Neurocomputational evidence that conflicting prosocial motives guide distributive justice.

In the history of humanity, most conflicts within and between societies have originated from perceived inequality in resource distribution. How humans achieve and maintain distributive justice has therefore been an intensely studied issue. However, most research on the corresponding psychological processes has focused on inequality aversion and has been largely agnostic of other motives that may either align or oppose this behavioral tendency. Here we provide behavioral, computational, and neuroimaging evidence that distribution decisions are guided by three distinct motives-inequality aversion, harm aversion, and rank reversal aversion-that interact with each other and can also deter individuals from pursuing equality. At the neural level, we show that these three motives are encoded by separate neural systems, compete for representation in various brain areas processing equality and harm signals, and are integrated in the striatum, which functions as a crucial hub for translating the motives to behavior. Our findings provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the cognitive and biological processes by which multiple prosocial motives are coordinated in the brain to guide redistribution behaviors. This framework enhances our understanding of the brain mechanisms underlying equality-related behavior, suggests possible neural origins of individual differences in social preferences, and provides a new pathway to understand the cognitive and neural basis of clinical disorders with impaired social functions.

Understanding facilitators of research participation among adults with self-reported chronic pain - a survey examining hypothetical research participation.

BACKGROUND: An inability to successfully recruit participants into clinical research has consequences that negatively affect the conduct and reliability of research studies. Understanding facilitators of research participation, namely motives for participation and preferred research outcomes, may improve recruitment and retention of clinical trials related to chronic pain. The present study explored research participation facilitators among individuals with chronic pain and their association with demographic characteristics, pain-related characteristics, and factors related to future research engagement. METHODS: Individuals from Michigan who were 18 years or older and self-reported having chronic pain completed an online survey assessing motives for research participation and desired research outcomes. Analyses were conducted in three stages. First, we evaluated underlying factors of motives for participation and research outcome preferences using principal components analysis. Second, we classified individuals according to their patterns of facilitators using latent profile analysis. Finally, we evaluated differences between facilitator profiles in demographic characteristics, pain-related characteristics, and factors related to future research engagement using χ2 analyses and Kruskal-Wallis rank sum tests. RESULTS: Three components of motives for research participation were identified: social engagement/enjoyment; pain improvement/advancing science; and compensation. Three components of research outcome preferences were identified: co-occurring symptom reduction; behavior reduction modification; and pain and function improvement. Four potential patient-centered profiles utilizing these dimensions of facilitators were identified that had unique demographic characteristics, research participation willingness, and treatment interest. CONCLUSIONS: Our data provide a framework of motives and research outcome preferences that may inform recruitment and retention in chronic pain research. It also gives an indication of who may respond best to active or passive recruitment strategies that appeal to a given motive or preferred outcome. This information may be useful for improving recruitment and to monitor any potential biases in participant samples.

Qualitative evaluation of motives for acceptance or refusal of early palliative care in patients included in early-phase clinical trials in a French comprehensive cancer center: the PALPHA study.

PURPOSE: The integration of palliative care (PC) into oncological management is recommended well before the end of life. It improves quality of life and symptom control and reduces the aggressiveness of end-of-life care. However, its appropriate timing is still debated. Entry into an early-phase clinical trial (ECT) represents hopes for the patient when standard treatments have failed. It is an opportune moment to integrate PC to preserve the patient's general health status. The objective of this study was to evaluate the motives for acceptance or refusal of early PC management in patients included in an ECT. METHODS: Patients eligible to enter an ECT were identified and concomitant PC was proposed. All patients received exploratory interviews conducted by a researcher. Their contents were analyzed in a double-blind thematic analysis with a self-determination model. RESULTS: Motives for acceptance (PC acceptors: n = 27) were both intrinsic (e.g., pain relief, psychological support, anticipation of the future) and extrinsic (e.g., trust in the medical profession, for a relative, to support the advance of research). Motives for refusal (PC refusers: n = 3) were solely intrinsic (e.g., PC associated with death, negative representation of psychological support, no need for additional care, claim of independence). CONCLUSIONS: The motives of acceptors and refusers are not internalized in the same way and call for different autonomy needs. Acceptors and refusers are influenced by opposite representations of PC and a different perception of mixed management.

Motivations to Enhance One's Facial Hair: Affiliation, Rivalry, and Stress.

