Age-varying association between depression symptoms and executive function among older adults: Moderation by physical activity.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed trends in depression symptoms, executive function, and their association across age among older adults. Subgroup comparisons were made between older adults meeting and not meeting physical activity guidelines on variables and associations of interest. METHODS: Participants (n = 2473) were older adults ages 60 to 79 from the 2011-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Depression symptoms, executive function, and physical activity were assessed, and weighted time-varying effect modeling was used for analyses. RESULTS: Depression symptoms were most severe at age 62 followed by a modest decline before a second peak around age 67. Executive function was highest at age 60 and declined steadily through age 77. Depression symptoms and executive function were negatively associated, but the strength and significance of this association varied with age. Older adults meeting physical activity guidelines had increased executive function and less severe depression symptoms, and meeting physical activity guidelines buffered the association between depression symptoms and executive function at key ages during older adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: Differences by age should be considered when designing and implementing health programs and treatments focusing on mental health and cognition in older adulthood. Encouraging moderate-intensity physical activity may help protect older adults from depression-related cognitive decline.

Graduate student burnout: Substance use, mental health, and the moderating role of advisor satisfaction.

Substance use and mental health problems are associated with academic difficulties among high school and undergraduate students, but little research has been conducted on these relationships among graduate students. The sample consisted of 2,683 graduate students attending two large, public universities. Standard measures were used to collect data on demographic and program characteristics, mental health, substance use, advisor satisfaction, and burnout (i.e., exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy). Linear regression models evaluated relationships between each mental health and substance use variable with burnout, as well as the moderating role of advisor satisfaction. Students with a greater number of substance use and mental health problems had higher levels of exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy. No statistically significant relationships between substance use and burnout were found. High levels of stress, moderate or severe anxiety symptoms, and moderate or severe depressive symptoms were associated with increased levels of burnout. Advisor support moderated the relationships between stress and both cynicism and inefficacy such that the effects of stress on these dimensions of burnout were lower among those who were satisfied with their advisor. Graduate students with mental health problems might be at increased risk for burnout; however, having a supportive advisor might buffer this association.

Substance use and mental health problems among graduate students: Individual and program-level correlates.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated variation in substance use and mental health among graduate student subgroups. PARTICIPANTS: A sample of 2,683 master's and doctoral students completed an online survey in October 2017. METHODS: Subgroup variation in behavioral health by demographic and program characteristics, particularly degree type and academic discipline, was explored. RESULTS: Compared with academic doctoral students (ie, PhD students), professional doctoral students (ie, MD, JD, etc.) were significantly more likely to report high stress levels and moderate or severe anxiety symptoms. Master's students were more likely to report moderate or severe anxiety symptoms and use marijuana than academic doctoral students. Students in the behavioral and social sciences, social work, and arts and humanities disciplines were more likely to use substances and report mental health problems than engineering and business students. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight graduate student subgroups who might require closer attention with respect to access to behavioral health services.

High-risk alcohol use behavior and daily academic effort among college students.

Objective It is not well understood whether heavy drinking interferes with academics on specific days or if this relationship simply reflects between-student differences. Participants:N = 736 college students completed 14 consecutive daily assessments during 7 semesters. Methods: Days were classified as non-drinking, moderate drinking, heavy episodic drinking only (HED-only), or high-intensity drinking (HID) days. Multilevel models tested associations between drinking level and academic behaviors. Results: Students were more likely to skip class after engaging in HED-only or HID the previous day. On weekdays, students spent more time on schoolwork when they did not drink the previous day and spent less time on schoolwork when they engaged in HED-only and HID the previous day. On weekends, students spent less time on schoolwork after HED-only days. Conclusions: Heavy drinking is associated with lower academic effort the next day, highlighting the need for college programs targeting heavy alcohol use prevention and daily decision making.

COVID-19 exposure and diagnosis among college student drinkers: links to alcohol use behavior, motives, and context.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a public health crisis. College student alcohol use is highly prevalent and primarily occurs in social settings where risk for COVID-19 transmission is heightened. This study explored the associations between alcohol use frequency, quantity, motives, and context with: (i) quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure and (ii) a positive diagnosis for COVID-19. A sample of n = 409 college student drinkers completed an online survey about their health and behaviors during the Fall 2020 semester. Since the start of the semester, 36% of students quarantined and 13% of students received a COVID-19 diagnosis. More frequent alcohol use was associated with increased odds of both quarantine and COVID-19 diagnosis. More frequent drinking for social motives was associated with increased likelihood of quarantine, and more frequent drinking for conformity motives was associated with increased likelihood of COVID-19 diagnosis. Participants who often drank alone or with a small group of friends were about half as likely to have quarantined, while those who often drank with a large group of friends were almost twice as likely to have quarantined. Participants who often drank in a bar or nightclub had almost three times the odds of a COVID-19 diagnosis. Frequent alcohol use and drinking for social and conformity motives and in certain contexts are linked to increased likelihood of COVID-19 exposure and diagnosis. Alcohol use prevention efforts, coupled with messaging to discourage large social gatherings in public places, might help to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 among college students.

