Adapting suicide safety plans for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

INTRODUCTION: Although risk for suicide appears elevated in individuals with intellectual and developmental disorders (I/DD), few interventions or tools addressing suicide prevention have been adapted for this population. Among evidence-based interventions for preventing suicide, safety planning interventions are an effective and commonly employed intervention for reducing suicide-related risk. METHODS: By drawing on Special Education praxis for supporting the learning needs of individuals with I/DD, we provide recommendations for adapting suicide safety planning interventions for youth with I/DD. RESULTS: Specific visual, content, teaching, and communication components of the safety plan intervention can be adapted to better meet the needs of youth with I/DD. DISCUSSION: Although future research is needed to evaluate these recommendations, these modifications may support clinicians serving youth with I/DD and suicide-related risk.

Neurophysiology of predictable unpleasant event processing in pre-adolescents and early adolescents, part II: Reflex and event-related potential markers of defensive reactivity and peripheral attention modulation.

The ability to anticipate and process predictable unpleasant events, while also regulating emotional reactivity, is an adaptive skill. The current article and a companion in this issue test for potential changes in predictable event processing across the childhood-to-adolescence transition, a key developmental period for biological systems that support cognitive/ emotional abilities. While the companion article focuses on neurophysiology of predictable event processing itself, the present article examines peripheral emotional response regulation and attention modulation that coincides with event processing. A total of 315 third-, sixth-, or ninth-grade individuals saw 5-s cues predicting "scary," "every day," or uncertain pictures, and here, blink reflexes and brain event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited by peripheral noise probes are analyzed. During the cue, blink reflexes and probe ERP (P200) amplitudes were increased when the cue predicted scary, compared to everyday, content. After picture onset, reflex enhancement by scary content then disappeared for predictable images, whereas ERP modulation was similar regardless of predictability. Patterns are similar to those in adults and suggest (1) sustained defensive response priming and enhancement of peripheral attention during aversive anticipation, and (2) an ability, even in pre-adolescents, to downregulate defensive priming while maintaining attentional modulation once an awaited predictable aversive event occurs.

Neurophysiology of predictable unpleasant event processing in preadolescents and early adolescents, part I: Event-related potential markers of unpleasant image anticipation and processing.

The ability to anticipate and process predictable unpleasant events, while also regulating emotional reactivity, is an adaptive skill. The current article and a companion in this issue test for potential changes in predictable event processing across the childhood-to-adolescence transition, a key developmental period for biological systems that support cognitive/emotional abilities. While the companion article focuses on emotion regulation and peripheral attention modulation in predictable unpleasant contexts, the current paper presents neurophysiological markers of predictable event processing itself. 315 third-, sixth-, or ninth-grade individuals saw 5-s cues predicting "scary," "every day," or uncertain image content; in this paper, cue- and picture-locked event-related potentials (ERPs) are analyzed. During the cue, early ERP positivities were increased and later slow-wave negativities were reduced when predicted content was scary as compared with mundane. After picture onset, a picture processing-related positivity was then increased for scary compared with everyday images regardless of predictability. Cue-interval data suggest enhanced processing of scary cues and reduced anticipatory processing of scary images-opposite to adults. After event onset, meanwhile, emotional ERP enhancement regardless of predictability is similar to adults and suggests that even preadolescent individuals maintain preferential engagement with unpleasant events when they are predictable.

The Role of Social Support in Coping with Psychological Trauma: An Integrated Biopsychosocial Model for Posttraumatic Stress Recovery.

This theoretical review proposes an integrated biopsychosocial model for stress recovery, highlighting the interconnectedness of intra- and interpersonal coping processes. The proposed model is conceptually derived from prior research examining interpersonal dynamics in the context of stressor-related disorders, and it highlights interconnections between relational partner dynamics, perceived self-efficacy, self-discovery, and biological stress responsivity during posttraumatic recovery. Intra- and interpersonal processes are discussed in the context of pre-, peri-, and post-trauma stress vulnerability as ongoing transactions occurring within the individual and between the individual and their environment. The importance of adopting an integrated model for future traumatic stress research is discussed. Potential applications of the model to behavioral interventions are also reviewed, noting the need for more detailed assessments of relational dynamics and therapeutic change mechanisms to determine how relational partners can most effectively contribute to stress recovery.

Exploring joint HPA-inflammatory stress response profiles in adolescent girls: Implications for developmental models of neuroendocrine dysregulation.

