Using Facebook language to predict and describe excessive alcohol use.

BACKGROUND: Assessing risk for excessive alcohol use is important for applications ranging from recruitment into research studies to targeted public health messaging. Social media language provides an ecologically embedded source of information for assessing individuals who may be at risk for harmful drinking. METHODS: Using data collected on 3664 respondents from the general population, we examine how accurately language used on social media classifies individuals as at-risk for alcohol problems based on Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test-Consumption score benchmarks. RESULTS: We find that social media language is moderately accurate (area under the curve = 0.75) at identifying individuals at risk for alcohol problems (i.e., hazardous drinking/alcohol use disorders) when used with models based on contextual word embeddings. High-risk alcohol use was predicted by individuals' usage of words related to alcohol, partying, informal expressions, swearing, and anger. Low-risk alcohol use was predicted by individuals' usage of social, affiliative, and faith-based words. CONCLUSIONS: The use of social media data to study drinking behavior in the general public is promising and could eventually support primary and secondary prevention efforts among Americans whose at-risk drinking may have otherwise gone "under the radar."

Mapping the Mental Health of Residents After the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings.

Postdisaster mental health is typically assessed and treated on an individual basis. Ecological assessments, however, can be a more cost-effective means to identify and promote mental health after a disaster. In this study, the spatial patterning of acute stress scores, probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and fears and worries among a representative sample of Boston metropolitan area participants (N = 788) was examined using data collected 2-4 weeks to 2 years after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. Findings indicate significant clustering of acute stress scores, Moran's I = 0.24, z = 2.91, p = .004; fears and worries, Moran's I = 0.25, z = 2.39, p = .017; and probable PTSD at Wave 2, Moran's I = 0.49, z = 5.16; p < .001, and at Wave 5, Moran's I = 0.26, z = 2.51, p = .012, in the Boston metropolitan area, with high distress clusters found near downtown Boston and the attack site. These results suggest that disaster mental health is not uniformly distributed across space. Instead, patterns emerge to identify persons and neighborhoods at risk for poor mental health outcomes.

Peer Influence, Peer Selection and Adolescent Alcohol Use: a Simulation Study Using a Dynamic Network Model of Friendship Ties and Alcohol Use.

While studies suggest that peer influence can in some cases encourage adolescent substance use, recent work demonstrates that peer influence may be on average protective for cigarette smoking, raising questions about whether this effect occurs for other substance use behaviors. Herein, we focus on adolescent drinking, which may follow different social dynamics than smoking. We use a data-calibrated Stochastic Actor-Based (SAB) Model of adolescent friendship tie choice and drinking behavior to explore the impact of manipulating the size of peer influence and selection effects on drinking in two school-based networks. We first fit a SAB Model to data on friendship tie choice and adolescent drinking behavior within two large schools (n = 2178 and n = 976) over three time points using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. We then alter the size of the peer influence and selection parameters with all other effects fixed at their estimated values and simulate the social systems forward 1000 times under varying conditions. Whereas peer selection appears to contribute to drinking behavior similarity among adolescents, there is no evidence that it leads to higher levels of drinking at the school level. A stronger peer influence effect lowers the overall level of drinking in both schools. There are many similarities in the patterning of findings between this study of drinking and previous work on smoking, suggesting that peer influence and selection may function similarly with respect to these substances.

Multiple Imputation for Missing Edge Data: A Predictive Evaluation Method with Application to Add Health.

Recent developments have made model-based imputation of network data feasible in principle, but the extant literature provides few practical examples of its use. In this paper we consider 14 schools from the widely used In-School Survey of Add Health (Harris et al., 2009), applying an ERGM-based estimation and simulation approach to impute the network missing data for each school. Add Health's complex study design leads to multiple types of missingness, and we introduce practical techniques for handing each. We also develop a cross-validation based method - Held-Out Predictive Evaluation (HOPE) - for assessing this approach. Our results suggest that ERGM-based imputation of edge variables is a viable approach to the analysis of complex studies such as Add Health, provided that care is used in understanding and accounting for the study design.

Simulating Dynamic Network Models and Adolescent Smoking: The Impact of Varying Peer Influence and Peer Selection.