Nonmedical Use of Prescription Stimulants as a "Red Flag" for Other Substance Use.

BACKGROUND: Nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NMPS) has increased on college campuses during the past two decades. NMPS is primarily driven by academic enhancement motives, and normative misperceptions exist as well. However, large, nationwide studies have not yet been conducted to generalize findings more broadly and gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between NMPS and other substance use (e.g. alcohol use, marijuana, etc.). The present study was conducted to lay the foundation for prevention efforts related to NMPS by establishing NMPS prevalence, practices surrounding NMPS, and other substance use. METHODS: N = 2,989 students from seven universities around the U.S. completed a web-based survey assessing NMPS practices and related behaviors. Prevalence and factors associated with NMPS were explored. RESULTS: Analyses revealed a 17% past-year prevalence of NMPS with associated widespread misperceptions of peer use. NMPS was significantly related to alcohol use, binge drinking, and marijuana use, as well as skipped classes and affiliation with Greek life. CONCLUSIONS: Although most college students do not report NMPS, those who do also are more likely to report alcohol use, binge drinking, and marijuana use, and NMPS could be a "red flag" for other risk behaviors worth exploring. Implications for prevention and intervention are discussed.

Daily associations between affect and alcohol use among adults: The importance of affective arousal.

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about whether level of affective arousal (i.e., high vs. low) is associated with alcohol use and whether this relationship differs by valence (i.e., positive vs. negative affect) among adults. METHODS: Participants were n = 93 self-reported current drinkers (ages 25-65) who reported positive (PA) and negative affect (NA) seven times a day and alcohol use once a day for seven consecutive days. For each individual, mean levels of high arousal PA (e.g., excited), low arousal PA (e.g., satisfied), high arousal NA (e.g., frustrated), and low arousal NA (e.g., sad) were computed for each day. RESULTS: Alcohol use was reported on 30% of person-days, with an average of 2.3 drinks consumed on drinking days. Heavy episodic drinking (4+/5+ drinks for women/men) occurred on 4% of days. After covarying for age, gender, and weekday, days with higher-than-usual levels of high arousal PA were associated with a 52% increase in the odds of consuming any alcohol and a 105% increase in the odds of engaging in heavy episodic drinking. Individuals reporting more low arousal PA on average had a 77% increase in the odds of heavy episodic drinking. No significant associations between high or low arousal NA and alcohol use were found. CONCLUSIONS: Greater PA, but not NA, was associated with heavy alcohol use at both the within- and between-person levels, perhaps attributable to social and enhancement drinking motives. Results differed by arousal, highlighting the importance of considering a wide range of affective states when examining alcohol use behavior.

Stress and Burnout Among Graduate Students: Moderation by Sleep Duration and Quality.

BACKGROUND: There are high levels of stress among graduate students, and stress is associated with multiple negative outcomes among student populations, including academic burnout. Sleep could play an important role in explaining the association between stress and burnout, but these relationships have not been explored among the graduate student population. The current study assessed whether or not sleep duration and quality moderated the relationship between stress and burnout (i.e., exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy) among graduate students. METHODS: A sample of 2683 master's, doctoral, and professional graduate students from two large, public universities completed an online survey. Linear regression models with interaction terms were developed to evaluate the relationships between stress and burnout while examining moderation by sleep duration and quality. RESULTS: Participants slept an average of 6.4 h per night, with 62% indicating good sleep quality. Stress had significant, positive relationships with exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy. The relationship between stress and exhaustion lessened as sleep duration increased, and the relationship between stress and exhaustion was weaker among students with good sleep quality when compared with those with poor sleep quality. Neither sleep duration nor sleep quality moderated the relationships between stress and cynicism or stress and inefficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Improving sleep habits has the potential to lessen the negative association between stress and graduate student functioning. Future research utilizing longitudinal designs is needed to understand the temporality of these associations and the influence of possible co-factors like individual propensity for mental health problems and social support.

The language of subjective alcohol effects: Do young adults vary in their feelings of intoxication?