Facial hair is a sexually dimorphic trait with potential evolutionary and sociocultural functions. Bearded men are perceived as dominant, aggressive, and masculine, but also as having better parenting skills. Men may intentionally manage the amount and shape of their facial hair as a part of their self-promotion strategy; however, facial hair management entails costs in terms of time, effort, and money. We explored psychological factors associated with facial hair enhancement motivation among men. A total of 414 men (aged 18-40 years) reported the current amount of their facial hair along with their facial hair enhancement motivations, gender role stress, intrasexual competitiveness, and fundamental social motives. Willingness to care for facial hair was associated with the amount of facial hair men claimed to have and correlated with the fundamental social motives of affiliation and social status, intrasexual competition, and gender role stress. Therefore, facial hair enhancement may be regarded as a self-presentation strategy aimed at acquiring a beneficial position in social networks.

Impulsivity mediates the association between narcissism and substance-related problems beyond the degree of substance use: a longitudinal observational study.

BACKGROUND: Narcissism has been implied as a putative risk factor for substance use disorders (SUDs). However, previous research did not disentangle the degree of substance use from substance-related problems, the symptoms of SUDs. This preregistered study addressed the open question whether grandiose and vulnerable narcissism and their constituent traits convey specific SUD risk, that is, explain substance-related problems beyond the degree of use. Furthermore, we tested whether impulsivity or substance use motives linked to narcissistic self-regulation mediate this association. METHODS: Narcissism, impulsivity, substance use motives, past-year substance use, and substance-related problems were assessed in 139 (poly-)substance users, 121 of whom completed a one-year follow-up. For significant longitudinal associations between narcissism factors and substance-related problems controlled for the degree of use, we tested impulsivity and substance use motives as mediators. RESULTS: Grandiose narcissism (r =.24, p =.007) and its constituent factors antagonistic (r =.27, p =.003) and agentic narcissism (r =.18, p =.050), but not vulnerable narcissism, prospectively predicted substance-related problems beyond the degree of substance use. Associations of grandiose narcissism and antagonistic narcissism with substance-related problems were fully mediated by impulsivity, but not substance use motives. Impulsivity explained roughly one third of the association of both grandiose (P̂M = 0.30) and antagonistic narcissism (P̂M = 0.26) with substance-related problems. DISCUSSION: We demonstrate that grandiose narcissism- particularly antagonistic but also agentic narcissism- is specifically linked to substance-related problems beyond the degree of substance use. The mediating effect of impulsivity but not substance use motives suggests that impulsivity may be a more important mechanism than narcissistic self-regulation in promoting SUD in narcissism. However, future studies may use more targeted measures than substance use motives to further probe the role of self-regulation. Similar result patterns for alcohol compared to all substances together indicate that mechanisms may be alike across substances. In conclusion, narcissistic individuals may not use substances more but have a higher SUD risk, informing prevention and treatment.

Discrimination, gender dysphoria, drinking to cope, and alcohol harms in the UK trans and non-binary community.

Transgender (trans) and non-binary people may be at increased risk of alcohol harms, but little is known about motives for drinking in this community. This study explored the relationship between risk of alcohol dependence, experience of alcohol harms, drinking motives, dysphoria, and discrimination within a United Kingdom sample of trans and non-binary people with a lifetime history of alcohol use. A cross-sectional survey was co-produced with community stakeholders and administered to a purposive sample of trans and non-binary people from 1 February until 31 March 2022. A total of 462 respondents were included-159 identified as non-binary and/or genderqueer (identities outside the man/woman binary), 135 solely as women, 63 solely as men, 15 as another gender identity, 90 selected multiple identities. Higher levels of reported discrimination were associated with higher risk of dependence and more reported harms from drinking. Coping motives, enhancement motives, and drinking to manage dysphoria were associated with higher Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test scores. Social, coping, and enhancement motives alongside discrimination and drinking to have sex were associated with harms. The relationship between discrimination and risk of dependence was mediated by coping motives and drinking to manage dysphoria. Further to these associations, we suggest that reducing discrimination against trans and non-binary communities might reduce alcohol harms in this population. Interventions should target enhancement motives, coping motives and gender dysphoria. Social and enhancement functions of alcohol could be replaced by alcohol free supportive social spaces.

A confirmatory factor analysis of a revised motives for playing drinking games (MPDG-33) scale among university students in the United States.