Prior research has struggled to differentiate cortisol stress response patterns reflective of well-regulated versus dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function among adolescents. Here, we show how exploring profiles of joint HPA-inflammatory stress responsivity, and linking those profiles to pubertal development and peer stress exposure may aid such distinction. Adolescent girls (N = 157, Mage  = 14.72 years, SD = 1.38) at risk for psychopathology completed assessments of salivary cortisol and pro-inflammatory cytokines (i.e., tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1ß, and interleukin-6) prior to and following the Trier Social Stress Test. Adolescents, a close friend, and a caregiver completed questionnaire measures of peer stress and pubertal status. Multitrajectory modeling of adolescents' cortisol and cytokine levels revealed three profiles: low cortisol response-stably low cytokine (n = 75), high cortisol response-stably moderate cytokine (n = 47), and low cortisol response-stably high cytokine (n = 35). Relative to low cortisol response-stably low cytokine, adolescents exhibiting the high cortisol response-stably moderate cytokine profile were more advanced in their pubertal development, but presented with similarly low levels of peer stress exposure. Despite showing cortisol responses that were indistinguishable from low cortisol response-stably low cytokine, adolescents exhibiting the low cortisol response-stably high cytokine profile were more pubertally advanced, but also more likely to have experienced chronic peer strain (self-report) and relational peer victimization (close friend-report). These findings thus illustrate the potential value of taking a multisystem approach to studying adolescent stress responsivity and underscore the importance of considering developmental and social factors when interpreting cortisol stress response patterns. Ultimately, such work may help inform developmental models of neuroendocrine dysregulation and related risk for psychopathology.

Sexual Harassment and Assault During Deployment: Associations with Treatment Outcomes Among Veterans with Co-occurring PTSD and SUD.

Sexual trauma is common and increases risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use disorders (SUD), and depression among veterans. Limited research has examined the impact of sexual harassment and assault during deployment on treatment outcomes among veterans with co-occurring PTSD and SUD. The current study examined frequency of exposure to sexual harassment and assault during deployment as a predictor of treatment outcomes among a primarily male sample of U.S military veterans diagnosed with current PTSD and SUD. A secondary analysis was performed using data from a randomized clinical trial examining the efficacy of Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders using Prolonged Exposure (COPE) compared to Relapse Prevention (RP). Data from 69 veterans (91.3% male) who were deployed while in the service were analyzed using mixed models to determine whether frequency of exposure to sexual harassment and assault during deployment impacted changes in PTSD symptom severity, percent days using substances, and depressive symptoms during treatment. Over one-third of the sample (36.2%) reported exposure to sexual harassment and/or assault during deployment. Frequency of exposure to sexual harassment and assault during deployment was not a predictor of treatment outcome in any of the models, suggesting a similar response to treatment among those with varying frequency of exposure to sexual harassment and assault during deployment. Veterans with co-occurring PTSD and SUD who have been exposed to sexual harassment and assault during deployment may benefit from integrated trauma-focused treatments and treatments focused on decreasing SUD symptoms.

Within-person patterns of psychobiological stress response correspondence: links to preadolescent internalizing problems and coping behaviors.

Though correspondence across the affective experience and physiologic arousal levels of the stress response is thought to support efficacious coping and buffer against internalizing problems, little evidence has demonstrated such correspondence. Using a community sample of preadolescents (N=151, Mage=10.33 years, Minage=8.92, Maxage=12.00, 51.7% male), this person-centered study examined internalizing problem and coping-linked variability in psychobiological stress response correspondence. Preadolescents were exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test and self-reported negative affect (NA) and salivary cortisol (SC) levels were assessed. Multitrajectory modeling revealed four subgroups. Relative to In-Touch (i.e., Moderate NA-Moderate SC; n=65), Unmindful (i.e., Moderate NA-Low SC; n=49) were more likely to present with parent-reported but not self-reported internalizing problems; Vigilant (i.e., High NA-Low SC; n=13) were more likely to present with self- and parent-reported internalizing problems, less likely to use engagement coping, and more likely to use wishful thinking (e.g., "I wish problems would just go away."); Denial (i.e., Low NA-High SC; n=24) self-reported similarly low internalizing problems, but were also more likely to report reliance on denial (e.g., "I pretend problems don't exist."). Findings illustrate meaningful heterogeneity in preadolescent psychobiological correspondence with implications for multimodal assessment and outcome monitoring in coping-based preventative interventions.

