Alcohol Use Predicts Longer But More Fragmented Sleep: A Daily Diary Study of Alcohol, Sleep, and PTSD in Nurses.

BACKGROUND: Due to the demanding nature of their profession, nurses are at risk of experiencing irregular sleep patterns, substance use, and fatigue. Evidence supports a reciprocal relationship between alcohol use and sleep disturbances; however, no research has examined such a link in a sample of nurses. One factor that may further impact the dynamic between alcohol and sleep patterns is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. We investigated the daily bidirectional associations between alcohol use and several sleep domains (i.e., self-report and actigraphy-determined sleep), and moderation by baseline PTSD symptom severity. METHOD: Over a 14-day period, 392 nurses (92% female; 78% White) completed sleep diaries and actigraphy to assess alcohol use and sleep patterns. Within-person bidirectional associations between alcohol and sleep were examined using multilevel models, with symptoms of PTSD as a cross-level moderator. RESULTS: Daily alcohol use (i.e., ≥ 1 alcoholic beverage; 25.76%) was associated with shorter self-reported sleep onset latency (b = -4.21, p = .003) but longer self-reported wake after sleep onset (b = 2.36, p = .009). Additionally, days with any alcohol use were associated with longer self-reported sleep duration (b = 15.60, p = .006) and actigraphy-determined sleep duration (b = 10.06, p = .037). No sleep variables were associated with next-day alcohol use. Bidirectional associations between alcohol consumption and sleep were similar regardless of baseline PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that on days when nurses drank alcohol, they experienced longer but also more fragmented sleep.

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.

Examining the Factor Structure and Correlates of Motives to Drink Before Attending a Virtual Social Event During COVID-19 Among University Students.

Background: Many university students pregame or drink before a social event. Pregaming carries some risk due to its link to heavy drinking. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was limited access to many drinking venues (e.g., bars/clubs). Moreover, universities shifted to a virtual format and imposed restrictions on in-person gatherings resulting in the reliance on virtual platforms for class instruction, meetings, and social events. The pandemic facilitated changes in students' drinking behaviors, stress levels, and how they maintained social contact with others. Thus, it is conceivable that during an academic pandemic year, students may have engaged in the act of drinking before attending a virtual social event. Objectives: In the present study, we examined the factor structures/item loadings of the Pregaming Motives Measure-Virtual (PGMM-V) among students (N = 283; Mage = 21.38; women = 69.3%; White = 45.4%, Hispanic = 40.8%) from seven universities who completed an online questionnaire (Spring/Summer-2021). Items from the original Pregaming Motives Measure (Bachrach et al., 2012) were modified to reflect motives to drink before attending a virtual social event. Results: We found evidence for a 2-factor structure model of the PGMM-V which includes social/enhancement and social ease/stress. Bivariate correlations indicated that social/enhancement and social ease/stress were (a) positively associated with frequency of drinking and alcohol consumption prior to attending virtual social events, and (b) general drinking motives (social/enhancement/coping) that align with these motives. Conclusions: The PGMM-V is a promising instrument that could be used in future research designed to understand students' pregaming behaviors for virtual social events as the use of such platforms are increasingly relied upon for social engagement.

Comparing Drinking Game Motives, Behaviors, and Consequences Among Varsity Athletes, Recreational Athletes, and Non-Student-Athletes: A Multisite University Study.