We used a stochastic actor-based approach to examine the effect of peer influence and peer selection--the propensity to choose friends who are similar--on smoking among adolescents. Data were collected from 1994 to 1996 from 2 schools involved in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, with respectively 2178 and 976 students, and different levels of smoking. Our experimental manipulations of the peer influence and selection parameters in a simulation strategy indicated that stronger peer influence decreased school-level smoking. In contrast to the assumption that a smoker may induce a nonsmoker to begin smoking, adherence to antismoking norms may result in an adolescent nonsmoker inducing a smoker to stop smoking and reduce school-level smoking.

Research Note: The consequences of different methods for handling missing network data in Stochastic Actor Based Models.

Although stochastic actor based models (e.g., as implemented in the SIENA software program) are growing in popularity as a technique for estimating longitudinal network data, a relatively understudied issue is the consequence of missing network data for longitudinal analysis. We explore this issue in our research note by utilizing data from four schools in an existing dataset (the AddHealth dataset) over three time points, assessing the substantive consequences of using four different strategies for addressing missing network data. The results indicate that whereas some measures in such models are estimated relatively robustly regardless of the strategy chosen for addressing missing network data, some of the substantive conclusions will differ based on the missing data strategy chosen. These results have important implications for this burgeoning applied research area, implying that researchers should more carefully consider how they address missing data when estimating such models.

A Dynamic Model of Adolescent Friendship Networks, Parental Influences, and Smoking.

Peer and parental influences are critical socializing forces shaping adolescent development, including the co-evolving processes of friendship tie choice and adolescent smoking. This study examines aspects of adolescent friendship networks and dimensions of parental influences shaping friendship tie choice and smoking, including parental support, parental monitoring, and the parental home smoking environment using a Stochastic Actor-Based model. With data from three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health of youth in grades 7 through 12, including the In-School Survey, the first wave of the In-Home survey occurring 6 months later, and the second wave of the In-Home survey, occurring one year later, this study utilizes two samples based on the social network data collected in the longitudinal saturated sample of sixteen schools. One consists of twelve small schools (n = 1,284, 50.93 % female), and the other of one large school (n = 976, 48.46 % female). The findings indicated that reciprocity, choosing a friend of a friend as a friend, and smoking similarity increased friendship tie choice behavior, as did parental support. Parental monitoring interacted with choosing friends who smoke in affecting friendship tie choice, as at higher levels of parental monitoring, youth chose fewer friends that smoked. A parental home smoking context conducive to smoking decreased the number of friends adolescents chose. Peer influence and a parental home smoking environment conducive to smoking increased smoking, while parental monitoring decreased it in the large school. Overall, peer and parental factors affected the coevolution of friendship tie choice and smoking, directly and multiplicatively.

Trajectories of alcohol and cannabis use among emerging adults with a history of unstable housing: Associations with functioning over a two-year period.

INTRODUCTION: Research has documented high rates of alcohol and cannabis use among emerging adults experiencing homelessness. However, little is known about trajectories of use over time or how trajectories are associated with functioning (e.g., risk behaviors, mental and physical health, social functioning, economic well-being). METHODS: Data come from a cohort of 18-25 year olds experiencing homelessness who were surveyed 5 times over 24 months. Parallel process growth mixture models were used to model heterogeneity in alcohol and cannabis use across the 5 timepoints, which allowed for the extraction of classes based on both alcohol and cannabis use trajectories. Classes were compared on demographics and functioning at baseline and 24-months. RESULTS: Two trajectory classes of alcohol and cannabis use emerged: moderate decreasing cannabis and low stable alcohol use (75% of the sample) and heavy cannabis and alcohol use (25% of the sample). The heavy cannabis and alcohol use class reported a significantly higher likelihood for any non-cannabis drug use at baseline and 24-months, as well as greater depression and physical ailments at 24-months. In addition, at 24-months this class had a marginally higher likelihood of a positive screen for at least moderate anxiety and being recently unhoused. CONCLUSIONS: The effects of heavy continued cannabis and alcohol co-use on multiple domains of functioning (e.g., risk behavior, mental and physical health) highlight the importance of a coordinated systems approach that addresses the often complex and interrelated challenges facing emerging adults with a history of homelessness.