AIM: Participating in a drinking game (DG) is common practice among university students and can increase students' risk for heavy drinking. Given the theoretical link between motivations to drink and alcohol use, careful consideration should be given to students' motivations to play DGs. In this study, we examined the factor structure, internal consistency, and concurrent validity of a revised version of the motives for playing drinking games (MPDG) scale, the MPDG-33. METHODS: University students (n = 3345, Mage = 19.77 years, SDage = 1.53; 68.8% = women; 59.6% = White) from 12 U.S. universities completed a confidential online self-report survey that included the MPDG-33 and questions regarding their frequency of DG participation and typical drink consumption while playing DGs. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis indicated the 7-factor model fit the data adequately, and all items had statistically significant factor loadings on their predicted factor. All subscales had adequate to excellent internal consistency and were positively correlated with the frequency of DG participation and the typical number of drinks consumed while playing DGs (though the correlations were small). CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that the MPDG-33 can be reliably used in research and clinical settings to assess U.S. university students' motives for playing DGs.

A rapid review of motives and barriers for living substance of human origin donation and an extended typology.

Our objective is to review motives and barriers for non-reproductive, living substance of human origin (SoHO) donation, and to extend existing typologies beyond blood. The expansion of SoHO collection is currently unmatched by increased living donors. Thus, there is a critical need to understand how to effectively recruit and retain donors to ensure a sustainable supply of SoHO. We undertook a rapid review and narrative synthesis of published, peer-reviewed literature reporting on motives and/or barriers for living SoHO donation (whole-blood, blood products [2009-2023], bone marrow/stem cells, cord blood, organ, human breast milk, intestinal microbiota [2000-2023]). Results were interpreted through directed qualitative content analysis using an extended typology of motives/barriers largely drawn from blood donation research, and subsequently refined based on results to be inclusive of other SoHO. 234 articles with 237 studies met review criteria. Most were quantitative (74.3%), conducted in Western countries (63.8%), focused on blood donation (64.2%), reported motives and barriers (51.9%) and did not examine differences by donor characteristics or history (74%). We present a revised typology inclusive of motives/barriers for donation of substances beyond blood. This shows while broader motives and barriers are shared across substances donated, there are critical differences at the subcategory level that may account for heterogeneity in results of prior interventions. The nuances in how broad categories of motives and barriers manifest across different SoHO are critical for blood collection agencies to consider as they attempt to expand collection of products beyond whole-blood, plasma, and platelets. WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE TOPIC?: Blood collection agencies (BCAs) continue to expand SoHO product collection beyond whole-blood, plasma, and platelets. The demand for SoHO is currently unmatched by increased living donors. The need to understand how to recruit new and retain existing living donors to ensure a sustainable supply of SoHO remains critical. However, there is no available synthesis of the factors, such as motives/facilitators and barriers/deterrents, to inform our understanding. WHAT IS NEW?: Comprehensively reviewed evidence for motives and barriers of willing/actual donors and nondonors across all types of non-reproductive living SoHO donation. Explored variations in motives and barriers based on substance, donor history and demographic differences (gender, age, ethnicity or culture). Extended typology of motives and barriers inclusive of all non-reproductive living SoHO, beyond solely whole-blood and blood products. Identified that while there are commonalities in the overarching motive and barrier categories across substances (e.g., prosocial motivation, low self-efficacy), within these broader constructs there are differences at the subcategory level (e.g., low-self efficacy was about eligibility, lifestyle barriers, or lack/loss of financial or material resources depending on the substance donated) that are crucial for development of future interventions and for BCAs to consider as they expand SoHO product collection. Highlighted the continued focus on motives and barriers for whole-blood and blood product donation to the exclusion of other, particularly newer, SoHO; lack of qualitative work for newer SoHO; and lack of consideration of differences based on donor characteristics (especially ethnicity/culture) and donor history, which limits our understanding. WHAT ARE THE KEY QUESTIONS FOR FUTURE WORK ON THE TOPIC?: What are the motives and barriers (in both qualitative and quantitative studies) for donation of newer SoHO such as stem cells, cord blood, human milk, and intestinal microbiota? Are there differences in motives and barriers within and across SoHO that are informed by individual and contextual-level factors? How can we develop interventions that respond to the nuances of motives and barriers present across different forms of SoHO that are effective in encouraging new and maintaining continuing donors?