Adolescent girls' stress responses as prospective predictors of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors: A person-centered, multilevel study.

Adolescent risk for self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (STBs) involves disturbance across multiple systems (e.g., affective valence, arousal regulatory, cognitive and social processes). However, research integrating information across these systems is lacking. Utilizing a multiple-levels-of-analysis approach, this person-centered study identified psychobiological stress response profiles and linked them to cognitive processes, interpersonal behaviors, and STBs. At baseline, adolescent girls (N = 241, Mage = 14.68 years, Range = 12-17) at risk for STBs completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), questionnaires, and STB interviews. Positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), and salivary cortisol (SC) were assessed before and after the TSST. STBs were assessed again during 3, 6, and 9 month follow-up interviews. Multitrajectory modeling of girls' PA, NA, and SC revealed four profiles, which were compared on cognitive and behavioral correlates as well as STB outcomes. Relative to normative, girls in the affective distress, hyperresponsive, and hyporesponsive subgroups were more likely to report negative cognitive style (all three groups) and excessive reassurance seeking (hyporesponsive only) at baseline, as well as nonsuicidal self-injury (all three groups) and suicidal ideation and attempt (hyporesponsive only) at follow-up. Girls' close friendship characteristics moderated several profile-STB links. A synthesis of the findings is presented alongside implications for person-centered tailoring of intervention efforts.

Anxiety-related shifts in smell function in children and adolescents.

Anxious adults show changes in smell function that are consistent with a durable shift in sensitivity toward particular odorants and away from others. Little is known regarding the development of these changes, including whether they exist in youth, are stable during the transition from childhood to adolescence, and whether odorant properties (e.g. trigeminal features, hedonic valence) affect anxiety-related differences in detection. To address this, we measured smell detection thresholds to phenyl ethyl alanine (PEA), a rose-like odorant with little trigeminal properties, and guaiacol (GUA), a smoke-like odorant with high trigeminal properties. These thresholds were measured at baseline and after an acute stress challenge, the Trier Social Stress Tests, in 131 healthy youth (in 4th, 7th, and 10th grades, age 9-16 years) that reported normal to elevated levels of anxiety. At baseline, high anxious youth exhibited heightened sensitivity to GUA coupled with reduced sensitivity to PEA, as well as a further exaggeration of this bias with acute stress. Importantly, sex, age, and hedonic valence moderated the relationship between trait anxiety and sensitivity to both odorants. Smell function and its aberrations are often overlooked in the literature on biomarkers of stress and anxiety. Taken together with the extant literature, these findings suggest that greater attention is warranted to characterize potential novel olfactory therapeutic targets-across the lifespan.

Linking post-stressor interpersonal processes in adolescent girls' close friendships with acute HPA stress responses.

INTRODUCTION: For adolescent girls, close friendships may facilitate stress management and mitigate risk for internalizing psychopathology. However, little is known about how friendship processes may buffer (or potentially exacerbate) acute psychobiological responses to interpersonal stressors in ways that affect risk. METHODS: In a sample of 220 girls (ages 12-17 years) with a history of internalizing symptoms, this study investigated friendship dynamics following the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) to evaluate associations between post-stressor friendship behaviors (expressions of vulnerability by the stressed teen; support offered by their close friend) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis stress responses. RESULTS: Multilevel regression modeling revealed that girls who displayed more pronounced cortisol reactivity expressed greater vulnerability to, and received greater support from, their close friend. Expressed vulnerability was associated with more efficient cortisol recovery. Close friend support was not significantly associated with cortisol recovery, nor did it influence the connection between expressed vulnerability and cortisol recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that HPA reactivity may prompt expressions of vulnerability to girls' close friends, and in this context, promote more efficient HPA recovery. Findings highlight the role friendship dynamics may play in HPA-related risk for internalizing symptoms and point to expressed vulnerability in adolescent girls' close friendships as a potential consideration for interpersonally-centered therapeutic approaches.

Craving Moderates the Effects of Intranasal Oxytocin on Anger in Response to Social Stress Among Veterans With Co-Occurring Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Alcohol Use Disorder.

