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Background Despite prevalent binge drinking and alcohol-dependent symptoms among Hispanics, few studies have examined how multidimensional factors influence Hispanic adolescents' binge drinking. Purpose This study examines the effects of genetic, psychological, and social network factors on binge drinking over time among Mexican heritage adolescents in the USA and whether there are correlations among genetic variants that are associated with binge drinking and psychological and network characteristics. Methods Mexican heritage adolescents (n = 731) participated in a longitudinal study, which included genetic testing at baseline, alcohol use assessments at first and second follow-ups, and questionnaires on sensation seeking, impulsivity, and peer and family network characteristics at second follow-up. Logistic regression and Spearman correlation analyses were performed. Results After adjusting for demographic characteristics, underlying genetic clustering, and binge drinking at first follow-up, two genetic variants on tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2; rs17110451, rs7963717), sensation seeking and impulsivity, and having a greater fraction of peers who drink or encourage drinking alcohol were associated with greater risk whereas another genetic variant on TPH2 (rs11178999) and having a greater fraction of close family relationships were associated with reduced risk for binge drinking at second follow-up. Genetic variants in TPH1 (rs591556) were associated with sensation seeking and impulsivity, while genetic variants in TPH2 (rs17110451) were associated with the fraction of drinkers in family. Conclusions Results reveal that genetic variants in the serotonin pathway, behavioral disinhibition traits, and social networks exert joint influences on binge drinking in Mexican heritage adolescents in the USA.

In a novel pilot study, we investigated how emotional state is related to inflammatory responses to acute pain among women with rheumatoid arthritis. Nine women completed four 5-hour visits that varied only by manipulation of emotion (anger, sadness, happiness, vs. control); in each visit, acute pain was elicited, with blood draws at baseline, 10 minutes, 60 minutes, and 100 minutes post-pain. We examined the effects of within-subjects factors on circulating inflammatory biomarkers interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α, C-reactive protein, and cortisol. There was a main effect of state anger on IL-6, with higher reported anger associated with higher IL-6 across conditions. Further, there were several interactions between state emotion and condition. For example, when individuals reported higher state anger in the sadness condition compared to their own average, they showed higher levels of IL-6 and cortisol. Findings are discussed within a larger literature suggesting that mixed emotional states can contribute to psychological stress and inflammatory responses.

We examined the effect of daily negative and positive mood on the sleep quality of knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients (N = 152) and whether a partner’s daily responses to a patient’s pain behaviors moderated these associations. Patients and their partners completed a baseline interview and 22 daily diary assessments. After controlling for demographic characteristics, OA severity, comorbidities, medication use, relationship satisfaction, and depressed mood, multilevel modeling analyses demonstrated main effects of negative and positive mood on sleep quality indicators. Mood and partner responses interacted such that high solicitous and punishing responses strengthened the association between negative mood and worse sleep. Further, high solicitous responses increased the degree of association between low positive mood and poor sleep, and empathic responses combined with positive mood were associated with better sleep. Results demonstrate that daily negative and positive mood fluctuations can interact with partner responses to affect sleep quality among older adults with chronic pain.

This study examined the role of emotion regulation (ER) strategies and emotional disposition in problem drinking of adolescent offenders (n = 303) and non-offending peers (n = 287) from South Korea. The participants completed a questionnaire assessing problem drinking, positive and negative emotion, emotional intensity, and use of problem solving, support seeking, and avoidant ER strategies. Problem drinking was positively associated with negative emotion, emotional intensity, and support-seeking ER in both groups, and avoidant ER among offenders only. Support-seeking ER accounted for the association between positive emotion and drinking in both groups, and avoidant ER further accounted for the association between positive emotion and drinking among offenders. Only among female offenders was the association between emotional intensity and drinking explained by support-seeking ER. The results imply that intervention to improve ER effectiveness, taking into account emotional disposition, delinquency differe...

The present study examined the unique impact of perceived negativity in multiple social relationships on endocrine and inflammatory responses to a laboratory stressor. Via hierarchical cluster analysis, those who reported negative social exchanges across relationships with a romantic partner, family, and their closest friend had higher mean IL-6 across time and a greater increase in TNF-α from 15 min to 75 min post stress. Those who reported negative social exchanges across relationships with roommates, family, and their closest friend showed greater IL-6 responses to stress. Differences in mean IL-6 were accounted for by either depressed mood or hostility, whereas differences in the cytokine stress responses remained significant after controlling for those factors. Overall, this research provides preliminary evidence to suggest that having multiple negative relationships may exacerbate acute inflammatory responses to a laboratory stressor independent of hostility and depressed mood.

Psychological stress is known to impair skin barrier recovery, but little is known about the impact of pain on skin healing processes. Our primary goals were to examine the degree to which acute pain affects recovery from skin barrier disruption, and the potential mediating impact of cortisol and catecholamines.Healthy non-smokers aged 18-43 (N = 53, 65% women) underwent a 3-minute cold pressor pain stimulus to their foot. Tape-stripping of forearm skin occurred at two separate locations: before (site 1) and after (site 2) the pain stimulus. Transepidural water loss (TEWL) was assessed at baseline (pre-stripping), immediately post-stripping, and at 75 min to determine skin barrier recovery. Cortisol and catecholamine responses were obtained from multiple saliva and plasma samples, respectively.Contrary to expectations, greater pain was associated with faster skin barrier recovery, even after controlling for demographics, mood, anxiety, and other factors. Those who reported higher pain showed faster recovery at site 2 compared to a) individuals who experienced lower pain; and b) their own recovery at site 1. Greater increase in norepinephrine (but not in cortisol) was also associated with faster recovery at site 2, and mediated the impact of pain on recovery.Results bolster evidence that acute pain can affect immune-related processes. It is possible that acute pain may speed recovery from dermal abrasions, although pain is likely to impair recovery from more severe wounds. As pain is an important potential target for clinical intervention, further investigation of pain, stress, and healing processes is warranted.