The association between consideration of future consequences and food intake is mediated by food choice motives in a French adult population.

OBJECTIVES: Consideration of future consequences (CFC) distinguishes individuals who adopt behaviours based on immediate needs and concerns from individuals who consider the future consequences of their behaviours. We aimed to assess the association between CFC and diet, and testing the mediating role of food choice motives on this relationship. DESIGN: Individuals (aged ≥ 18 years) completed the CFC-12 questionnaire in 2014, at least three 24-h dietary records, and a food choice motive questionnaire. A multiple mediator analysis allowed to assess the mediating effect of food choice motives on the cross-sectional association between CFC and diet, adjusted for socio-demographic factors. SETTING: Data from the NutriNet-Santé cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: 27 330 participants. RESULTS: CFC was associated with all food choice motives (P < 0·001), with the strongest positive associations for avoidance for environmental reasons, absence of contaminants and health motives and the strongest negative associations for innovation and convenience. Positive total effects were found between CFC and the consumption of healthy food groups (fruits and vegetables, whole-grain foods, legumes), and negative total effects for alcohol, meat and poultry and processed meat (P < 0·001). CFC was positively associated with diet quality (P < 0·001). Across food groups, major mediators of these relationships were higher health (8·4-32·6%), higher environmental (13·7-22·1 %) and lower innovation (7·3-25·1 %) concerns. CONCLUSIONS: CFC was associated with healthier dietary intake, essentially mediated by a greater motivation of future-oriented participants for self-centred and altruistic outcomes, including health and environment. Focusing on the awareness of future benefits in public health interventions might lead to healthier dietary behaviours.

The Role of Perceived Stress in the Relation between Childhood Maltreatment and Severity of Alcohol Use Disorder: A Mediation Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Experiences of Childhood Maltreatment (CM) relate to relapse and lower treatment success in Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), one of the most prevalent substance use disorders. However, the exact mechanisms of this relationship still remain unclear. This study examines perceived stress and "drinking to cope with negative affect" (coping) as possible mediators in this relationship. Moreover, it aims at uncovering the differential effects of the subtypes of CM. METHODS: N = 96 individuals (42% women; mean age 41 ± 13 years) including healthy controls and individuals with varying severity of AUD and CM completed the Alcohol-Dependence Scale, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale and German Inventory of Drinking Situations. Mediation analyses including perceived stress as a mediator between CM (and subtypes) and severity of AUD, as well as a serial mediation of the relationship between CM and AUD severity by perceived stress and coping were conducted. RESULTS: Perceived stress significantly mediated the relation between CM and AUD severity and the serial mediation by perceived stress and coping turned out significant. Subtype-specific analyses did not yield significant results. CONCLUSION: This study reinforces perceived stress as a potential mechanism in the relation between CM and AUD severity. Moreover, coping further mediated the relationship between CM and AUD severity. Our results suggest including screening for CM (subtypes) in clinical routine in order to individually emphasize interventions focusing on stress regulation, as well as on developing healthy coping mechanisms, in patients with AUD. This might prevent heightened stress sensitivity, relapse and further maintenance of AUD.

Anxiety sensitivity in relation to smoking dependence motives among Latinx persons who smoke.

Hispanic/Latinx (hereafter Latinx) persons are an established tobacco disparities population in the United States (US). Past work has suggested that individual differences in anxiety sensitivity, or the fear of arousal-based sensations, is one important cognitive construct for smoking maintenance and relapse among Latinx persons who smoke. However, previous research has not examined if anxiety sensitivity is associated with motivational facets of smoking dependence among this tobacco disparities population. In the current study, anxiety sensitivity was explored in terms of smoking motives for primary, secondary, and overall cigarette dependence. Participants included 336 English-speaking Latinx adults in the US who smoked cigarettes daily (Mage = 35.53, SD = 8.65, 37.3% Female). Results indicated that anxiety sensitivity was statistically significantly and positively related to higher primary and secondary dependence motives and marginally statistically significant to cigarette dependence; findings were evident after adjusting for numerous theoretically relevant variables (e.g., depression). Overall, the current study is the first to document linkages between anxiety sensitivity and numerous motivational bases of tobacco dependence among Latinx persons who smoke from the US.