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) commonly co-occur among US military veterans. Oxytocin may have therapeutic value in treating both conditions. The potential for oxytocin to augment affective features common to PTSD and AUD, such as anger, is relevant to inform emerging treatments. METHODS/PROCEDURES: We examined the influence of intranasally administered oxytocin on connections between alcohol craving and stress-induced anger in a sample of 73 veterans (91.3% men) with co-occurring PTSD and AUD. Participants self-administered oxytocin (40 IU) or placebo (saline) 45 minutes before completing the Trier Social Stress Task (TSST). Self-reports of alcohol craving and anger were assessed pre- and post-TSST using a modified visual analog scale. Multiple regression analysis, including main effects for group, baseline craving, and their interaction, was used to predict post-TSST anger. FINDINGS/RESULTS: A marginally significant interaction was observed, suggesting a positive association between baseline craving and anger for those in the oxytocin group (B = 0.65, P = 0.01). Among those reporting low craving, participants in the oxytocin group reported significantly lower post-TSST anger than those in the placebo group. IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: The current study is among the first to examine relevant psychosocial moderators that may influence the effects of oxytocin among veterans with comorbid PTSD and AUD. Although oxytocin attenuated ratings of anger after a stress task among those with low baseline craving, findings suggest that oxytocin may not be as effective at reducing anger, a highly salient factor in PTSD, for individuals experiencing high levels of craving. Findings are consistent with the social salience hypothesis and suggest that individual differences in alcohol craving should be considered when evaluating oxytocin as a potential treatment for individuals with comorbid PTSD and AUD.

Making the "C-ACE" for a Culturally-Informed Adverse Childhood Experiences Framework to Understand the Pervasive Mental Health Impact of Racism on Black Youth.

The high prevalence and psychological impact of childhood exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTE) is a major public health concern in the United States. Considerable evidence has demonstrated the significant racial disparities that exist with respect to PTE exposure, indicating that Black youth are particularly burdened by these harmful experiences. Racism may serve a unique role in explaining why Black youth are disproportionately exposed to PTEs, and why mental health disparities are more likely to occur following such experiences. Despite clear evidence acknowledging racism as a major life stressor for Black youth, theoretical models of early childhood adversity have largely neglected the multifaceted influence of racism on mental health outcomes. Inspired by bourgeoning literature highlighting the potentially traumatic nature of racism-related experiences for Black youth, we present a culturally-informed Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) model, or "C-ACE", to understand the pervasive and deleterious mental health impact of racism on Black youth. This model extends the ACE framework by noting the significance of racism as an ACE exposure risk factor, a distinct ACE category, and a determinant of post-ACE mental health outcomes among Black youth. The model acknowledges and supports the advancement of ACEs research that takes a culturally informed approach to understanding the intergenerational and multilevel impact of racism on the mental health of Black youth. Future research utilizing the proposed C-ACE model is essential for informing clinical and public health initiatives centered on reducing the mental health impact of racism-related experiences and health disparities in the United States.

Associations of subjective and objective stress responses with interpersonal trauma, PTSD, stress-induced drinking, and drinking to cope in young adults.

OBJECTIVE: To understand how interpersonal trauma (IPT), stress response, and drinking to cope converge to predict stress-induced drinking, a risk factor for alcohol use disorder. METHOD: Young adults with no substance use disorder were classified into three trauma history groups: (a) IPT with PTSD (n = 27), (b) IPT without PTSD (n = 35), and (c) Control (no trauma-history/no PTSD; n = 36). Participants completed a baseline assessment, including a structured clinical interview, to confirm PTSD diagnosis, followed by the Trier Social Stressor Task (TSST) and an alcohol use task. Subjective units of distress and blood serum cortisol were collected at standardized timepoints throughout the tasks. RESULTS: In all three groups (PTSD, IPT, control), males consumed more alcohol in the lab than females. Participants in the PTSD group had significantly higher drinking to cope motives, which were associated with greater subjective reactivity; however, neither drinking to cope motives nor subjective reactivity to the TSST predicted post-stressor alcohol consumption for those with PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: The interplay among trauma history, stress, and drinking among young adults is nuanced; additional lab-based studies are needed to further clarify the nuanced connection between trauma history, acute stress reactions, and alcohol use. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Developing and Testing a Web-Based Provider Training for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy of Insomnia.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic insomnia is a common and debilitating disease that increases risk for significant morbidity and workplace difficulties. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the first-line treatment, but there is a critical lack of behavioral health providers trained in CBT-I because, in part, of a bottleneck in training availability and costs. The current project developed and evaluated a web-based provider training course for CBT-I: CBTIweb.org. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subject matter experts developed the content for CBTIweb.org. Then, trainees completed alpha testing (n = 24) and focus groups, and the site was improved. Next, licensed behavioral health providers and trainees completed beta testing (n = 41) and the site underwent another round of modifications. Finally, to compare CBTIweb.org to an in-person workshop, licensed behavioral health providers were randomly assigned to CBTIweb.org (n = 21) or an in-person workshop (n = 23). All participants were CBT-I naïve and completed the following assessments: Computer System Usability Questionnaire, Website Usability Satisfaction Questionnaire, Website Content Satisfaction Questionnaire, and Continuing Education knowledge acquisition questionnaires. RESULTS: Alpha and beta testers of CBTIweb.org reported high levels of usability and satisfaction with the site and showed significant within-group knowledge acquisition. In the pilot comparison study, linear fixed-effects modeling on the pre-/postquestionnaires revealed a significant main effect for time, indicating a significant increase in knowledge acquisition from 69% correct at baseline to 92% correct at posttraining collapsed across in-person and CBTIweb.org groups. The interaction effect of Time by Condition was nonsignificant, indicating equivalence in knowledge gains across both groups. CONCLUSION: CBTIweb.org appears to be an engaging, interactive, and concise provider training that can be easily navigated by its users and produce significant knowledge gains that are equivalent to traditional in-person workshops. CBTIweb.org will allow for worldwide dissemination of CBT-I to any English-speaking behavioral health providers. Future research will work on translating this training to other languages and extending this web-based platform to the treatment of other sleep disorders (e.g., nightmares) and populations (e.g., pediatric populations with insomnia).