Among young adults, subjective feelings of alcohol's effects often guide risky decision making. The majority of studies measuring subjective effects have used singular indices ("How drunk do you feel?") which limits our understanding of young adults' full range of subjective states and their individual differences in subjective effects language. Toward a more in-depth understanding of the heterogeneity among alcohol users based on their subjective experiences of alcohol's effects, we identified latent classes of individuals based on their self-generated language describing feelings after drinking and compared these classes across demographic and drinking characteristics. Participants (N = 323, 54% women, 68% White, Ages 18-25 years) were recruited using Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Participants listed words they would use to describe how they feel after drinking low, moderate, and heavy amounts of alcohol. Four latent classes of young adults emerged: "happy drinkers" (31%) primarily reported feeling "happy" when drinking; "relaxed drinkers" (24%) reported feeling happy, relaxed, and buzzed; "buzzed drinkers" (18%) reported feeling buzzed and dizzy; and "multiexperience drinkers" (27%) reported feeling buzzed, tipsy, drunk, and wasted. Relaxed drinkers indicated heavier alcohol use and buzzed drinkers reported lower drinking frequency. Classes did not differ by demographic characteristics. Young adult alcohol users can be distinguished based on the language they use to describe their feelings of intoxication. To continue to advance our understanding of subjective effects, it is necessary to take into account the full range of language used and how this language differs by young adult drinking behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Age-varying trends in alcohol and cannabis co-occurring use: Implications for prescription drug misuse.

Background: Individuals who engage in alcohol and cannabis co-occurring use are at heightened risk for negative outcomes than individuals who only use alcohol or only use cannabis, but far less is known about implications of alcohol and cannabis co-occurring use for prescription drug misuse (PDM).Objectives: This study aimed to (1) identify whether co-occurring use was linked with greater risk for PDM across ages 18-60 and to determine ages at which this association was strongest, (2) determine whether associations remain after controlling for pain severity, and (3) test for gender differences.Methods: Cross-sectional data were from Wave 1 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study. The analytic sample included 20,120 (50.6%wt men) individuals aged 18-60 reporting past-year alcohol and/or cannabis use.Results: Time-varying effect models indicated that individuals reporting co-occurring use were at increased risk for PDM than individuals reporting single-substance use across all ages, with odds ratios peaking at >3 at age 34. After controlling for pain severity, associations were only slightly weakened. Associations were slightly stronger for men than women from ages 28 to 35.Conclusion: Co-occurring use was linked with heightened risk for PDM compared to individuals who used only one substance; co-occurring use may be important to target for PDM prevention. Identifying factors underlying study associations, beyond pain, and how these factors evolve with age are important avenues for prevention work.

The socio-environmental context of simultaneous alcohol and marijuana use among young adults: Examining day-level associations.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use is reported by roughly 30% of young adult drinkers. Among SAM users, SAM use days have more negative substance-related consequences than single-substance days. Little information is available about contextual factors contributing to the likelihood of SAM use on a particular day. This study compared days on which individuals reported SAM use relative to days on which they reported alcohol but not marijuana use in terms of physical location, engagement in risky activities and social context of use. DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants were 148 young adults (57% female) reporting past-month SAM use and past two-week binge drinking. Participants completed up to 14 daily surveys assessing substance use behaviour and socio-environmental characteristics of use. RESULTS: For those <21 years, only using at home was associated with greater odds of SAM use. For those 21+, using at a friend's house and outdoors were associated with increased odds of use; using at a bar/club was associated with lower odds. Using alone was associated with lower odds of use for those 21+. Engagement in risky activities (pre-gaming and drinking games) was not associated with SAM use. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: SAM days are linked with use in private settings and social situations. Despite experiencing more harms on SAM days, SAM use is not more likely than alcohol use alone to occur in certain environments and situations traditionally found to be linked with increased risk. Findings may provide key insight for developing context-informed interventions focused on SAM use.

Behavioral medicine challenges in the shadow of a global pandemic.

Health behavior researchers should refocus and retool as it becomes increasingly clear that the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic surpass the direct effects of COVID-19 and include unique, drastic, and ubiquitous consequences for health behavior. The circumstances of the pandemic have created a natural experiment, allowing researchers focusing on a wide range of health behaviors and populations with the opportunity to use previously collected and future data to study: (a) changes in health behavior prepandemic and postpandemic, (b) health behavior prevalence and needs amidst the pandemic, and (c) the effects of the pandemic on short- and long-term health behavior. Our field is particularly challenged as we attempt to consider biopsychosocial, political, and environmental factors that affect health and health behavior. These realities, while daunting, should call us to action to refocus and retool our research, prevention, and intervention efforts.

Situational context and motives of alcohol use among graduate student drinkers.