OBJECTIVE: Among college students, student-athletes are at increased risk for heavy alcohol consumption, participation in risky drinking practices (e.g., playing drinking games [DG]), and adverse alcohol-related consequences relative to non-student-athletes. Within the student-athlete population, level of sports participation (e.g., recreational or varsity sports) can affect alcohol use behaviors and consequences, but our understanding of the extent to which level of sports participation influences engagement in DG is limited. Thus, in the present study, we examined differences in frequency of participation in DG, typical drink consumption while playing DG, negative DG consequences, and motives for playing DG among varsity, recreational, and non-student-athletes. METHOD: College students (n = 7,901 across 12 U.S. colleges/universities) completed questionnaires on alcohol use attitudes, behaviors, and consequences. RESULTS: Student-athletes (recreational or varsity sports) were more likely to have participated in DG within the past month than non-student-athletes. Among students who reported past-month DG play, recreational athletes played more often and endorsed more enhancement/thrills motives for playing DG than non-student-athletes, and student-athletes (recreational or varsity) endorsed higher levels of competition motives for playing DG than non-student-athletes. CONCLUSIONS: These findings shed light on some risky drinking patterns and motives of recreational athletes who are often overlooked and under-resourced in health research and clinical practice. Recreational and varsity student-athletes could benefit from alcohol screening and prevention efforts, which can include provision of competitive and alcohol-free social activities and promotion of alcohol protective behavioral strategies to help reduce recreational athletes' risk for harm while playing DG.

Business as usual? Drinking games participation before and during an academic pandemic (COVID-19) year among university students.

Objective: A drinking game (DG) is a risky social drinking activity that is prevalent among university students and promotes rapid alcohol consumption. We examined university students' DG behaviors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Students (N = 368; Mage=21.12; women = 72.6%; Hispanic = 44.7%) from seven universities completed an online survey in 2021 (spring/summer). Results: 57% played DGs in-person before the pandemic and continued to play during the pandemic. These students were less worried about their health/symptoms if they were to contract COVID-19, had lower confidence in wearing a mask properly/socially distancing while under the influence of alcohol, consumed more alcohol during the pandemic, and endorsed higher enhancement drinking motives than students who played DGs before but stopped playing during the pandemic (30%). Conclusions: College health practitioners could pay close attention to students who endorse high enhancement motives as they are susceptible to risky DG play.

Study protocol and rationale for a pilot randomized clinical trial comparing processing of positive memories technique with supportive counseling for PTSD.

BACKGROUND: Research indicates that positive memories have a role in posttraumatic stress disorder's (PTSD) symptomatology and treatment. Following treatment development guidelines, a novel PTSD intervention - Processing of Positive Memories Technique (PPMT) - was developed and subsequently examined for its effects and feasibility in pilot studies. Extending this research, the proposed pilot randomized clinical trial with PPMT and Supportive Counseling (SC) arms will examine PPMT's effects on PTSD severity and biomarkers of stress systems' dysregulation (awakening salivary alpha amylase [sAA] and cortisol concentrations); examine mechanistic targets (affect) underlying PPMT's effects; and refine PPMT. We hypothesize that the PPMT arm will report greater decreases in PTSD severity and greater decreases in awakening sAA/cortisol ratio compared to the SC arm; and that improved affect (more positive affect and less negative affect) will mediate associations between intervention arm and changes in PTSD severity. METHODS: We will recruit 70 individuals aged 18-65 years with PTSD. They will be randomized to 5 weekly therapy sessions of PPMT or SC, and will be assessed at baseline, weekly during treatment, 1-week post-treatment, and 3-months post-treatment. Primary outcomes are past-week PTSD severity, past-week positive and negative affect levels, and feedback data on PPMT's feasibility, format, and content. The secondary outcome is the awakening sAA/cortisol ratio. Statistical analyses include mixed-effect models and within-subjects cross-lag longitudinal mediation analyses. CONCLUSION: Study results will advance knowledge of trauma interventions by examining effects and feasibility of a novel PTSD intervention, and by elucidating potential mechanisms underlying PPMT's effects. Clinical Trials #: NCT05523453.

Disengagement coping and sleep problems among trauma-exposed adolescents.

BACKGROUND: The formation of healthy sleep patterns is a critical component of positive adolescent development. Dysregulated sleep habits can put youth at risk for the development of a multitude of inimical outcomes, particularly among those who are exposed to a traumatic event. DESIGN AND METHODS: The present study investigated the links between voluntary disengagement coping (e.g., avoidance, denial, wishful thinking) and sleep outcomes among 86 trauma-exposed and non-exposed adolescents between the ages of 12-17 (Mage = 15.44, SD = 1.51; 41.9% female). RESULTS: The relationship between voluntary disengagement coping and sleep outcomes was significant only among trauma-exposed adolescents, such that greater use of voluntary disengagement strategies was associated with greater sleep disturbances and greater daytime dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Targeting disengagement coping may be an important strategy to improve sleep health among trauma-exposed adolescents. Continued efforts in improving the efficacy of trauma-exposed adolescent intervention strategies are needed.

