A study of self-injurious and suicidal behavior in a veteran population.

This patient safety improvement study was conducted (1) to establish a database of intentional patient self-injuries and suicidal behavior among veterans in a large urban VA health care system, and (2) to investigate whether there were demographic and/or clinical characteristics of veterans who self-injure that might predict seriousness of suicidal intent and aid in future efforts at prevention. A total of 175 clinician-administered, post self-injury interviews were completed between 2006 and 2008 in a VA health care system in the Northeast. Findings suggest that self-injuries with high suicidal intent were characterized by male gender, older age, planning of self-injury, no wish to be saved, and a negative feeling about having survived. Additional results indicated that staff ratings of patient intent to die were significantly lower than patient self-rated intent to die, a finding that gives rise to questions of whether staff may tend to underestimate patient suicidal intent. Also, although more than 80% of the veterans in this sample considered their self-injurious actions impulsive, planning of self-injury was significantly associated with higher intent to die. Veterans who completed suicide during the study time period were significantly more likely than those who had nonfatal self-injuries to have experienced combat. The implications of these findings are discussed, including whether combat exposure may lead to an acquired capacity for lethal behaviors such as suicide (Joiner, 2005). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reasons for suicide attempts and nonsuicidal self-injury in women with borderline personality disorder.

Self-reported reasons for suicide attempts and nonsuicidal self-injury were examined using the Parasuicide History Interview within a sample of chronically suicidal women meeting criteria for borderline personality disorder (N=75). Overall, reasons given for suicide attempts differed from reasons for nonsuicidal self-injury. Nonsuicidal acts were more often reported as intended to express anger, punish oneself, generate normal feelings, and distract oneself, whereas suicide attempts were more often reported as intended to make others better off. Almost all participants reported that both types of parasuicide were intended to relieve negative emotions. It is likely that suicidal and nonsuicidal parasuicide have multiple intents and functions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An affective-motivational model of marijuana and alcohol problems among college students.

The study examined models of marijuana (n = 309) and alcohol (n = 731) problems. Impulsivity was directly associated with both marijuana- and alcohol-related problems. Negative mood regulation expectancies were indirectly associated with marijuana problems through coping motives. Sensation seeking was indirectly associated with alcohol problems through enhancement motives. Affect lability and negative affect were indirectly associated with alcohol problems though coping motives. In both models, coping motives were directly associated with use-related problems. A multigroup analysis indicated that the association between negative affect and coping motives as well as use and problems was stronger among participants using both alcohol and marijuana relative to alcohol only. Enhancement motives were a stronger predictor of alcohol use among participants using alcohol only. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-injury, substance use, and associated risk factors in a multi-campus probability sample of college students.

This research examined two questions: (1) What is the prevalence of self-injurious behavior (SIB) among college students, overall and by gender, academic level, and sexual orientation? (2) To what extent is SIB associated with different forms of substance use and other risk behaviors? A probability sample of 5,689 students completed an Internet survey on self-injury, mental health, and substance use. Past-year prevalence of SIB was 14.3%, with undergraduates significantly more likely than graduate students to engage in SIB. Drug use and frequent binge drinking were associated with higher rates of SIB. Among those who engaged in any SIB, those who used drugs had higher depression scores, higher prevalence of cigarette smoking, and higher rates of binge eating. In a multiple logistic regression model predicting SIB, depression, cigarette smoking, gambling, and drug use were significant predictors. Information about those at risk for SIB is critical for the design of prevention and intervention efforts as colleges continue to grapple with risky behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stress exposure and affective modulation of aggressive behavior in men and women.