Extensive research has examined alcohol use context and motives among undergraduates, but less is known about where, when, and why graduate students drink. The current study aimed to describe the motives and situational context of graduate student alcohol use, identify demographic and program characteristics associated with alcohol use motives and context, and assess how alcohol use motives and context are associated with alcohol use behavior. A sample of master's and doctoral-level students who drank during the past month (n = 2091; 63% female) completed an online survey. An exploratory factor analysis yielded two situational context factors: drinking in social situations (e.g., with friends, at a bar) and non-social situations (e.g., alone, at home). Graduate students most frequently endorsed social and enhancement drinking motives. Results of multivariate linear regression models showed that age, sex, race/ethnicity, and international student, marital, parental, and employment status were all associated with motives and context. Drinking for enhancement and drinking to cope were the motives most strongly associated with increased alcohol quantity and frequency, respectively. Drinking in social contexts was positively associated with alcohol quantity and frequency, and drinking in non-social contexts was positively associated with alcohol use frequency but inversely related to alcohol quantity. Graduate students who drink for enhancement reasons and in social situations might be at increased risk for higher quantity alcohol use, or graduate students who drink for coping reasons and in non-social situations might be at increased risk for more frequent alcohol use. Future longitudinal research is needed to explore whether drinking in certain contexts and with certain motivations is predictive of alcohol problems during and after graduate school.

Excessive drinking and drug use during college: Prospective associations with graduate school plans and attendance.

Objective: This study examines the prospective relationship between substance use during college and two outcomes: having definite plans to attend graduate school; and, among individuals with plans, enrolling in graduate school upon college graduation. Participants:n = 980 were originally enrolled as first-time, first-year college students in an ongoing longitudinal study (August 2004 to present). Methods: Measures from personal interviews included demographics, GPA, alcohol use, alcohol abuse/dependence, and other drug use during college. Results: Fifty-four percent had definite plans to attend graduate school, and 47% of students with definite plans enrolled in graduate school. Alcohol dependence was significantly associated with reduced likelihood of having graduate school plans. Among students with plans to attend graduate school, alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence during college were associated with decreased likelihood of enrolling in graduate school. Conclusions: Substance use during college might impact graduate school enrollment, and early intervention efforts could help students achieve their educational goals.

Driving concerns among older adults: Associations with driving skill, behaviors, and experiences.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this investigation was to determine what older adults find most concerning about driving as they age and how these concerns are related to driving skill, behaviors, and experiences. METHODS: In partnership with the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, a sample of 751 older adults ages 65 and older completed an online survey between October 2017 and May 2018. A content analysis was used to code open-ended responses about driver concerns, and multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the associations between driving concerns and driving skill, behavior, and experiences. RESULTS: Eighty-four percent of participants reported at least one driving concern, with 44% concerned about others' driving, 34% concerned about their own driving, and 24% concerned about driving conditions. The most frequently mentioned driving concerns were other drivers in general, driving at night, visual ability and awareness, and other drivers being aggressive or reckless. Being concerned with their own driving was significantly associated with decreased perceived driving skill and increased odds of experiencing negative driving experiences in the past year. Being concerned about others' driving was associated with increased odds of wearing a seat belt (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02, 7.00), having high perceived driving skills in emergency situations (AOR = 1.56; 95% CI, 1.14, 2.12), and getting in a near crash or collision in the past year (AOR = 1.50; 95% CI, 1.04, 2.18). CONCLUSIONS: Older adult drivers are frequently concerned about their own driving as well as the driving of others. Implications for future research and health practice are discussed.

Graduate degree completion: Associations with alcohol and marijuana use before and after enrollment.

Research has shown that alcohol and marijuana use are associated with academic performance difficulties, but the relationship to completion of a graduate degree has not been explored. Undergraduate students (n = 1253) were assessed during their first year of college and annually thereafter until age 29. Among the subset of the original sample who enrolled in graduate school (n = 520), measures of alcohol and marijuana use were averaged separately for the time periods before and after graduate school enrollment. Logistic regression models were developed to examine the associations between these variables and graduate degree completion, adjusting for other factors. In general, a minority of the sample were excessive drinkers or frequent marijuana users. The majority of drinkers (70%) drank an average of twice a week or less each year, and 62% of marijuana users used marijuana once a month or less each year. After adjusting for demographic and program characteristics, marijuana use frequency after graduate school enrollment was negatively associated with odds of graduate degree completion. Alcohol use frequency before graduate school enrollment was positively associated with odds of graduate degree completion. Results add to the growing body of literature on marijuana use and decreased academic achievement, but results should be interpreted with caution given the small, but significant, effect sizes found. The positive association between alcohol use frequency and degree completion might be attributed to engagement in the academic environment. Future studies should examine the potential mechanisms through which alcohol and marijuana use are related to the academic achievement of graduate students.