Perceived Psychological Control Relates to Coping-related Drinking Motives via Social Anxiety Among Adolescents: A Cross-sectional Mediation Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Accumulating evidence suggests that particular parenting behaviors (e.g., elevated psychological control) may increase risk for both problematic social anxiety and alcohol use among youth; however, no work has yet examined these factors together in a single model. Building developmentally-sensitive models of problematic alcohol use trajectories is key to developing effective prevention and intervention strategies. METHOD: The present study includes 94 adolescents (ages 14-17 years; 53.3% girls; 89.2% White) entering a treatment facility for a variety of internalizing and externalizing forms of psychological distress. Levels of perceived parental psychological control, social anxiety, and coping-related drinking motives were assessed. RESULTS: Higher levels of perceived psychological control was associated with a greater endorsement of coping-related drinking motives; however, a significant proportion of that association was accounted for by elevated social anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These data extend the existing literature and lay groundwork for more sophisticated experimental and longitudinal designs to corroborate the findings. Moreover, personality-targeted drinking interventions for adolescents may benefit from identifying elevated perceived psychological control as a developmentally relevant risk-factor for social anxiety and problematic drinking motives and administering relevant interventions (e.g., personality-targeted coping skills training, parent-involved care) before drinking patterns are established.

Latent profiles of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and sleep disturbances in relation to drinking to cope motives among college students.

BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sleep disturbances, and problematic alcohol use are frequently comorbid. Research shows that individuals with more PTSD symptom severity and poorer sleep are highly susceptible to drinking alcohol to cope with negative affect. The current study examined the number and nature of different subgroups of trauma-exposed college students based on endorsed PTSD symptoms and sleep disturbances; and how such subgroups relate to drinking to cope motives. METHOD: The sample included 474 trauma-exposed college students (Mage = 20.69 years; 75.50% female) who completed self-report surveys. RESULTS: Latent profile analyses revealed three subgroups: High PTSD-Sleep Disturbances (n = 71), Moderate PTSD-Sleep Disturbances (n = 135), and Low PTSD-Sleep Disturbances (n = 268). Results indicated that college students in the Low PTSD-Sleep Disturbances group endorsed the lowest amount of coping-related drinking motives; however, college students in the Moderate PTSD-Sleep Disturbances group did not endorse significantly different levels of coping-related drinking motives than college students in the High PTSD-Sleep Disturbances group. CONCLUSIONS: College students with subclinical presentations of psychopathology are at risk for endorsing risky drinking motives. As they adjust to a stressful environment with a culture of heavy drinking, providing context-relevant intervention efforts such as adaptive coping strategies, relaxation skills designed to facilitate restful sleep, and trauma-informed care may be highly beneficial for college students.

The role of affect in associations between sleep disturbances and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms: A systematic review.

Strong evidence supports a bidirectional association between sleep disturbances and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Affect - temporary internal states experienced as feeling good or bad, energized or enervated - may play a central role in explaining this link. The current systematic review summarizes the literature on associations between sleep, PTSD, and affect among trauma-exposed adults. We systematically searched five electronic databases (PubMed, PsycInfo, PTSDpubs, Web of Science, CINAHL) using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. Of 2656 screened articles, 6 studies met inclusion criteria. Four findings emerged: (1) greater insomnia symptom severity predicted greater PTSD symptom severity above the influence of negative affect, (2) negative affect mediated the effect of sleep quality on next-day PTSD symptom severity, (3) positive affect mediated the effect of PTSD symptom severity on insomnia symptom severity and sleep disturbances, and (4) greater negative affect (specifically, greater anger) was associated with greater severity of PTSD and sleep disturbances. Findings highlight areas for future research, such as the need to investigate more dimensions, timescales, and methods of studies simultaneously assessing affect, sleep, and PTSD, as well as the need for more longitudinal and experimental work to determine causality across these constructs.