To study differences in the effects of stress exposure and affective responding on aggression in men and women, the authors examined the effects of an acute stressor (air blast) on subsequent aggressive behavior, measured as the intensity of shocks men and women delivered to a putative employee. The authors measured participants' affective responding using the startle reflex. Results showed that although men and women did not differ in their startle responses to the actual stressor, high stress led to contrasting patterns of subsequent aggressive behavior. Women under high stress responded with less aggression than women under low stress, whereas men exposed to high stress exhibited increases in aggression relative to those under low stress. Affective responding during the stressor differentially modulated aggression in men and women: Startle responses predicted increasing levels of aggression in men and less aggression in women. These findings suggest that although men and women show similar basic affective processing in response to stressors, the behavioral profiles associated with stress differ in men and women. These findings have implications for understanding gender differences in the prevalence of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conforming behavior and personality variables in college women.

Conforming behavior of 41 freshman women, as measured in an Asch situation, was compared with the scales of the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule, the Gough California Psychological Inventory, and the Gordon Personal Profile. In the sample studied, only the Edward's Abasement scale was able to generate a small but significant relationship (+.33) with a kind of behavior which should have been predictable from some 12 to perhaps 27 of the 38 measures used. Excepting the 5 scales of Gough's 18, on the basis of questionable comparability of samples, a total of 33 measures was correlated with conforming behavior. Only 1 was found to have construct validity for this type of social conformity criterion when tested on a sample of college women. (17 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alcohol abuse and dependence symptoms: A multidimensional model of common and specific etiology.

This study tested a theoretical model hypothesizing differential pathways from 5 predictors to alcohol abuse and dependence symptoms. The participants were college students (N = 2,270) surveyed on 2 occasions in a 6-month prospective design. Social norms, perceived utility of alcohol use, and family history of alcohol problems were indirectly associated with Time 2 abuse and dependence symptoms through influencing level of alcohol consumption. Poor behavioral control had a direct effect on alcohol abuse but not on dependence symptoms at Time 2, whereas affective lability exhibited a direct prospective effect on alcohol dependence but not on abuse symptoms. A multigroup analysis showed that high levels of poor control increased the strength of paths from both consumption level and affective lability to abuse symptoms. Implications for prevention of alcohol problems among college students are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What men want: The role of reflective opposite-sex normative preferences in alcohol use among college women.

Misperceptions of peer drinking norms have been found to be strongly associated with individual drinking behavior, especially for proximal reference groups such as same-sex friends. Less studied are the effects of perceived preferences from the opposite sex on alcohol use; that is, the behaviors an individual believes the opposite sex prefers from them. Research suggests that these perceived “reflective” normative preferences may be particularly salient among college women, who may drink in pursuit of intimate relationships and positive attention from male peers. Heterosexual undergraduate students from two universities participated in this project. Females answered questions regarding the amount of alcohol they believe a typical male would like his female friends, dates, or romantic partners to drink. Males answered the same questions, stating their actual preferences. Results showed that females overestimate the amount of alcohol males want their female friends, dating partners, and sexual partners to drink, and that this misperception was associated with their drinking behavior, even after controlling for perceived same-sex norms. These results suggest that reflective normative feedback may offer a powerful new tool for female-targeted interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Variation in bystander behavior related to sexual and intimate partner violence prevention: Correlates in a sample of college students.

Objective: Innovations in violence prevention mobilize peers as active bystanders, yet little is known about what motivates helping in such contexts. We examined correlates of actual helpful behavior (rather than only attitudes) related to the prevention of sexual and intimate partner violence among college students at one university in the United States. Method: Four hundred and six (406) undergraduate students at the University of New Hampshire completed self-report surveys. We assessed attitudes (e.g., rape myth acceptance, bystander confidence) in relation to self-reported helping behavior. Results: Different predictors were significant for the self-report measures of attitude compared to behaviors. Students who self-reported a greater sense of responsibility for ending sexual and relationship violence and greater expressed confidence as a bystander and perceptions of greater benefits of stepping in to help, self-reported greater helping behavior. We found some differences in correlates of helping behavior by type of helping behavior. Conclusions: Correlates of helping differ when actual behaviors performed in the community compared to attitudes were assessed. Prevention strategies that increase community members' sense of responsibility for ending violence, build confidence in helping, and support norms that encourage active bystanders are needed to increase helping behavior to ameliorate this widespread community problem. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Frequency and correlates of diary-measured hangoverlike experiences in a college sample.