Offspring Self-Disclosure Predicts Substance-Related Outcomes in an Emergency Department Sample of Young Adults with Traumatic Injury.

BACKGROUND: Hundreds of thousands of individuals visit the emergency department (ED) every year, with many visits occurring following alcohol misuse. Parent-child relationship factors are associated with alcohol-related outcomes. For example, offspring choice to self-disclose information about their lives to parents, rather than parents actively soliciting this information, is associated with substance use. However, it is unclear whether self-disclosure uniquely predicts alcohol-related outcomes in a young adult ED sample. METHODS: Data were collected from young adults (age 18-30 years) visiting an ED for a traumatic injury (n=79). Participants were about 24.4 years old, majority male (53.7%), and Caucasian (76%; 24% African-American). A bifactor model within a structural equation model tested unique effects of self-disclosure on age at first drink, propensity for risky drinking, and likelihood of consuming substances prior to ED visit, over and above parental solicitation and a general factor and gender. RESULTS: Those who shared more information with their caregivers reported an older age at first drink, lower propensity for risky drinking and lower propensity to consume substances prior to their ED visit. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that self-disclosure may be a unique risk factor in the initiation of alcohol use, development of problem use, and consequences following use.

Effects of oxytocin on stress reactivity and craving in veterans with co-occurring PTSD and alcohol use disorder.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are highly prevalent and commonly co-occur. The dual diagnosis of PTSD/AUD is associated with serious negative sequalae, and there are currently no effective pharmacological treatments for this comorbidity. Both PTSD and AUD are characterized by dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which helps modulate stress reactivity. Oxytocin, a neuropeptide that attenuates HPA axis dysregulation, may be beneficial for individuals with co-occurring PTSD/AUD. Thus, the current study examined the effects of intranasal oxytocin (40 IU) as compared with placebo on stress reactivity (e.g., cortisol) as well as subjective alcohol craving in response to a laboratory stress task (Trier Social Stress Task). Participants were 67 male U.S. military veterans with current PTSD and AUD (oxytocin n = 32, placebo n = 35; overall mean age = 49.06 years). Baseline cortisol levels were examined as a moderator of outcome. The findings revealed that oxytocin marginally attenuated cortisol reactivity in response to the stress task. Furthermore, oxytocin's effect was moderated by baseline cortisol level, such that oxytocin mitigated cortisol reactivity to a greater extent among participants with higher, as compared with lower, baseline cortisol. Oxytocin did not reduce craving. Although preliminary, the findings are the first to examine oxytocin in co-occurring PTSD/AUD. The findings from this study contribute to the growing literature examining the potential utility of oxytocin among individuals with psychiatric disorders, such as PTSD and substance use disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Preliminary development of a neuroimaging paradigm to examine neural correlates of relationship conflict.

