Social dominance mediates the association of testosterone and neurobehavioral disinhibition with risk for substance use disorder.

This investigation determined the influence of testosterone and neurobehavioral disinhibition (ND) on risk for substance use disorder (SUD). Testosterone level during puberty was hypothesized to promote social dominance associated with norm-violating behavior that, in turn, predisposes individuals to use of illicit drugs and, subsequently, SUD. Using a prospective paradigm, the authors recruited 179 boys (mean age=11.62 years, SD=0.88) and followed up when participants were ages 12-14, 16, 19, and 22. Results indicated that social dominance/norm-violating behavior (SD/NVB) at age 16 mediated the association between testosterone level (ages 12-14) and SUD (age 22). In addition, SD/NVB mediated the association between ND and SUD. These findings suggest that development of SUD is influenced by androgen-dependent and neurobehavioral processes via a social motivational style characterized by SD/NVB. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Substance-dependent, conduct-disordered adolescent males: severity of diagnosis predicts 2-year outcome

Most delinquent youths have conduct disorder (CD), often with comorbid substance use disorder (SUD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression. Some youths' conduct problems later abate, while those of others persist into adult antisocial personality disorder. Earlier CD onset and ADHD reportedly predict persisting antisocial problems, but predictors of persisting SUD are poorly understood. Males aged 13-19 years (n = 89), most referred by criminal justice and social service agencies, received residential treatment for comorbid CD and SUD. They had diagnostic assessments for SUD at intake and for CD, ADHD, and depression (as well as drug-use assessments) at intake and 6, 12 and 24 months later. At intake nearly all had DSM-III-R substance dependence (usually on alcohol and marijuana) and CD with considerable violence and criminality. The 2-year follow-ups revealed improvements in criminality, CD, depression and ADHD, but substance use remained largely unchanged. Various aspects of conduct, crime and substance outcomes at 2 years were predicted by intake measures of intensity of substance involvement, and by CD severity and onset age, but not by severity of either ADHD or depression, nor by treatment duration. Earlier CD onset, more severe CD and more drug dependence predicted worse outcomes, supporting the validity of these diagnoses in adolescents.     

The response styles theory of depression: Tests and an extension of the theory.

The authors tested and extended S. Nolen-Hoeksema's (1991) response styles (RSs) theory of depression by assessing the role of RSs in the onset of depressive episodes (DEs), controlling for the effects of concurrent depression, examining the dispositional aspects of RS, clarifying the role of distraction in the course of a DE, and studying the predictive validity of the Response Styles Questionnaire. Nondepressed (ND) participants who reported that they ruminate in response to their depressive symptoms were more likely to experience a DE over 18 months than were participants who reported that they distract themselves from their symptoms. Both a ruminative RS as measured in an ND state and the use of rumination during the first DE predicted the severity of that episode. In contrast, neither trait nor state rumination predicted the duration of the first DE. Participants showed moderate stability of RSs over 1 year and responded in a consistent manner when depressed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Detection of youth at high risk for substance use disorders: A longitudinal study.

This study extends prior research (D. Clark, J. Cornelius, L. Kirisci, & R. Tarter, 2005) by determining whether variation in the developmental trajectories of liability to substance use disorder (SUD) is contributed by neurobehavioral disinhibition, parental substance use involvement, and demographic variables. The sample, participants in a long-term prospective investigation, consisted of 351 boys, evaluated at ages 10-12, 12-14, 16, 19, and 22, whose parents either had SUD or no adult psychiatric disorder. Neurobehavioral disinhibition in childhood, in conjunction with parental lifetime substance use/SUD, place the child at very high risk for SUD by age 22 if psychosocial maladjustment progresses in severity in early adolescence. These results indicate that monitoring social adjustment during the transition from childhood to mid-adolescence is important for identifying youth at very high risk for succumbing to SUD by young adulthood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

UNC-73 activates the Rac GTPase and is required for cell and growth cone migrations in C. elegans

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common co-occurring diagnosis in patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). Despite the documented prevalence of this particular "dual diagnosis," relatively little is known about effective treatment for SUD-PTSD patients. This article reviews empirical research on the course and treatment of SUD-PTSD comorbidity and highlights clinically relevant findings. Based on this review, the following is noted: PTSD is highly prevalent in SUD patients, consistently associated with poorer SUD treatment outcomes, and related to distinct barriers to treatment. Specific treatment practices are recommended for substance abuse treatment providers: (a) All patients should be carefully screened and evaluated for trauma and PTSD; (b) referrals should be provided for concurrent treatment of SUD-PTSD, if available, or for psychological counseling with the recommendation that trauma/PTSD be addressed; and (c) increased intensity of SUD treatment should be offered in conjunction with referrals for family treatment and self-help group participation.     

Personality and substance use disorders: A prospective study.

