns such as PTSD symptoms and compulsive sexual behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]