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Author(s): Andrew Walker [sup.1] [sup.2] , Rachael A. Spencer [sup.1] , Emily Lemon [sup.1] , Briana Woods-Jaeger [sup.1] , Kelli A. Komro [sup.1] , Melvin D. Livingston [sup.1] Author Affiliations: [...], Introduction Temporary Assistance for Needy Families requirements can be stress-inducing, difficult for families to complete, and may be detrimental during early life. We assessed the impact of TANF requirements on primary caregiving mothers' experiences of material hardship, anxiety, depression, and parental aggravation in the first year of a child's life. Methods Survey responses were selected from mothers in the Future of Families and Childhood Wellbeing Study, who received TANF in the first year of their child's life (N = 1085). Results Survey-weighted regression models showed associations between: presence of any requirements and increased material hardship, work requirements and increased material hardship, requirement to name the father of their child and increased depression, benefit cuts and increased parental aggravation, and benefit cuts and increased material hardship. Discussion Federal and state policies should revise requirement programs to increase program accessibility and support the mental health and financial stability of mothers applying for TANF to facilitate sustainable movement into employment.

Background: There is growing optimism regarding the use of screening and brief intervention (SBI) to identify and reduce risk behaviors during adolescence. However, understanding successful SBI implementation remains unclear. We previously reported the effects of CONNECT, a school-based SBI, on reducing the primary outcome, the rate of monthly alcohol use among primarily American Indian (AI) and White high school students in the Cherokee Nation. In this paper, we describe the design and implementation process for CONNECT. Method: CONNECT was designed to reduce alcohol use with 2 key strategies: (1) SBI with motivational interviewing (MI), implemented by a school-based CONNECT coach, and (2) a media campaign. Results: Implementation results indicate that during each semester of the 2-1/2 years, between 73% and 100% of eligible students had at least one 15-minute meeting with a CONNECT coach. Postcards and posters with positive communication tips for parents were displayed in CONNECT communities. No statistically significant differences occurred between the CONNECT and control groups on the hypothesized intermediate outcomes. Conclusions: We describe implementation of a universal, school-based, culturally adapted SBI that was effective in reducing alcohol use among youth living in the Cherokee Nation. Schools provide an important context for universal delivery of SBI interventions, such as CONNECT, for diverse adolescent populations, including AI youth.

Objective: Black women in the United States experience increased risk for mental disorders and are less likely to have access to appropriate mental health treatment compared with White women. To develop culturally responsive strategies to improve Black women's access to mental health treatment, the authors evaluated social determinants associated with mental health treatment utilization and unmet mental health needs among Black reproductive-age women with serious psychological distress. Methods: The authors performed a secondary analysis of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Data from 2009 to 2019 were pooled and restricted to Black women ages 18–44 years with serious psychological distress (N=4,171). Logistic regressions were conducted to identify personal and social determinants (e.g., education, employment status, poverty, and insurance status) of mental health treatment utilization, alternative mental health treatment utilization (e.g., spiritual support and self-help), and perceived unmet mental health needs. Results: Education and employment status were significantly associated with all three outcomes. Among the women who reported unmet mental health needs, opposition to treatment and cost were the highest endorsed barriers. Differences were found by pregnancy status, with pregnant women being significantly less likely to endorse cost (p<0.001) and more likely to endorse time and transportation as barriers (p<0.01) to receiving mental health treatment. Conclusions: Strategies to improve mental health outcomes for Black women should focus on reducing cost and transportation barriers and on the development of culturally responsive intervention approaches that address Black women's concerns about mental health treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined frequency and intensity of racial/ethnic discrimination and the longitudinal relationship to substance use. The sample included (N = 1,421) American Indian, American Indian and White, and White adolescents. A high frequency of perceived racial discrimination was associated with an increased risk for heavy alcohol use, prescription drug misuse, and other illicit drug use. Experiences of perceived racial discrimination high in intensity were associated with further increased risk of prescription drug misuse and other illicit drug use. Race/ethnicity did not moderate the relationship between perceived racial discrimination and substance use. Interventions targeting the deleterious effects of racial discrimination may need to be designed to account for both the environment and the individual.

Aims Sweeping policy changes during the COVID-19 pandemic increased alcohol availability through permitted to-go sales, potentially posing unique risks to college students. While to-go sales may make binge drinking more convenient, little remains known about these practices. Therefore, this study aimed to assess whether drinking establishments' to-go sales practices are associated with their other operational practices and state policy. Method This cross-sectional analysis included 221 randomly selected bars, nightclubs, and restaurants within two miles of a large public university. Telephone interviews assessed establishment practices, and the Alcohol Policy Information System provided state alcohol to-go laws. Regression models tested whether establishment to-go sales practices were associated with their business practices (logistic regression) and state policy (generalized estimating equations). Results Nearly one-half (44.8%) of drinking establishments sold alcohol to-go. Establishments with higher vodka prices had nearly 30% higher odds of selling spirits to-go (aOR  = 1.29) and establishments offering happy hours specials had more than twice the odds of selling beer (aOR  = 2.22), wine (aOR  = 2.53), and spirits to-go (aOR  = 2.60). Additionally, establishments that implemented physical distance requirements had higher odds of selling wine to-go (aOR  = 3.00). State to-go laws were associated with higher odds of selling wine (aOR  = 3.99) and spirits to-go (aOR  = 5.43) in the full sample and beer to-go (aOR  = 4.92) in urban counties. Conclusions Establishments that sell alcohol to-go tend to engage in other practices designed to drive sales. Evaluations of alcohol to-go sales laws on risky consumption among priority populations, including college students, are urgently needed to inform decisions about how to appropriately regulate sales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]