Two online randomised controlled trials examining effects of alcohol calorie labelling on hypothetical ordering of calories from alcohol and food.

BACKGROUND: Providing calorie information for alcoholic beverages is a potential public-health intervention which may serve to reduce alcohol use but also prevalence of overweight/obesity. Equivocal evidence has been found for the effectiveness of alcohol calorie information at reducing drinking intentions as well as purchasing and consumption. However, the extent at which calorie information 'on-trade' will impact consumer behaviour for both alcohol and food consumption has not been investigated. AIMS: (1) To examine the presence of alcohol calorie labelling for hypothetical purchasing of alcohol and food in typical UK restaurant scenarios. (2) To determine the characteristics of individuals who will be likely to choose to view alcohol calorie labels. METHODS: Two online randomised control trials using a hypothetical menu selection. In experiment one (N = 325) participants were randomised to the presence or absence of alcohol calorie labels. In experiment two (N = 1081) individuals were randomised to alcohol calorie labels absent or the choice to view alcohol calorie labels. The primary outcome for each study was calories ordered from alcoholic beverages. RESULTS: There was no evidence that the presence of alcohol calorie information on restaurant menus impacted the number of calories ordered from alcoholic beverages or from food and soft drinks. Younger individuals and individuals who exhibit greater motives for good health were more likely to choose to view alcohol calorie labels. CONCLUSIONS: In two online, hypothetical experiments there is no evidence for alcohol calorie labelling impacting consumer decisions to order alcohol or food. Given the choice, a self-selecting group of individuals who are more motivated by health concerns will view alcohol calorie labels, and in turn may be less likely to order alcohol.

Willingness for more vegetarian meals in school canteens: Associations with family characteristics and parents' food choice motives in a French community.

The school meal system could contribute to the transition towards more sustainable food system by promoting plant-based meals. Knowing whether parents want more vegetarian school meals for their children is a prerequisite for a successful implementation. The present study aimed to estimate the proportion of parents who would opt for more vegetarian school meals for their children and to study associations of willingness with family characteristics and food choice motives. An online survey was sent to parents whose children are registered for school canteen in Dijon (France). We collected child-level information, data on family sociodemographic characteristics, and data on dietary habits and food choice motives of the family. We examined family characteristics associated with the willingness to increase the frequency of vegetarian school meals from one meal per week to two or daily. Generalized linear models were performed. In total, 49% of parents were willing to opt for a second weekly vegetarian meal and 26% for a daily vegetarian meal for their children (n = 1261). Parents willing to opt for more vegetarian meal were more likely to have higher education, be flexitarian or vegetarian and to currently opt for pork-free meals for their children, and their children attended the school canteen less frequently. Environmental motives were positively associated with the willing to opt for a second weekly vegetarian meal; familiarity and sensory appeal motives were negatively associated. Health and animal welfare motives were positively associated with the willing to opt for a daily vegetarian meal and sensory appeal was negatively associated. Increasing the frequency of vegetarian school meals would satisfy a demand expressed by parents but must be accompanied by interventions enhancing pleasure of eating vegetarian meals.

"I find it hard to change poor food habits": Measuring food choice motives in an emerging economy.

Food choices are driven by an array of motives that have been approached, determined and quantified in a number of ways, mainly in developed countries. The objective of this study was to better understand the motives behind food choices in an emerging economy by collecting information from urban people in South Africa in a series of four studies. (1) Items generated through focus group discussions with low, middle and high income participants by Magano et al. (2023) were checked for content and face validity and (2) 123 statements derived from them were evaluated by 621 respondents. After exploratory factor analysis (EFA), 46 statements best representing the motivational space were (3) presented to another group of respondents (n = 259). Here, the EFA resulted in a 31-item, 7-factor food choice questionnaire for emerging economies (FCQ-EE) which was (4) confirmed by a nationwide sample (n = 814) and further refined to an alternative 19-item, 7-factor solution. The emerging factors were: Healthy eating constraints (HEC), Frugality (FR), Emotional eating (EE), Meat appeal (MA), Weather (WE), Quality seeking (QS) and Cooking constraints (CC). Whether used in the 31-item or 19-item format, this set of statements highlights factors underlying food choice in an emerging economy and offers a way to study their importance in similar contexts. Further research is needed to show the extent to which these factors can predict actual food choices.

Distress tolerance is linked with substance use motivations and problems in young adults across four continents.