In flux: Associations of substance use with instability in housing, employment, and income among young adults experiencing homelessness.

Young adults experiencing homelessness (YAEH) are faced with instabilities in many areas of their lives, including their living situation, employment, and income. Little is known about how the experience of instability in these different domains might be associated with substance use. Leveraging data collected on 276 YAEH in Los Angeles County, regression analyses examine associations between three distinct types of instability (housing, employment, income) and participants' self-reported alcohol use, alcohol consequences, non-cannabis drug use, and substance use symptoms. Results indicated that recent instability in income, employment, and secure housing for those with access to it (but not housing in general or non-secure housing) were significantly associated with greater alcohol/drug use or substance use symptoms. Depression was also found to moderate the association between employment instability and alcohol use. Our findings suggest that efforts to reduce instability in income, employment, and secure housing may have positive benefits for substance using YAEH, especially those with depressive symptoms.

Predictors of Housing Trajectories Among Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness in Los Angeles.

Experiencing homelessness during young adulthood is associated with negative health outcomes and understanding housing trajectories of young adults experiencing homelessness may aid in the development of evidence-based public health programs designed to serve this at-risk age group. In the present study, the authors examined baseline predictors of 24-month trajectories of housing stability and unsheltered housing among a sample of 271 young adults aged 18 to 25 recruited from drop-in centers in Los Angeles. In multivariate models, the authors found that identifying as multi-racial/other and better friendship quality at baseline were associated with less steep increases in the likelihood of stable housing over time. Being employed at baseline was associated with a less steep decrease in the probability of being unsheltered over time, while illicit drug use days associated with a steeper decrease in the probability of being unsheltered over time. Continued research is needed to establish important factors determining young adults' long-term housing trajectories in the effort to promote greater access and engagement with housing services.

Tapping into alcohol use during COVID: Drinking correlates among bartenders and servers.

The COVID pandemic placed a spotlight on alcohol use and the hardships of working within the food and beverage industry, with millions left jobless. Following previous studies that have found elevated rates of alcohol problems among bartenders and servers, here we studied the alcohol use of bartenders and servers who were employed during COVID. From February 12-June 16, 2021, in the midst of the U.S. COVID national emergency declaration, survey data from 1,010 employed bartender and servers were analyzed to quantify rates of excessive or hazardous drinking along with regression predictors of alcohol use as assessed by the 10-item Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Findings indicate that more than 2 out of 5 (44%) people surveyed reported moderate or high rates of alcohol problem severity (i.e., AUDIT scores of 8 or higher)-a rate 4 to 6 times that of the heavy alcohol use rate reported pre- or mid-pandemic by adults within and outside the industry. Person-level factors (gender, substance use, mood) along with the drinking habits of one's core social group were significantly associated with alcohol use. Bartenders and servers reported surprisingly high rates of alcohol problem severity and experienced risk factors for hazardous drinking at multiple ecological levels. Being a highly vulnerable and understudied population, more studies on bartenders and servers are needed to assess and manage the true toll of alcohol consumption for industry employees.

Political Differences in American Reports of Sexual Harassment and Assault.

Political ideology has been linked to beliefs regarding sexual harassment and assault (SH&A). Using data from the January 2018 Stop Street Sexual Harassment online poll (N = 2,009), this study examined associations of political identity and political ideology with self-reported experiences of being the victim of SH&A. SH&A experiences were coded into four mutually exclusive groups: none, non-physically aggressive harassment, physically aggressive harassment, or sexual assault. Sex-stratified logistic regression models assessed associations of interest, adjusting for participant demographics. Among women, more conservative political ideology was negatively associated with reports of sexual assault, odds ratio (OR) = 0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) = [0.74, 0.98]. Among males, more conservative political ideology was negatively associated with reports of physically aggressive sexual harassment (OR = 0.85, 95% CI = [0.73, 0.98]), and greater Republican affiliation was negatively associated with reports of sexual assault (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = [0.68, 0.99]). Conservative and Republican women and men are thus less likely to report more severe forms of SH&A, which may explain differences in beliefs on these issues. Research is needed to determine if political differences are due to reporting biases or differential vulnerabilities.

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Sexual Harassment in the United States, 2018.