The personality systems of Cloninger (as measured by the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire [TPQ]) and Eysenck (as measured by the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire [EPQ]) both have been linked to substance use and abuse. The current study examined the predictive utility of both systems for substance use disorder (SUD) diagnoses, both cross-sectionally and prospectively. Participants (N?=?489 at baseline) completed the EPQ and TPQ and were assessed via structured diagnostic interview at baseline and 6 years later (N?=?457 at follow-up). Both the EPQ and TPQ scales demonstrated bivariate cross-sectional and prospective associations with SUDs. Within each system, those dimensions marking a broad impulsive sensation-seeking or behavioral disinhibition trait were the best predictors prospectively, although the 2 systems were differentially sensitive to specific diagnoses. These relations remained significant even with autoregressivity, other concurrent SUD diagnoses, and multiple personality dimensions statistically controlled. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychosocial functioning of adults who experienced substance use disorders as adolescents.

The authors examined whether substance use disorder (SUD) before age 19 was associated with functioning at age 30. Participants (N = 773) were assessed twice during adolescence and at ages 24 and 30. Eight of 14 adult measures were associated with adolescent SUD: education, unemployment, income, risky sexual behavior, suicide attempt, coping, stressful life events, and global adjustment. After adolescent comorbidity and functioning and adult SUD were controlled for, education and unemployment remained associated, and three variables emerged as significant: being a parent (significant only for participants without adult SUD), being currently married, and having decreased life satisfaction (significant only for participants with adult SUD). Adolescent SUD is associated with numerous functioning difficulties at age 30, some of which appear to be related to recurrent SUD, comorbid adolescent disorders, or functioning problems already evident in adolescence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comparison of self-esteem lability and low trait self-esteem as vulnerability factors for depression.

Self-esteem lability (SEL), defined as daily event-related variability in state self-esteem, and low trait self-esteem (TSE) were assessed among 205 male and female undergraduates who were currently depressed, previously depressed (PD), and never depressed (ND). SEL scores were derived for the effect of positive, negative, and combined events on state self-esteem over 30 days. Consistent with psychodynamic and cognitive theories, SEL was found to be a better index of depression proneness than TSE. PD Ss showed higher lability on all SEL scores than ND controls but did not differ from controls on TSE. Ss were reassessed 5 mo later, and new cases showed higher premorbid SEL than ND controls but did not differ from controls on premorbid TSE. SEL at Time 1 was found to increase risk for depression at Time 2 among Ss reporting high life stress at Time 2. Theoretical and methodological implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perfectionistic self-presentation in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Perfectionistic Self-Presentation Scale—Junior Form.

Research on adults indicates that perfectionistic self-presentation, the interpersonal expression of one's perfection, is associated with a variety of psychopathological outcomes independent of trait perfectionism and Big Five traits. The current article reports on the development and evidence for the validity of the subtest score interpretations of an 18-item self-report measure of perfectionistic self-presentation for children and adolescents. Analyses conducted on data from two clinical samples and one nonclinical sample of children and adolescents found that the Perfectionistic Self-Presentation Scale—Junior Form (PSPS–Jr) reflected a multidimensional model of perfectionistic self-presentation with three subscales: Perfectionistic Self Promotion, Nondisplay of Imperfection, and Nondisclosure of Imperfection. The subscale scores were found to demonstrate internal consistency, and there was good evidence supporting the validity of the interpretation of subscale scores based on this new measure. The subscales were associated with maladaptive outcomes, but were not influenced unduly by biases that included social desirability and differential item functioning by gender. Overall, the PSPS-Jr appears to be a useful measure of the expression of perfection among youths and an important tool in attempting to understand the nature and the consequences of perfectionistic self-presentation in children and adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Smoking Consequences Questionnaire—Spanish.

A total of 212 Spanish smokers completed a Spanish version of a smoking questionnaire based on the Smoking Consequences Questionnaire—Adult (A. L. Copeland, T. H. Brandon, & E. P. Quinn, 1995) and a nicotine dependence (ND) measure. Confirmatory factor analysis results supported an a priori defined 8-factor structure. The results also indicated good internal consistency for the instrument and the scales derived from each factor. Positive outcome smoking expectancies scales were significantly and substantially associated with ND scores. Also, after controlling for the influence of ND, the authors found higher smoking expectancies in women than in men in (a) weight control, (b) craving reduction and addictiveness, and (c) negative-affect reduction. The results support the instrument's construct validity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contracting, prompting, and reinforcing substance use disorder continuing care: A randomized clinical trial.

Although continuing care is strongly related to positive treatment outcomes for substance use disorder (SUD), participation rates are low and few effective interventions are available. In a randomized clinical trial with 150 participants (97% men), 75 graduates of a residential Veterans Affairs Medical Center SUD program who received an aftercare contract, attendance prompts, and reinforcers (CPR) were compared to 75 graduates who received standard treatment (STX). Among CPR participants, 55% completed at least 3 months of aftercare, compared to 36% in STX. Similarly, CPR participants remained in treatment longer than those in STX (5.5 vs. 4.4 months). Additionally, CPR participants were more likely to be abstinent compared to STX (57% vs. 37%) after 1 year. The CPR intervention offers a practical means to improve adherence among individuals in SUD treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How should we revise diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders in the DSM-V?