A national study on pregaming motives, frequency, consumption, and negative alcohol consequences among university students in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Pregaming, or drinking before going out, is a commonly practiced risky behavior. Drinking motives are well-established predictors of alcohol use and negative alcohol consequences. Given the influence of context on drinking practices, motives specific to pregaming may affect pregaming behaviors and outcomes above and beyond general drinking motives. Thus, we examined how pregaming motives are related to pregaming behaviors and negative alcohol consequences. METHODS: Using data from two national cross-sectional online studies, the current study included undergraduates who pregamed at least once in the past month (n=10,200, Mage=19.9, women=61%, white=73.6%; 119 U.S. universities). Participants completed assessments of demographics, general drinking motives, pregaming motives, pregaming frequency/consumption, and negative alcohol consequences. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear models accounting for nesting of participants within sites. RESULTS: When controlling for demographic factors and general drinking motives, interpersonal enhancement motives and intimate pursuit motives were positively associated with pregaming frequency, pregaming consumption, and negative alcohol consequences. Situational control motives were negatively associated with pregaming consumption and negative alcohol consequences. Barriers to consumption motives were negatively associated with pregaming frequency but positively associated with negative alcohol consequences. CONCLUSIONS: Students who pregame to make the night more fun or to meet potential dating partners appear to be at particular risk for negative alcohol consequences. Motives may be modifiable, particularly via cognitive/behavioral strategies. Findings suggest that specific motives may be appropriate intervention targets when trying to reduce pregaming behaviors and negative alcohol consequences.

What pandemic? A multisite study of drinking motives and drinking games participation among college students during a pandemic (COVID-19) academic year.

A drinking game (DG) is a widely practiced social activity that tends to encourage rapid alcohol consumption. While social restrictions during the pandemic (COVID-19) academic year were implemented as a health measure across many colleges/universities, the extent to which college student drinkers continued to play DGs in-person is not well understood. Because theory and research suggest that drinking motives are proximal correlates of drinking behaviors, we examined which drinking motives increased the likelihood of playing DGs in-person, and playing DGs in-person in a group of 10 + people during the 2020-21 pandemic academic year. College students (past-year drinkers) from 12 universities completed an online survey (N = 900; Mage = 19.42, Range = 18-25; SDage = 1.45, White = 73.1%, 69.2% female). Of the students surveyed, 590 students played DGs, with 460 students only playing DGs in-person. Of the students who played DGs in-person, 274 students reported that the maximum number of people they played DGs with in-person exceeded the CDC's recommended guidelines (10 + people). Accounting for demographics, general alcohol use, and perceived COVID-19 threat, social drinking motives were positively associated with an increased likelihood of playing DGs in-person; the inverse was found for coping motives. Drinking motives were not associated with the likelihood of playing DGs with 10 + people but greater alcohol use and lower perceived threat of COVID-19 were. Given that the pandemic did not deter many student drinkers from playing DGs in-person, further investment in targeted intervention and public health initiatives aimed at substance-free alternatives promoting engagement and enhancement of social activities may be needed.

Cluster-b personality disorder traits and impulsivity: Indirect associations with alcohol use severity through positive alcohol expectancies.

