Personality Traits and Drinking Motives Predict Alcohol Misuse Among Canadian Aboriginal Youth

This study tested the association between personality traits (i.e., anxiety sensitivity, sensation seeking, impulsivity, and hopelessness; as measured by the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (Woicik et al. in Addictive Behaviors 34:1042–1055, 2009)), drinking motives (i.e., enhancement, social, coping, and conformity; as measured by the Drinking Motives Questionnaire—Revised (Cooper in Psychological Assessment 6:117–128, 1994)), and problematic patterns of alcohol use in 191 Canadian Aboriginal youth. Confirmatory factor analyses provided support for a three-factor model of drinking motives. Hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that personality traits independently predicted motives for alcohol use: anxiety sensitivity predicted conformity motivated drinking; sensation seeking and impulsivity predicted enhancement motivated drinking; and hopelessness predicted coping motivated drinking. In addition, personality traits and drinking motives predicted problematic patterns of alcohol misuse: sensation seeking, hopelessness, and enhancement motives predicted heavy episodic drinking, while all personality traits and all drinking motives (save conformity) predicted alcohol-related problems. These findings suggest that specific personality traits in Canadian Aboriginal youth can explain specific reasons for drinking and may represent appropriate targets for intervention.     

The Influence of Excessive Chewing Gum Use on Headache Frequency and Severity Among Adolescents

BackgroundExcessive gum-chewing is underreported as a headache precipitant in children and adolescents. We evaluated the influence of daily excessive gum-chewing in older children and teenagers with chronic headache, emphasizing the impact of habit discontinuation and its reintroduction.MethodsPatients with chronic headache and excessive gum-chewing were consecutively recruited and asked to fill questionnaire pertaining headache characteristics, potential triggers, family history of headaches, and gum-chewing habits. These individuals were classified into four groups depending on the number of daily hours of gum-chewing. All children discontinued chewing for 1 month, reintroduced the habit, and were reinterviewed after 2 to 4 weeks.ResultsThirty patients (25 girls) were recruited. Median age was 16 years. Most had migraine-like headaches. Following gum-chewing discontinuation, 26 reported significant improvement, including headache resolution in 19. All 20 patients reinstituting the habit reported symptom relapse within days. Duration of headache before discontinuation and the number of daily hours of chewing had no influence on the response to habit discontinuation.ConclusionExcessive daily gum-chewing may be associated with chronic headache and should get more attention in the medical literature. Physician and patient awareness of this association could have a meaningful impact on the quality of life of children and adolescents with chronic headache who chew gum excessively.     

Prevalence of Problem Gambling Among Community Service Users

The prevalence of pathological gambling has been investigated in many countries over the past 10 years. In the United States and Canada, it is estimated that between 1 and 2% of the general population suffer from excessive gambling (Ladouceur, Jacques, Ferland, & Giroux, 1999; Shaffer, Hall, & Vander Bilt, 1997). Some researchers have argued that telephone surveys underestimate the prevalence of this disorder given that many gamblers may be unable to participate in them. Using the South Oaks Gambling Screen, the present study assessed the prevalence of pathological gambling among 87 individuals who rely on community assistance for their survival. The findings indicate that 17.2% meet the criteria for pathological gambling; a prevalence that is approximately 8 times greater than that of the general population. The social implications of these results are discussed.     

Brief Report: The Influence of Autism Severity and Depression on Self-Determination Among Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - Self-determination (SD) is linked to autonomy and better adult outcomes. Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often less independent than...     

Health Behaviours Among Users of Drugs: in a Brazilian Sample

This study examines health behaviours among 140 substance misusers from an outpatient department. A cross-sectional study was undertaken at an addiction centre in southern Brazil. Data were collected from a sample population who completed a set of questionnaires about their sociodemographic information, Severity Alcohol Dependence Data, Severity of Dependence Scale, Health Behaviour Questionnaire, and the Addiction Severity Index. For data analysis, Fisher’s exact test, analysis of variance, Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analyses were used. Severe levels of alcohol and drug dependence syndromes were identified. No significant differences were found between the cocaine and crack users, but these differed from the multiple drug user groups, which showed higher scores on the Severity of Dependence Scale and Health Behaviour Questionnaire. The findings also show that the consumption of these substances has a significant influence on the health behaviour of substance misusers and interfere with preventive health behaviours.     

Suicide-Related Internet Use Among Suicidal Young People in the UK: Characteristics of Users,Effects of Use,and Barriers to Offline Help-Seeking

The study replicates earlier research using a UK sample to examine differences between suicidal people who go online for suicide-related reasons and suicidal people who do not, perceived effects of suicide-related Internet use, and perceived barriers to offline help-seeking. A total of 72 UK citizens (18–24 years old) who had contemplated killing themselves or deliberately harmed themselves with the intention of dying within the past 12 months participated in an anonymous online survey. Results indicate that suicidal young people who use the Internet for suicide-related purposes are a high-risk group characterized by higher levels of social anxiety. The main purposes of suicide-related Internet use were to connect with others and seek information. Both positive and negative effects were found.     