A sample of college students, oversampled for smoking (N = 127, 43% smokers), monitored their daily experiences using electronic diaries over 14 days. We examined the frequency and correlates of liberally defined hangoverlike experiences (HLEs) using data from 1,595 person-days (1,325 after abstention from drinking and 270 after drinking, including 125 HLEs). More than 40% of the sample reported at least one HLE, and nearly half of all drinking episodes were followed by HLE. Endorsement of HLE was more likely as the number of drinks increased and was associated with modest elevations of hangover symptoms. Gender did not predict rates of overall HLE endorsement, but male students were less likely than female students to report an HLE after a drinking episode and showed a weaker relation between number of drinks and HLE. Smokers were more likely to report HLE, but there was no evidence that smoking status was associated with increased HLE susceptibility. Self-reported parental alcohol problems were associated with more frequent HLE and incrementally predicted HLE endorsement when number of drinks was covaried. The findings suggest that HLE is a common outcome of college drinking and attest to the feasibility of using electronic diaries to assess its episode- and person-level correlates. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceived racism and vascular reactivity in black college women: Moderating effects of seeking social support.

This quasi-experimental study explored the association of perceived racism and seeking social support to vascular reactivity in a college sample of 110 Black women. Perceived racism and seeking social support were assessed via self-report, and vascular reactivity was measured before and during a standardized speaking task. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that perceived racism was positively related to changes in systolic blood pressure. These analyses also indicated that seeking social support moderated the relationship between perceived racism and systolic blood pressure changes. This interaction effect persisted after controlling for several potential confounders. Follow-up regression analyses showed that perceived racism was positively associated with reactivity among participants who were low in seeking social support. A significant relationship was not observed between perceived racism and systolic blood pressure changes among participants who were high in seeking social support. Perceived racism and seeking social support were not significantly associated with changes in diastolic blood pressure. These findings highlight the importance of examining psychosocial factors that may mitigate the hypothesized relationship between perceived racism and reactivity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development and validation of a scale for measuring cynical attitudes toward college.

The purpose of this research was to develop and validate a new measure of undergraduate student cynicism--the Cynical Attitudes Toward College Scale (CATCS). In Study 1, the authors split data collected from 1,049 students representing 3 diverse college populations into development and confirmation samples. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the authors (a) developed an 18-item measurement model reflecting 4 reliable dimensions of student cynicism-policy, academic, social, and institutional; (b) demonstrated cross-sample generalizability; and (c) established convergent and discriminant validity. In Study 2, the authors showed the CATCS's ability to discriminate among diverse groups of students predicted to differ on the 4 subscales as well as to predict future academic outcomes. Practical applications of the CATCS are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Examining the role of drinking motives in college student alcohol use and problems.

A motivational model of alcohol involvement (M. L. Cooper, M. R. Frone, M. Russell, & P. Mudar, 1995) was replicated and extended by incorporating social antecedents and motives and by testing this model cross-sectionally and longitudinally in a sample of college students. Participants (N = 388) completed a questionnaire battery assessing alcohol use and problems, alcohol expectancies, sensation seeking, negative affect, social influences, and drinking motives. Associations among psychosocial antecedents, drinking motives, and alcohol involvement differed from those found by M. L. Cooper et al. (1995). These findings point to the importance of social influences and of positive reinforcement motives but not to the centrality of drinking motives in this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The theory of planned behavior as a model of heavy episodic drinking among college students.