Prior theory and research suggest that both Cluster-B personality pathology and trait impulsivity are indirectly associated with alcohol use through positive alcohol expectancies. Yet, no prior study has investigated whether features of each of the Cluster-B personality disorders (PDs) (i.e., antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic) and rash impulsiveness are indirectly associated with alcohol use severity through positive alcohol expectancies. In a cross-sectional design, social drinkers (N = 200; 51% female; Mage = 26 years) completed self-report measures of trait (rash) impulsivity, Cluster-B personality disorder (PD) traits, positive alcohol expectancies, and alcohol use severity. Simple and serial mediation analyses were used to test positive alcohol expectancies and the association between trait impulsivity and alcohol expectancies as potential mediators of personality disorder trait relations with alcohol use severity. Simple mediation analyses evidenced that trait impulsivity and traits specific to each of the Cluster-B (PDs) were indirectly associated with alcohol use severity through positive alcohol expectancies. Serial mediation analyses further evidenced that the Cluster-B (PD) traits were indirectly associated with alcohol use severity via positive alcohol expectancies both uniquely from and together with trait impulsivity. Current findings are novel and suggest that positive alcohol expectancies may be important to connecting the rashly impulsive aspects of Cluster-B (PDs) with greater alcohol use severity. However, current findings also suggest that features of the Cluster-B (PDs) probably increase risk for alcohol use disorder due to other reasons (e.g., other aspects of personality or forms of impulsivity). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Pediatric Psychotropic Polypharmacy: An Evaluation of the Correlates and Prevalence Across Assessment Cycles in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Background: Pediatric psychotropic polypharmacy (PPP) is the prescription of more than one medication targeting psychiatric disorders among people younger than 18 years. Recent data suggested that PPP rates may be plateauing. Few studies have evaluated this question in large, nationally recruited samples. Objective: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was used to examine the correlates and prevalence of PPP across assessment cycles. Independent assessments were obtained biannually between 2013 and 2018. Methods: Eleven thousand four hundred thirty-nine participants (4-17 years; Mage = 8.69 years; standard deviation = 5.16) were included in analyses. The Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical coding scheme was employed to classify medications, and participants were characterized as taking psychotropic medication if the medication was associated with a psychiatric diagnosis code. Participants self-reported past month medication use. Logistic regressions were used to examine correlates of pediatric psychotropic monotherapy compared with psychotropic polypharmacy. Results: Across assessments, 1.2% of respondents reported using two or more psychotropic medications. This estimate is lower than has been observed in specialized samples, but higher than other work using national samples. There was a small, significant difference in PPP across assessment cycles, such that rates of PPP were higher at the latter assessments. Correlates of PPP accorded with prior work, including male gender, increasing age, and markers of low socioeconomic status. The most robust predictor was having seen a mental health professional in the past year. Conclusions: This study documents that ∼1% of U.S. participants from a nationally recruited sample endorsed PPP. Findings are situated in the broader literature and the need for additional, prospective data to better characterize those trends in the United States and around the world. Key Takeaway Points It is known that many children and adolescents in the United States take more than one psychotropic medication, although few studies have examined trends in large, nationally recruited datasets. This study adds to this literature by documenting the prevalence of pediatric psychotropic polypharmacy in a large, unselected sample (i.e., 1.2%) and shows that rates were slightly higher at subsequent assessment intervals. Plain Language Summary Many kids take more than one medication for psychological problems. We analyzed data from ∼11,000 children and adolescents from across the United States, evaluated between 2013 and 2018. The number of kids taking multiple medications for psychological problems was different (higher) when measured later in time. Being a boy, being older, living in poverty, and having seen a mental health professional in the past year were associated with taking multiple medications for psychological problems. Implications for Managed Care Pharmacy These findings suggest rates of pediatric psychotropic polypharmacy (PPP) remain high in the United States, and correlate with male gender, poverty, and having recently seen a mental health professional. Relative to White children and adolescents, Black participants were less likely and Hispanic participants more likely to endorse PPP. Policy considerations include fully educating families and practitioners about the benefits as well as potential downsides of PPP and additional intervention options for mental health problems.

BYSTANDER INTERVENTION AMONG DRINKING GAMERS Bystander Intervention Among College Student Drinking Gamers: Sexual Assault Attitudes, Self-Efficacy, and Intent to Intervene.