INTRODUCTION: People low in trait distress tolerance are at higher risk for harmful patterns of substance use. Some evidence suggests that maladaptive motives for substance use account for this correlation. However, the generality of these associations remains in doubt because virtually all available data come from North American samples. METHOD: Using data from 7 countries (total N = 5858; U.S., Argentina, Uruguay, Spain, South Africa, Canada, and England), we examined distress tolerance's association with alcohol- and cannabis-related problems in young adults. On an exploratory basis, we examined how distress tolerance related to different substance-use motivations. RESULTS: We found that distress tolerance was inversely related to problematic alcohol and cannabis use (rs = -0.14 and - 0.13). There was notable variation across countries in the magnitude of these effects, particularly for cannabis-related problems. Additionally, exploratory analyses revealed statistically significant (cross-sectional) indirect effects of distress tolerance on substance-related problems via substance-use motivations related to neutralizing negative emotions. CONCLUSIONS: Distress tolerance's role in substance-use problems appears to generalize beyond North America, although effect sizes were generally small and varied notably across geographical regions. Distress tolerance's connection with negative reinforcement processes (e.g., coping motives) warrants attention as a possible mediator of its association with problematic substance use.

The Associations Between Drinking Motives and Alcohol-Related Consequences in Graduate Students from Universities in the United States.

Many college students "mature out" of heavy drinking when they graduate. Yet, those who go onto graduate education report engaging in problematic drinking patterns. Drinking motives are one factor that uniquely predicts problematic drinking patterns in college students. Evidence suggests that these unique associations also generalize to individuals' post-college, specifically between drinking motives and specific alcohol-related consequences. However, no research to date has examined the association between drinking motives and alcohol-related consequences in graduate students. The current study aimed to examine the unique associations between drinking motives, and drinks per week and specific alcohol-related consequences. Participants included 330 graduate students from various universities in the United States, recruited through social media. The majority of participants were White (71.3%), 54.9% female identifying, with a mean age of 26. Results revealed that conformity motives were positively associated with drinks per week, self-control consequences, self-care consequences, risky consequences, academic/occupational consequences, and blackout consequences. Social motives were negatively associated with interpersonal consequences and academic/occupational consequences. Enhancement motives were negatively associated with drinks per week, and positively associated with academic/occupational consequences. However, coping motivation was not associated with any of the outcomes. These findings highlight the need to further understand how drinking motives influence specific types of alcohol-related consequences as these associations change post-college. Results can be used to better inform future prevention and interventions for this population.

Drinking and mental health in middle adulthood: exploring the impact of wellbeing, mental health literacy, and drinking motives on risk of alcohol dependence.

OBJECTIVES: Risky drinking is a concern among UK-based middle-aged adults. We aimed to explore the relationship between risky drinking, drinking motives, wellbeing, and mental health literacy (MHL). METHOD: Cross-sectional analysis of online survey data completed by 193 UK-based adults aged 40-65 who drank alcohol, incorporating the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT); Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised (DMQ-R); Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS); Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS) and demographic questions. RESULTS: Coping, enhancement and conformity motives and gender significantly predicted higher AUDIT scores (measuring risky drinking). Enhancement motives were found to mediate the relationship between the self-help component of MHL and AUDIT scores, while coping motives mediated the association between wellbeing and AUDIT scores. CONCLUSION: Findings support research emphasising the influence of drinking motives on risky drinking and highlights how low wellbeing may interact with coping motives to explain risky drinking among middle-aged adults, particularly men. Interventions supporting individuals to understand the relationship between drinking motives and risky drinking, develop adaptive coping strategies, and address the causes of low wellbeing, may be beneficial. However, as the sample was 84% ethnically White, 64% women, 85% educated to at least undergraduate level, and reported a relatively high mean socioeconomic status (6.98 out of 10), the results may not generalise beyond these groups. Future research should use stratified sampling to increase generalisability, as well as exploring whether alcohol-specific, component-specific, or disorder-specific MHL is associated with risky drinking and wellbeing.

Social Anxiety and Cannabis-Related Problems: The Serial Roles of Distress Tolerance and Cannabis Use Motives.