This study was designed to assess racial/ethnic disparities in victimization from sexual harassment and assault by sex in the United States, and to assess racial/ethnic differences in depression/anxiety as a consequence of sexual harassment or assault, among those victimized. In January 2018, the organization Stop Street Harassment led a nationally representative online survey regarding lifetime experiences of sexual harassment and assault with women and men aged 18+ (N = 2,009). We used sex-stratified multinomial logistic regression models to assess racial/ethnic differences in (a) self-reported victimization from these sexual abuses and (b) depression/anxiety due to these abuses among those reporting victimization. Eighty-one percent (81%) of women and 43% of men reported victimization from sexual harassment (27% and 6% indicating sexual assault, for women and men, respectively). Among those reporting harassment or assault, 30.8% of women and 19.8% of men reported depression or anxiety as a consequence. We found no significant racial/ethnic disparities in victimization from sexual harassment or assault among women, although an insignificant trend of increased risk for harassment was seen for Hispanic relative to White women (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.95, 3.99). Black relative to White men had lower odds of reporting sexual harassment (AOR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.30, 0.93), and Hispanic relative to White men had higher odds of reporting sexual assault (AOR = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.06, 4.45). No racial/ethnic differences were observed for women or men in likelihood of depression or anxiety as a consequence of this abuse. These findings highlight the ubiquity of sexual harassment and assault, especially for women, with increased risk for Hispanics relative to Whites. In addition, findings demonstrate mental health effects of these types of abuses regardless of sex and race/ethnicity. Broad social change is needed to support prevention and intervention efforts with intersectional and trauma-informed approaches.

Psychopathological Factors and Perpetration of Intimate Partner Aggression: A Multivariate Model.

Using a sample of 1,190 married Spanish community couples in opposite-sex relationships, this study evaluated a path analytic model exploring the associations between individual and dyadic factors and partner aggression for both males and females. Specifically, the perpetrator's report of their individual mental health symptomatology (borderline and antisocial traits, alcohol use), their report of relationship quality, and their report of perpetration were modeled to predict their partner's victimization. The resultant model exhibited good fit as measured by multiple indices for both male-to-female and female-to-male perpetration. Furthermore, results demonstrated that antisocial and borderline traits were associated with each other, that alcohol use was associated with perpetration, and that one partner's perpetration was associated with his or her partner's victimization for both males and females. However, the pattern of significant pathways between individual pathology and relationship violence differed somewhat for male-to-female and female-to-male aggression. Given the results, policy makers concerned about prevention of partner aggression may consider interventions aimed at symptoms associated with antisocial and borderline traits and substance use, and may identify differential targets for intervention based on the perpetrator's gender.

A multi-contextual examination of non-school friendships and their impact on adolescent deviance and alcohol use.

Despite decades of research on adolescent friendships, little is known about adolescents who are more likely to form ties outside of school. We examine multiple social and ecological contexts including parents, the school, social networks, and the neighborhood to understand the origins and health significance of out of school ties using survey data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 81,674). Findings indicate that out of school (more than in-school) friendships drive adolescent deviance and alcohol use, and youth with such friends tend to be involved in school activities and are central among their peer group. This suggests that intervention efforts aimed at reducing deviance and underage drinking may benefit from engaging youth with spanning social ties.

Gender Parity at Work and Its Association With Workplace Sexual Harassment.

Background: Gender parity in the workplace-and increased representation of women at work-may reduce workplace sexual harassment, but research on this is unclear. This study assessed the associations between gender parity at work and workplace sexual harassment. Methods: We analyzed data from an online sexual harassment survey conducted with a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults in 2018 (N = 2,009; response rate 29%); current analyses were restricted to employed participants (women n = 610, men n = 690). Data on occupation and industry were each categorized as female-dominant (61%-100% female), male-dominant (0%-39% female), or at parity (40%-60% female). We used sex-stratified logistic regression models to assess associations between gender parity in industry and occupation and workplace sexual harassment. Findings: Our study of employed adults in the U.S. found that 42% women and 15% men had experienced workplace sexual harassment. Logistic regression analyses indicated that women employed in female-dominated industries (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.52; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.33, 0.81]) and men employed in male-dominated occupations (AOR = 0.55; 95% CI = [0.33, 0.91]) were less likely to have experienced workplace sexual harassment. Women in male-dominated occupations were more likely to report harassment or assault by a supervisor (AOR = 2.41, 95% CI = [1.00, 5.80]), and men in male-dominated occupations were less likely to report harassment or assault by a supervisor (AOR = 0.26, 95% CI = [0.08, 0.89]). Conclusion/Application to Practice: Women in female-dominated industries and men in male-dominated occupations, relative to those with workplace gender parity, are at lower risk for harassment. Women in male-dominated occupations are at greater risk for harassment from supervisors. Gender parity at work is not sufficient on its own to address workplace sexual harassment; normative changes are needed.