Social stress in the form of conflict between romantic partners is a salient correlate of substance use disorders (SUD), and also plays an integral role in SUD treatment outcomes. Neuroimaging has advanced the study of social stress on SUD etiology, course, and treatment. However, no neuroimaging paradigms have yet been developed to examine neural responses to conflict among romantic couples. In order to fill this gap in the literature, the goal of this exploratory study was to examine the preliminary feasibility of a novel relationship conflict fMRI paradigm. We compared the effects of an auditory relationship conflict versus a neutral cue on functional connectivity in corticolimbic brain regions, and the associations between neural activities and self-report ratings of relationship adjustment, substance use problems, and intimate partner violence. We also explored sex differences in neural correlates of relationship conflict versus neutral cues. Participants demonstrated increased functional connectivity between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex during the relationship conflict cue compared to the neutral cue. Intimate partner violence was associated with functional connectivity. Sex differences emerged in neural responses to the relationship conflict cue compared to the neutral cue. Collectively, the findings demonstrate preliminary validity of this novel neuroimaging paradigm for couples.

Impulsivity and Comorbid PTSD and Binge Drinking.

OBJECTIVE: Trauma exposure is common, with estimates of 28% to 90% of adults reporting at least one traumatic event over their lifetime. Those exposed to traumatic events are at risk for alcohol misuse (i.e., binge drinking), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or both. A potential underlying mechanism for this comorbidity is increased impulsivity-the tendency to act rashly. Little work to date has examined the impact of different impulsogenic traits on this comorbidity. METHODS: This study (n = 162) investigated trauma-exposed young adults (aged 21-30) who had endorsed a lifetime interpersonal trauma. In addition, three impulsogenic traits (motor, nonplanning, and attentional) were measured. RESULTS: Over and above the covariates for age, gender, race, and traumatic events, greater attentional impulsivity was associated with greater likelihood of meeting criteria for PTSD and binge drinking, compared to meeting criteria for PTSD, binge drinking, or neither. Neither nonplanning impulsivity nor motor impulsivity exerted unique effects. CONCLUSIONS: Young adults who report difficulty attending to immediate stimuli within their environment may be unable to think about and/or process the traumatic event, potentially increasing risk for PTSD and maladaptive coping skills to manage this distress (e.g., alcohol misuse, binge drinking).

Effects of Oxytocin on Emotional and Physiological Responses to Conflict in Couples with Substance Misuse.

Social stress, especially dyadic conflict among couples, is an important correlate of addiction. Several authors have suggested that the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) may be useful in the treatment of couples with substance misuse. However, the literature examining OT among couples is scant and has yielded mixed findings. The current study examined the effects of OT versus placebo on emotional (e.g., warmth and anger) and physiological (e.g., skin conductance and heart rate) reactivity to a conflict resolution task in 30 heterosexual couples (N=60) in which one or both members misused substances. Using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design, both partners within each dyad were randomized to the same treatment condition. Participants completed a standardized conflict resolution task at baseline and 45 minutes following drug self-administration. Physiological measures were examined continuously during the laboratory tasks and emotional reactivity was self-reported at baseline and at 5 time points over the course of 1 hour following the second conflict resolution task. Results of a multi-level growth curve model accounting for baseline scores, gender and drug condition indicate that positive emotional experiences and skin conductance measures increased over the 5 time points. Neither drug condition nor gender was significantly related to outcomes, and no interaction effects were observed. These findings highlight the complexities involved in translational OT research and suggest that the impact of OT on key outcomes requires further exploration in regards to OT's potential therapeutic benefit.

An examination of the impact of maladaptive coping on the association between stressor type and alcohol use in college.

OBJECTIVE: Examine the impact of maladaptive coping style on the association between source of stress (academic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, environmental) and alcohol use (consumption, heavy episodic drinking, driving under the influence) among college students. PARTICIPANTS: 1,027 college students completed an online survey in April 2014. METHODS: To test the mediating effects of maladaptive coping on the association between academic stress and alcohol use variables, indirect effects were examined using the PROCESS analytical framework for SPSS. RESULTS: Maladaptive coping and academic stress were associated with alcohol use outcomes. Moreover, maladaptive coping mediated the relationship between academic stress and two of three alcohol use outcomes (consumption, heavy episodic drinking). CONCLUSIONS: Among college students, the association between academic stress and alcohol use may be driven by maladaptive coping. College students may benefit from interventions that seek to improve coping skills, potentially alleviating the burden of academic stress and decreasing problematic alcohol use.