Background: Individuals with elevated social anxiety are vulnerable to experiencing negative consequences related to cannabis use. One transdiagnostic vulnerability factor that has received little attention in the social anxiety-cannabis problem relation is distress tolerance, which is associated with more cannabis use to manage negative affect broadly (i.e., coping motives) and cannabis-related problems. However, it is unknown whether distress tolerance is related to greater cannabis use to manage social anxiety specifically (i.e., social anxiety motives). Objectives: This study tested whether the relation between social anxiety and cannabis problems occurred via perceived distress tolerance among 309 (77.3% female) undergraduates who endorsed current (past three-month) cannabis use. Results: Social anxiety was negatively associated with distress tolerance and positively associated with cannabis problems, coping, and social anxiety motives. Social anxiety was indirectly (via distress tolerance) related to more cannabis problems and motives to cope with negative affect generally and to cope with social anxiety specifically. Social anxiety was indirectly related to more cannabis problems via the serial effects of distress tolerance and coping and social anxiety motives. Conclusions: Findings suggest that individuals with elevated social anxiety may be vulnerable to using cannabis to manage negative affect (generally and social anxiety specifically) due to low perceived ability to tolerate psychological distress, which may lead to more cannabis problems. Keywords: cannabis; marijuana; distress tolerance; social anxiety; motives; coping motives.

Indirect Associations Between PTSD Symptoms and Cannabis Problems in Young Adults: The Unique Roles of Cannabis Coping Motives and Medicinal Use Orientation.

Background: Cannabis use in young adulthood has been associated with exposure to traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Coping motives for cannabis use represent one mechanism linking PTSD with cannabis problems, yet some individuals with PTSD consider their cannabis use to be medicinal in nature. While a medicinal orientation to cannabis overlaps conceptually with coping motives, it could be associated with unique cannabis outcomes. Objectives: This study examined trauma-related coping motives and medicinal cannabis orientation as mediators of the association between PTSD symptoms and cannabis outcomes in young adults. Method: Data came from an online survey of 212 university students (M age = 19.41; 70.3% Women; 43.4% White) who used cannabis in the past month and endorsed a traumatic life event. Path analyses examined associations of PTSD symptoms with past month cannabis frequency and problems through medicinal cannabis orientation (i.e., number of mental health symptoms that cannabis is used to manage) and trauma-related coping motives. Results: PTSD symptoms were associated with trauma-related coping motives but not with medicinal cannabis orientation. Both trauma-related coping motives and medicinal cannabis orientation were uniquely associated with greater cannabis use frequency, but only trauma-related coping motives were associated with greater cannabis problems. There were significant indirect relationships from PTSD symptoms to cannabis use frequency and problems through trauma-related coping motives but not through medicinal cannabis orientation. Conclusions: Results support unique contributions of trauma-related coping motives and medicinal cannabis orientation to cannabis outcomes and suggest that trauma-related coping motives are specifically implicated in the link between PTSD and cannabis problems.

Adolescent Sleep Quality and Alcohol Use: An Initial Examination of the Serial Indirect Effects of Anxiety Symptoms and Coping Motives for Alcohol Use.

Background: Insufficient sleep and insomnia are associated with alcohol use as well as anxiety during adolescence and young adulthood. A negative reinforcement path to explain the association between sleep difficulties and alcohol misuse has been proposed. Within this pathway, it is speculated that while sober, insomnia and insufficient sleep lead to increased anxiety as well as anxiolytic responses to alcohol, thereby increasing the risk for both alcohol use and alcohol use problems. No work to date has examined the negative reinforcement path to alcohol use among adolescents who have consumed alcohol. Objectives: The current study aims to address this gap in the literature by examining if sleep quality is related to adolescent alcohol use problems and frequency through serial indirect effects of adolescent anxiety symptoms and coping motives for alcohol use. A total of 147 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 years (Mage = 16.31; SD = 0.96) from all geographic regions in the US were recruited using social media platforms (i.e., Facebook and Instagram). Participants who reported having tried alcohol at least once completed self-report measures to examine sleep quality, anxiety symptoms, alcohol use problems, alcohol use frequency, and coping motives for alcohol use. Results: Adolescent sleep quality was found to be associated with higher levels of both alcohol use problems and alcohol use frequency through the serial indirect effect of anxiety symptoms and coping motives for alcohol use. Conclusions: Overall, these findings represent a step towards understanding the complex relationship between sleep quality, alcohol, anxiety, and coping motives among adolescents.