Asian-Pacific Islander Adolescent Methamphetamine Use: Does “Ice” Increase Aggression and Sexual Risks?

Using a probability sample from a 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Survey of Asian-Pacific Islander youths in Guam, this brief study examined the outcomes for methamphetamine use on aggression and risky sexual activities. The results of the study indicated that both male and female adolescents who used methamphetamine were significantly more likely to participate in aggressive behaviors and sexual risks (i.e., numerous sex partners). The inclusion of grade point averages in a logistic regression equation revealed that White adolescents were more likely than other ethnicities to indicate that they had used methamphetamine and the inclusion of student grade point averages reduced male gender to nonsignificance. We also discuss the limitations of the study.     

Popular Views on Addictions and on Prospects for Recovery in Poland

Background: Popular views of addictive substances and behaviors constitute an important research topic because these views have an impact upon the functioning of treatment systems and societal responses to substance use disorders. Methods: The analysis is based on a random sample of N = 1000 telephone interviews collected in Poland in 2013. Questionnaire measures targeted such issues as the perceived risks of addictions and beliefs about potential recovery from various types of addictions. Results: First, a coherent view of the addiction potential of various addictive substances and/or behaviors emerges, distinguishing licit drugs and types of behavior from illicit drugs. Second, treatment optimism proves to be quite high independent of the type of addictive behavior, while chances of recovery without treatment are considered less likely. Third, chances for assisted change (change with treatment) and self-change are considered largely independent of perceived addiction-related risks and are not perceived as contradictory. Conclusions: The results point to the persistence of the disease model of addiction in Poland, placing responsibility for addiction on the individual and pairing it with the expectation of undergoing specialized treatment. This individualistic approach was applied as a framework for addiction problems in the 1950s to deflect from the shortcomings of the ‘‘new socialist society.’’ Neo-liberal market reform and socioeconomic changes have provided reinforcement for this individualistic framework.     

Suicidal ideation and behavior in institutions of higher learning: A latent class analysis

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among undergraduate students, with an annual rate of 7.5 per 100,000. Suicidal behavior (SB) is complex and heterogeneous, which might be explained by there being multiple etiologies of SB. Data-driven identification of distinct at-risk subgroups among undergraduates would bolster this argument. We conducted a latent class analysis (LCA) on survey data from a large convenience sample of undergraduates to identify subgroups, and validated the resulting latent class model on a sample of graduate students. Data were collected through the Interactive Screening Program deployed by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. LCA identified 6 subgroups from the undergraduate sample (N = 5654). In the group with the most students reporting current suicidal thoughts (N = 623, 66% suicidal), 22.5% reported a prior suicide attempt, and 97.6% endorsed moderately severe or worse depressive symptoms. Notably, LCA identified a second at-risk group (N = 662, 27% suicidal), in which only 1.5% of respondents noted moderately severe or worse depressive symptoms. When graduate students (N = 1138) were classified using the model, a similar frequency distribution of groups was found. Finding multiple replicable groups at-risk for suicidal behavior, each with a distinct prevalence of risk factors, including a group of students who would not be classified as high risk with depression-based screening, is consistent with previous studies that identified multiple potential etiologies of SB.     

个性化心理护理干预对腹部手术患者围术期疼痛自我管理行为的影响

目的：探讨个性化心理护理干预对腹部手术患者围术期疼痛自我管理行为的影响。方法132例腹部外科手术患者采用随机数表法将其分为干预组与对照组，每组66例，对照组患者采取临床基础护理措施，干预组患者基于对照组应用个性化心理护理干预。比较不同护理干预对两组患者术中疼痛感知及术后疼痛自我管理行为的影响。结果干预组患者15、30、60 min时点VAS评分均低于对照组（ P＜0．05）；术后疼痛自我管理行为分析中，干预组疼痛自我管理行为评分明显高于对照组（ P＜0．05）。结论对腹部外科手术患者采取个性化心理护理干预可显著降低术中疼痛程度，提高术后疼痛自我管理行为，对降低应激反应发生率及提高临床治疗效果具有重要意义。     

Are movies with tobacco,alcohol, drugs,sex, and violence rated for youth? A comparison of rating systems in Argentina,Brazil, Mexico,and the United States

BackgroundThis study aimed to determine between-country differences and changes over time in the portrayal of youth risk behaviors in films rated for youth in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and the United States.MethodsContent and ratings were analyzed for 362 films that were popular across all four countries from 2002 to 2009. Country-specific ratings were classified as either youth or adult, and Generalized Estimating Equations were used to determine between-country differences in the presence of tobacco, alcohol, drugs, sexual content, and violence in youth-rated films. Within-country differences in this content over time were also assessed, comparing films released from 2002 to 2005 with those released from 2006 to 2009.ResultsIn the US, films rated for youth were less likely to contain all five risk behaviors than in youth-rated films in Argentina, Brazil, and, when the “15 and older” rating was considered a youth rating, in Mexico. All three Latin American countries “downrated” films that received an adult rating in the US. Nevertheless, tobacco and drug use in youth-rated films declined over time in all countries, whereas moderate to extreme alcohol use and violence involving children or youth increased in all countries.ConclusionsTobacco and drug use have declined in popular US films, but these behaviors are still prevalent in films rated for youth across the Americas. The apparent success of advocacy efforts to reduce tobacco and other drugs in films suggests that similar efforts be directed to reduce alcohol portrayals.     

The Relationship of Challenging Behaviors to Severity and Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Challenging behaviors were assessed in 313 children, and it was demonstrated that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) exhibited greater levels of challenging behavior than both normally developing controls and children with psychopathology or atypical development. Next, we examined the relation between challenging behaviors and symptoms of autism in children with ASD. Severity of ASD was positively related to the number and intensity of challenging behaviors, and those with severe ASD exhibited significantly higher levels of problem behaviors than children with mild or moderate ASD. In addition, clusters of ASD symptoms were able to accurately predict endorsements of 8 of the 18 challenging behaviors assessed. Implications for the assessment and intervention of ASD and challenging behaviors are discussed.     

Where you live matters: The roles of living arrangement and self-esteem on college students’ hazardous drinking behaviors

This study examined the influence of living arrangements and self-esteem on problematic alcohol use among 139 university students. Our findings replicate the well-established inverse association between self-esteem and problematic alcohol use. However, analyses disaggregated by living arrangement revealed that this association was inconsistent such that the inverse association between self-esteem and both binge drinking and alcohol-related problems was observed among participants living with parents, but not among students living on campus or off campus without parents. The moderating effect of living arrangement highlights the importance of considering living arrangements when examining risk factors for hazardous drinking among college students, as the pathways to problematic alcohol use may differ according to living situations.