This study provided a simultaneous confirmatory test of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in predicting heavy episodic drinking (HED) among college students. It was hypothesized that past HED, drinking attitudes, subjective norms, and drinking refusal self-efficacy would predict intention, which would, in turn, predict future HED. Participants consisted of 131 college drinkers (63% women) who reported having engaged in HED in the previous 2 weeks. Participants were recruited and completed questionnaires within the context of a larger intervention study (see Collins & Carey, 2005). Latent factor structural equation modeling was used to test the ability of the TPB to predict HED. Chi-square tests and fit indices indicated good fit for the final structural models. Self-efficacy and attitudes but not subjective norms significantly predicted baseline intention, and intention and past HED predicted future HED. Contrary to hypotheses, however, a structural model excluding past HED provided a better fit than a model including it. Although further studies must be conducted before a definitive conclusion is reached, a TPB model excluding past behavior, which is arguably more parsimonious and theory driven, may predict HED among college drinkers better than a model including past behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

When in Rome: Factors associated with changes in drinking behavior among American college students studying abroad.

Study abroad programs have the potential to promote cultural, experiential, and personal development for escalating numbers of American college students each year. Despite reports that study abroad students may be at particular risk for increased and problematic alcohol use, there is limited empirical documentation of this risk. Thus, the present study used a longitudinal design to examine the factors associated with changes in alcohol use among college students studying in foreign countries. A sample of 177 students completed measures of demographics, drinking behavior, and perceived peer drinking behavior 1 month before departure and 1-month postreturn from study abroad trips. Analyses revealed that participants more than doubled their drinking during study abroad trips and those who drank at heavier levels while abroad returned home drinking at significantly elevated levels. This pattern of increased use while abroad was moderated by several factors, with participants studying abroad in Europe (e.g., Italy, France) and Oceania (e.g., Australia, New Zealand), those under the age of 21, those with higher intentions of drinking while abroad, and those with higher drinking perceptions of other study abroad students in their host country increased their alcohol consumption to a greater extent than other participants. Results suggest drinking while abroad is a concern warranting further investigation, especially regarding how changes in drinking may contribute to the experience of alcohol-related consequences abroad. Continued identification of the risk factors associated with increased drinking can help inform targeted predeparture preventive interventions with these students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The prospective relationship of interpersonal forgiveness and psychological distress symptoms among college women.

Forgiveness has frequently been theorized to be related to decreased psychological distress, and longitudinal survey research is important for the examination of this relationship. The prospective relation of forgiveness to psychological distress symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) at a later time point (an average of 36 weeks later) was examined in a sample of 182 female undergraduate students. Through use of structural equation modeling, it was observed that offense-specific (as compared with dispositional) forgiveness toward an offender of a self-identified interpersonal transgression was significantly negatively related to psychological distress symptoms at Time 2, above and beyond the impact of symptom levels at Time 1. Perceived severity and time since the offense at Time 1 were examined as possible moderators of this relationship; time since offense was found to moderate the relationship between forgiveness and change in psychological distress symptoms between Time 1 and Time 2. Implications for acceptance-based interventions and prevention of psychopathology are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of an implicit mood prime on the accessibility of smoking expectancies in college women.

This study examined whether an implicit mood prime would differentially affect the accessibility of self-generated smoking expectancies in women. One hundred nine ever-smokers were randomly assigned to receive either a positive or negative musical mood induction or a no-music control condition. Participants self-generated smoking expectancies, and the 1st responses were categorized as positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, or negative consequence expectancies. Overall, participants generated mood-congruent smoking expectancies, suggesting that affect may act as a conditioned stimulus that elicits expectations of positive and negative reinforcement of smoking behavior. In addition, negative reinforcement expectancies were more frequently generated in current versus past smokers. Results are consistent with a situational-specificity hypothesis and memory-based models of affect and expectancies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Career and marriage orientation in the vocational development of college women.

The problem dealt with the construction of an attitude inventory and the comparison of selected factors in the vocational development of 3 groups of college girls grouped on the basis of their attitudes as measured by the inventory. 180 college girls were administered the Career and Marriage Attitude Inventory; 30 were selected for study on the basis of scores earned. A structured interview-case study was used to prepare summaries which were ranked by 3 impartial judges. Significance at the 1% level was determined by Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance and the application of the F test. Comparison among groups revealed that girls differ in respect to career-marriage attitudes and occupational interests. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)