Alcohol, Driving, and Health among Community-dwelling Older Adults.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationships among alcohol use, driving behavior, and indicators of health among older adults. METHODS: A sample of 818 adults ages 65 and older were recruited through the state motor vehicle administration and completed an online survey. Regression models were used to assess the associations between alcohol use, driving behaviors, and 6 health indicators. RESULTS: Whereas more frequent alcohol use was associated with fewer health conditions, higher quantity alcohol use was associated with increased likelihood of having at least one health condition. Participants who drove several days a week and those who drove every day had higher perceived health status, a lower number of past-year health conditions, and a lower number of past-year health events when compared to less frequent drivers. Persons who had at least one past-year negative driving behavior or event were significantly less likely to have positive health status, had lower perceived health status, and had a higher number of past-year health conditions and events. CONCLUSIONS: High quantity alcohol use and risky driving behavior among older adults are indicative of poorer health. Continued efforts are needed to educate older adults on the relationships among alcohol use, driving behavior, and health.

Social context of drinking among older adults: Relationship to alcohol and traffic risk behaviors.

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol use among older adults is a major public health concern given potentially negative effects to health and functioning in this population. Little is known about context in which alcohol use among older adults occurs, or how context of use is associated with risk behaviors. METHOD: Invitation letters were mailed to licensed drivers 65 years and older in Maryland. A total of 825 participants completed an online survey that assessed demographic characteristics, alcohol use, social context of drinking, and driving behaviors. RESULTS: The analytic sample consisted of 604 older adult current drinkers (55% male). A factor analysis revealed three separate contexts of drinking: social facilitation, emotional comfort, and relaxation. Drinking in the context of social facilitation was associated with driving after drinking. Drinking in the context of emotional comfort was associated with getting drunk, driving after drinking, and running a stop sign or red light. Drinking in the context of relaxation was associated with traffic risk behaviors, including running a stop sign or red light and getting in a near crash or collision. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the social context of alcohol use among older adults may be useful for targeting and attempting to modify risky alcohol use and driving behaviors.

Immediate effects of a brief intervention to prevent alcohol and medication interactions among older adults.

Risk of experiencing alcohol and medication interactions (AMI) is significant among older adults due to the substantial prevalence of alcohol and medication use in this segment of the population. Given the lack of community-level AMI prevention interventions for older adults, this study aimed to examine the immediate effects of a brief, pharmacy-based intervention to prevent AMI among older adults, as well as assess differential effects by past-month drinking status. A convenience sample of 134 adults aged 59 and older was recruited from four pharmacies in rural Virginia. Participants were assessed on their AMI awareness, intentions and importance prior to and immediately after exposure to intervention materials. Findings support immediate, positive intervention effects on AMI awareness, intentions and perceived importance of AMI messaging. Changes from pre to post-test did not differ by drinking status, but participants who consumed alcohol were less likely than non-drinkers to recognize the potential consequential severity of alcohol and medication interactions at both time points. Recommendations and future research to prevent AMI are discussed.

Continuity of drunk and drugged driving behaviors four years post-college.

BACKGROUND: Driving under the influence of alcohol is a leading cause of injury and premature death among young adults, and college-educated individuals are at particularly high risk. Less is known about driving under the influence of other drugs, which is on the rise. METHOD: This study describes prospective seven-year trends in alcohol and other drug (AOD)-involved driving among a young-adult sample beginning with their second year of college (i.e., Years 2-8), and documents the extent of continuity in such behaviors across time. Originally recruited as incoming first-year students at one large public university, participants (n=1194) were interviewed annually about how frequently they drove while drunk/intoxicated (DWI), after drinking any alcohol (DAD), and/or while under the influence of other drugs (DD). Follow-up rates were high (>75% annually). RESULTS: Among participants with access to drive a car, annual prevalence peaked in Year 4 (modal age 21) for both DWI (24.3%wt) and DD (19.1%wt) and declined significantly thereafter through Year 8 (both ps<0.05). DAD was far more prevalent than DWI or DD, increasing from 40.5%wt in Year 2 to 66.9%wt in Year 5, and plateauing thereafter. Among marijuana-using participants, likelihood of DD was consistently greater than the likelihood of DWI among Heavy Episodic and Light-to-Moderate drinkers, and it declined significantly during Years 5-8 (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Post-college declines in heavy drinking and DWI prevalence were encouraging but did not necessarily translate to reductions in likelihood of engaging in DWI, depending on drinking pattern. College-educated individuals represent an important target for AOD-involved driving prevention.