Heavy drinking and sexual assault warrant significant concern on U.S. college campuses as emerging evidence suggests that the risk for sexual victimization is amplified in the context of high-risk drinking behavior. Despite recent attention to sexual assault (e.g., MeToo Movement), rates of perpetration remain largely unchanged. In applying the bystander intervention framework, our understanding of the relation between key factors that may facilitate or prevent behavioral action, or when and how these factors are most salient, is limited. The present study examined whether bystander attitudes and bystander self-efficacy interact to predict bystander intent to intervene. Hypotheses were tested among college student drinking gamers, a group at particular risk for involvement in situations of sexual violence. Participants (N = 964) were traditional college-aged student drinking gamers recruited from three universities across the East and Southern Central United States. After controlling for Greek affiliation, prior intervention training and social desirability, hypotheses were partially supported. Higher rape supportive attitudes (rape myth acceptance) were negatively associated with bystander intent to intervene across all participants, but bystander self-efficacy significantly moderated the relation between bystander attitudes (rape myth acceptance) and bystander intent to intervene only among women college student drinking gamers. The interaction effect was not significant among men. For all participants, there was a significant relation between bystander self-efficacy and bystander intent to intervene such that as self-efficacy increases, bystander intent to intervene increases. The discussion addresses implications for sexual assault prevention programs on college campuses and directions for future research.

Theory of planned behavior and college student 24-hour dietary recalls.

Objective: The transition to college is marked by poorer eating behaviors, making emerging adulthood a particularly salient intervention point for improving lifelong health. The present study aims to better understand what psychosocial factors predict eating behaviors of college students using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Participants & Methods: Dietary recalls were analyzed the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 scoring system for 67 university students between the ages of 18 and 25 (70.1% female; 49.3% White, 20.9% Black/African American, 13.4% Asian). Results: Haye's PROCESS Model 6 was used. The full model accounted for a significant amount of variance in HEI-2015 scores (F[3, 63] = 3.09, p = .033, R2 = .12). The final model suggested a significant indirect effect of PBC on the relation between ATT and HEI-2015 (ß = .859, SE = .637, 95% CI [.009, 2.482]). Conclusions: Although some college students might have favorable attitudes, only those who believe this is within their control actually ate a (somewhat) healthier diet.

Effects of bodily arousal on desire to drink alcohol among trauma-exposed college students.

INTRODUCTION: Alcohol consumption on college campuses is a major public health concern. Extant literature has identified trauma exposure as a robust risk factor for problematic alcohol use in this at-risk population. However, the mechanisms underlying this association are less well-studied. Research indicates that bodily arousal is a fundamental feature of trauma exposure, and posits that internal stimuli (e.g., heart pounding) at the time of trauma may manifest into conditioned cues that can trigger posttraumatic responding and related symptomatology, including alcohol use. However, past work supporting these assertions has used paradigms purposefully designed to evoke memories of the trauma, making it difficult to ascertain whether the mechanism driving subsequent alcohol craving is the explicit memory cue or the associated bodily arousal. METHODS: The current study examined whether an implicit, trauma-relevant cue of bodily arousal (via voluntary hyperventilation) - independent of any explicit memory cue - would elicit increased desire to drink among 104 (Mage = 20.30; 61.5% female) trauma-exposed undergraduates. RESULTS: Results found no statistically significant difference in change in alcohol craving between the hyperventilation and control tasks. However, secondary analyses indicated that trauma type (i.e., interpersonal/non-interpersonal) may play an influential role in this relationship. More specifically, individuals reporting interpersonal trauma as their most traumatic event evidenced a significantly greater increase in desire to drink following hyperventilation compared to the non-interpersonal index trauma group. DISCUSSION: Generally, these findings suggest that bodily arousal may only serve as an implicit, trauma-relevant interoceptive cue that increases desire to drink within a specific subset of trauma-exposed college students (i.e., individuals indexing interpersonal trauma). Replication and extension are needed to further understand the influence of bodily arousal on subsequent alcohol use behavior, which will be critical to PTSD-alcohol use modeling and, ultimately, help in informing prevention- and treatment-oriented intervention efforts aimed at reducing problematic alcohol use on college campuses.

Greater adolescent tiredness is related to more emotional arousal during a hyperventilation task: An area under the curve approach.