Trait Emotional Intelligence and Problematic Social Media Use Among Adults: The Mediating Role of Social Media Use Motives

There are many contributing factors to problematic social media use including personality differences, psychosocial factors, and specific use motivations. The present study (N = 444 emerging adults, 75% women) investigated the direct and indirect relationships between trait emotional intelligence and problematic social media use via social media use motives by testing a complex mediation model. Path analyses suggested that trait emotional intelligence was directly and indirectly associated with problematic social media use via two social media use motives: (i) expressing or presenting a more popular self, and (ii) passing time. Results of the present study indicate that trait emotional intelligence may have a role in the motives for using social media as well as the development and maintenance of problematic social media use. Moreover, future studies should focus mediator risk factors between trait emotional intelligence and problematic social media use.

     

Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to Assess Identity Formation Among Users of Synthetic Cannabinoids

Identity work and the perception and transformation of the addicted self are the most important processes during recovery from psychoactive substance addiction. While synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) have become increasingly popular among drug users in recent years, little is known about how the users of SCs perceive their identities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six male former SC users, and the transcribed interviews were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Two master themes were identified: 1. The impact of SC use experience on self and identity formation, and 2. The transformed self and the user self. SCs users have difficulties organizing their experiences into definite meaning structures and constructing collective meanings. Their experiences are similar to traumatic experience; therefore, SC use may be treated as a particular type of trauma. As a result, the resources of SC users to change their self and construct a new non-addict identity are limited, which may mean a significant obstacle in recovery. Hence, treatment should focus on identity work more emphatically.     

The Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form: a Persian Version Among a Large Sample of Psychiatric Patients

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction - The Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form (YSQ-SF), as a measure of early maladaptive schemas (EMSs), showed good validity and reliability....     

Conformity Behaviors: a Qualitative Phenomenological Exploration of Binge Drinking Among Female College Students

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction - The present study explored binge drinking as a conformity behavior as it related to self-esteem and social acceptance in young adults. The...     

Trait Emotional Intelligence and Internet Gaming Disorder Among Gamers: The Mediating Role of Online Gaming Motives and Moderating Role of Age Groups

Personality differences are important determinants of problematic online behaviors. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of loneliness, depression, and online gaming motives and moderating role of age on the relationship between trait emotional intelligence (EI) and Internet gaming disorder (IGD) via the construction of a multiple mediation model. A total of 478 online gamers completed a self-report online survey, including validated psychometric scales assessing the aforementioned constructs. Results indicated that trait EI was directly and indirectly associated with IGD and that the motive of escape was a partial mediator between trait EI and IGD among the total sample and adult gamers, but not among adolescents. Moreover, trait EI was associated with coping, skill development, fantasy, and recreation gaming motives only among total sample and adult gamers, and the escape motive was positively associated with IGD among total sample and adult gamers. However, among these relationships, only the association between trait EI and fantasy was significantly moderated by age group. Furthermore, the direct effect of trait EI was stronger among adolescent gamers when compared to adult gamers. Results showed that trait EI is inversely associated with IGD and affects gaming for different motives among adolescent and adult gamers.

     

睡眠质量对青年缺血性卒中短期预后的影响

目的 研究睡眠质量对青年缺血性卒中短期预后的影响。 方法 连续性、前瞻性地收集年龄在18～45岁的首发卒中患者223例作为观察对象。建立完善基线资 料、青年缺血性卒中预后可能相关因素的数据库,采用匹兹堡睡眠质量指数（Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index,PSQI）问卷评分评估睡眠质量,美国国立卫生研究院卒中量表（National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale,NIHSS）评分、改良Rankin量表（modified Rankin Scale,mRS）评分评估其入院后病情及发 病后3个月的预后情况,采用单因素及多元Logistic回归分析法对影响青年缺血性卒中预后的相关因素 进行分析,并分析研究睡眠质量对青年缺血性卒中短期预后的影响。 结果 共获取观察组有效病例223例,其中男性170例（76.2%）,女性53例（23.8%）。单因素分析结 果显示与青年缺血性卒中短期预后的相关因素有：NIHSS评分、睡眠质量、高同型半胱氨酸血症。将上 述有意义的变量纳入Logistic回归模型,显示睡眠质量差与青年缺血性卒中3个月mRS评分有关,比值 比（odds ratio,OR）1.829;95%可信区间（confidence interval,CI）1.014～3.301。 结论 睡眠质量差能影响青年缺血性卒中短期预后。