Independent Versus Co-occurring Substance Use in Relation to Gambling Outcomes in Older Adolescents and Young Adults.

PURPOSE: Gambling is prevalent among college students and can be associated with significant negative consequences. Students who report gambling also tend to report use of alcohol and cannabis, but little research has explored the associated risks of using these substances in relation to gambling episodes. This study explored associations between the independent and co-occurring use of alcohol and cannabis before/during gambling episodes and gambling outcomes. METHODS: Students (n = 1,834) completed an online survey that included measures of gambling frequency, amount lost, negative gambling consequences, gambling problem severity, and substance use. RESULTS: As hypothesized, individuals who reported using either alcohol or cannabis alone or both substances before/while gambling endorsed greater gambling quantity, frequency, negative consequences, and problem severity than individuals who used alcohol and cannabis in general but denied use of either substance before/while gambling. Use of both substances compared to use of alcohol alone was associated with greater gambling quantity, frequency, and negative consequences, although these groups did not differ on gambling problem severity. Cannabis use alone was no different on any outcome than use of both substances, and alcohol use alone was no different than cannabis use alone on any outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Use of cannabis alone before/while gambling may confer the same level of risk for negative gambling outcomes as use of both cannabis and alcohol. Prevention efforts may, therefore, benefit from targeting cannabis use in relation to gambling. Additional investigation is needed in light of recent and upcoming state legislation on the legalization of cannabis.

Emotional Activation and Habituation During Imaginal Exposure for PTSD Among Women With Borderline Personality Disorder.

The current study examined patterns and outcomes of emotional activation and habituation during imaginal exposure for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Participants were 16 women with borderline personality disorder (BPD), PTSD, and recent suicidal and/or self-injurious behavior who received imaginal exposure for PTSD concurrently with dialectical behavior therapy. The intensity of global distress and 6 specific emotions were assessed before and after imaginal exposure trials. Results indicated that significant within-session habituation (WSH) occurred for global distress (Hedge's g effect size = -2.52) and fear (g = -0.80), whereas significant between-session habituation (BSH) occurred for global distress (g = -2.18), fear (g = -1.89), guilt (g = -1.14), shame (g = -0.74), and disgust (g = -0.41). BSH significantly predicted PTSD diagnostic status at posttreatment, whereas activation and WSH were unrelated to outcome. Clients who remitted from PTSD showed significantly more BSH in global distress than nonremitters (η(2) = .39). In addition, remitters reported reductions in sadness and anger across trials, whereas sadness and anger increased for those who did not remit (η(2) = .54 and .40, respectively). Overall, BPD clients exhibited patterns of activation and habituation during imaginal exposure comparable to other client populations, and there was no evidence of persistent emotional engagement or habituation problems.

Electronic Feedback in College Student Drinking Prevention and Intervention.

Alcohol consumption is prevalent among college students and can be associated with serious negative consequences. Several efficacious programs using one-on-one brief intervention techniques have been developed to target high-risk drinking by individual students, such as the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) (Dimeff et al. 1999). To reach a larger population (e.g., the incoming freshman class), researchers have adapted these interventions so that students can access them via the Internet or in some other electronic format.The purpose of this review is to discuss specific alcohol intervention programs that were (1) designed to be delivered remotely (e.g., via the Web or on an electronic device) without interaction with a provider and (2) were tested among college students using a randomized controlled trial design. Specific studies were drawn from earlier reviews as well as a comprehensive literature search. Although many programs have limited research support, and some findings are mixed, components that were directly translated from in-person BASICS to remote-delivery mediums (i.e., personalized feedback interventions [PFIs], personalized normative feedback [PNF] interventions), and broader programs that incorporate PFI/ PNF, show promise in reducing alcohol use and/or negative consequences. However, more research is needed and suggestions for how the field can move these interventions forward are discussed.