Community organizations and mental health after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings.

OBJECTIVE: Disasters are place-based traumatic events, yet contemporary understandings of disaster recovery often do not consider the role of community organizations. We examine organization type and proximity as they relate to post-disaster mental health in a longitudinal study following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. METHOD: Residents of metropolitan Boston (N = 846) were recruited via a probability-based sampling strategy within weeks of the bombings and were surveyed several times over a two-year period. Residents of metropolitan New York (N = 941) were recruited and surveyed at the same time and used for comparison due to similarities in community demographics, geography, and disaster histories. We identified six different organization types nearby resident: safety-based organizations, religious organizations, educational organizations, child- and family-promoting organizations, health-based organizations, and voluntary community organizations. With possible environmental detriments (crowds and noise) or benefits of organizations amplified in areas closest to the resident, the concentration of these local organization types was examined at different distance-based boundaries. Contextual data for both communities came from the U.S. Census, Google Places API, and Guidestar. RESULTS: For Boston metropolitan area residents, having more safety-based organizations within a half-mile to one-mile area in the aftermath of the bombings was associated with poorer functioning six to seven months later and greater psychological distress two years later. However, the presence of more safety-based organizations in the one to three mile area was associated with decreased psychological distress two years later. More health-based and voluntary community organizations in the half-mile to one-mile area were also associated with fewer fears and worries about future adversity two years post-bombing. Exposure to the bombings and other community traumas moderated this relationship among Boston area participants. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that local community organizations are not merely buildings or structures but ecological sources of support to those in need after a disaster.

The importance of the neighborhood in the 2014 Ebola outbreak in the United States: Distress, worry, and functioning.

OBJECTIVE: Ebola media coverage directed public attention to potential disease carriers: residents or travelers from West Africa. We investigated the role of neighborhood population factors (i.e., the concentration of West African foreigners, non-West African foreigners, non-Hispanic Blacks) on individual responses to the Ebola outbreak in the United States. The role of these community-level factors in emotional responses to this public health crisis is poorly understood. METHOD: Demographic factors, mental health, and stressful event history, collected as part of an ongoing longitudinal study of residents from 2 metropolitan communities (New York City and Boston, total N = 1,346), were combined with neighborhood data from the U.S. Census. Multilevel models estimated the effects of individual and neighborhood factors on individual psychological distress, functional impairment, and Ebola-related worry. RESULTS: Individuals living in neighborhoods with more West African-born foreigners or non-West African foreigners reported more somatization and anxiety symptoms, functioning difficulties, and/or Ebola-related worry than individuals living in neighborhoods with fewer foreign residents (p < .05). Individuals residing in neighborhoods with more non-Hispanic Blacks also reported more somatization symptoms than their residential counterparts (p < .05). CONCLUSION: Neighborhood demography is important to study during a public health outbreak like Ebola in which media and policy target specific people or regions. Findings suggest research and policies should not only assist at-risk individuals but also at-risk neighborhoods during and after an infectious disease crisis. (PsycINFO Database Record

Cascades of emotional support in friendship networks and adolescent smoking.

Social support from peers and parents provides a key socialization function during adolescence. We examine adolescent friendship networks using a Stochastic Actor-Based modeling approach to observe the flow of emotional support provision to peers and the effect of support from parents, while simultaneously modeling smoking behavior. We utilized one school (n = 976) from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (AddHealth) Study. Our findings suggest that emotional support is transacted through an interdependent contextual system, comprised of both peer and parental effects, with the latter also having distal indirect effects from youths' friends' parents.