INTRODUCTION: Approximately 36% of adolescents report sleep problems (Crowley et al., 2018). Understanding the relation between sleep and emotional experience is crucial in understanding the high incidence of mental health concerns during adolescence. The current study sought to expand understanding in the area by testing the hypothesis that baseline tiredness ratings would predict greater emotional arousal and negative valence across the course of emotional response elicited by a voluntary hyperventilation procedure. METHODS: A community sample of 110 youth (10-18 years; 47.8% girls) provided baseline tiredness ratings and ratings of emotional valence and arousal, 2 min before, immediately after, and 3 min after a hyperventilation task. The area under the curve (AUC) was calculated using the repeated measures of valence and arousal, and correlations between the response curves and baseline tiredness were examined. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicated baseline tiredness was positively associated with AUC arousal (r = 0.23), but not valence. This suggests daytime tiredness is associated with the degree of emotional arousal elicited by a psychobiological stressor. By extension, adolescents may experience more arousing emotional reactions when tired, and thus the common sleep deprivation observed during this developmental period may increase risk for mental health problems associated with elevated emotional reactivity.

An experimental investigation of peer rejection and social anxiety on alcohol and cannabis use willingness: Accounting for social contexts and use cues in the laboratory.

OBJECTIVE: Evidence suggests that social anxiety (SA) is a risk factor for problematic alcohol and cannabis use, particularly during states of social stress. Unfortunately, laboratory studies to date have overlooked decision-making mechanisms (e.g., use willingness) and contextual features of commonly used social stress tasks that may clarify what is driving these links. The current study begins to address this gap by testing the effects of SA and laboratory-induced peer rejection on acute alcohol and cannabis use willingness within a simulated party setting. METHOD: 80 emerging adults (18-25 years; 70% women) endorsing lifetime alcohol and cannabis use were randomly assigned to experience rejection or neutral social cues. They rated their willingness to use alcohol and cannabis before and after cue exposure within the simulated party. A hierarchical regression tested the main and interaction effects of SA symptoms and experimental condition (Rejection vs. Neutral) on alcohol and cannabis use willingness, controlling for past-year use frequency and willingness to accept any offers (e.g., food and nonalcoholic drinks). RESULTS: There were statistically significant main (but not interaction) effects of SA and experimental condition on cannabis use willingness. Higher SA and Rejection exposure were each associated with greater cannabis use willingness. There were neither main nor interaction effects on alcohol willingness. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that elevated SA increases cannabis use willingness across social contexts, regardless of Rejection exposure, while Rejection exposure increases use willingness similarly across levels of SA. Together, findings reinforce the need to consider social-contextual factors and polysubstance use in laboratory settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Development of the A-DISS rejection task to demonstrate the unique and overlapping affective features of social anxiety and depression.

BACKGROUND: Social anxiety (SA) and depression are prevalent, often comorbid disorders, associated with poor psychosocial functioning. Experimental psychopathology approaches can clarify the transdiagnostic mechanisms underlying these disorders, but most laboratory tasks are limited. We developed and validated the Audio-Dialogue Inductions of Social Stress (A-DISS) experimental task to model real-time rejection sensitivity in a realistic and developmentally relevant context. Participants are asked to imagine overhearing peers at a party talking badly about them (Rejection) or a teacher at their school (Neutral). METHODS: Study 1 focused on identifying and refining stimuli that elicited relevant emotional responses for Rejection (e.g., increased anxiety) and Neutral (e.g., no emotional changes) conditions (N=48). Study 2 examined whether participants' SA and depression symptoms moderated the effects of A-DISS condition (N=52). RESULTS: The Rejection condition elicited higher negative affect/lower positive affect while the Neutral condition sustained stable affect. Findings were consistent across gender and race/ethnicity. Moderation analyses were statistically significant; participants with elevated SA or depression reported feeling more rejected, insecure, and anxious after Rejection than those with below average symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide preliminary validation of a novel peer rejection task for research on understanding the affective experience of real-time rejection overall, especially for those with elevated SA and depression. SA and depression symptoms each uniquely moderating the effects of Rejection exposure on similar affective states, suggests individuals with SA or depression may benefit from interventions targeting specific reactions to rejection/stress and transdiagnostic risk factors.