This article reviews literature on the validity and performance characteristics of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders (SUDs) and recommends changes in these criteria that should be considered for the next edition of the DSM (DSM-V). Substantial data indicate that DSM-IV substance abuse and substance dependence are not distinct categories and that SUD criteria are best modeled as reflecting a unidimensional continuum of substance-problem severity. The conceptually and empirically problematic substance abuse diagnosis should be abandoned in the DSM-V, with substance dependence defined by a single set of criteria. Data also indicate that various individual SUD criteria should be revised, dropped, or considered for inclusion in the DSM-V. The DSM-V should provide a framework that allows the integration of categorical and dimensional approaches to diagnosis. Important areas for further research are noted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hierarchical organization of personality and prediction of behavior.

Two studies evaluated personality trait measures and Big Five factor measures for their accuracy in predicting important behavior criteria. The results of both studies showed that the narrower traits and the broader factors, thought to define 2 levels of a hierarchy of personality variables, separately predicted most criterion variables. However, the incremental validity of the personality trait measures (the degree to which the traits increased the criterion prediction achieved by the factors) was generally much larger than the incremental validity of the Big Five factor measures. It was concluded that aggregating personality traits into their underlying personality factors could result in decreased predictive accuracy due to the loss of trait-specific but criterion-valid variance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Screening for PTSD in a substance abuse sample: psychometric properties of a modified version of the PTSD Symptom Scale Self-Report. Posttraumatic stress disorder

The high rate of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among substance use disorder (SUD) patients has been documented in research protocols, but there is evidence that it is markedly under-diagnosed in clinical settings. To address the need for a brief self-report measure to identify SUD patients who may benefit from further assessment and/or treatment for PTSD, the psychometric properties of a modified version of the PTSD Symptom Scale Self-Report (PSS-SR) were examined in a treatment-seeking SUD sample (N = 118). The modified version of the PSS-SR, which measures both frequency and severity of PTSD symptoms, demonstrated good internal consistency reliability and was correlated with other self-report measures of trauma-related symptomatology. Comparisons between a structured PTSD diagnostic interview and the modified PSS-SR indicated that 89% of the PTSD positive patients were correctly classified by the modified PSS-SR. The clinical relevance of these findings was discussed.     

Modeling the pathways linking childhood hyperactivity and substance use disorder in young adulthood.

This study modeled direct and mediated pathways linking childhood hyperactivity and substance use disorder (SUD). Boys (n = 112) were administered the revised Drug Use Screening Inventory at age 12-14 years and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV at age 22 years. Six newly derived scales having established heritability were conceptually organized into internalizing and externalizing pathways to SUD emanating from childhood hyperactivity. Hyperactivity directly predicts SUD. Neuroticism, conduct problems, and their respective manifestations of social withdrawal and school problems mediated the association between hyperactivity and SUD. Hyperactivity also predicted neuroticism that, in turn, predicted low self-esteem leading to social withdrawal and SUD. These results indicate that hyperactivity is a diathesis for both internalizing and externalizing disturbances that, in turn, portend differential expression of psychosocial maladjustment presaging SUD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Two-year posttreatment functioning and coping of substance abuse patients with posttraumatic stress disorder.

The 2-year posttreatment course of substance abuse patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was examined in a multisite evaluation of Veterans Affairs substance abuse treatment. Substance abuse patients with PTSD (SUD-PTSD) were compared with patients with only substance use disorder (SUD only) and patients with other comorbid psychiatric diagnoses (SUD-PSY) on outcomes during the 2 years after treatment. SUD-PTSD patients had a poorer long-term course on substance use, psychological symptom, and psychosocial outcomes than SUD-only and SUD-PSY patients. Coping methods were examined as mediators of the effect of PTSD on substance use outcomes. Greater use of avoidance coping styles and less use of approach coping at 1 year partially accounted for the association of PTSD with 2-year substance use. Treatments that address multiple domains of functioning and focus on alternative coping strategies are recommended for this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognition-correlation indices of gender schema: tests of validity

Four-hundred and seventy-seven subjects evaluated a set of traits and behaviors in terms of how masculine and feminine they were and in terms of how well they represented their real and ideal self-images. Within-individual correlation coefficients between these evaluations were proposed as measures of psychological gender schemata, because they would represent the degree of matching between the subjects' gender-image and ideal/real self-images of gender-related attributes. The present study aims at examining the construct validity of these measures, by testing them to psychological variables that are known to reflect gender identity. The individual difference variables used as criteria were (a) satisfaction with one's own sex, (b) general happiness, (c) self-esteem (d) gender-conflict, and (e) school and occupational achievement need. Correlations between the gender-schema indices and the criteria variables supported the construct validity of those measures. Advantages of the present measurement over the conventional simple trait approach, such as BSRI, or PAQ are discussed.     

The construct validity of differential response latencies in structured personality tests.

Shows that differential response latencies are a meaningful indicator of the presence of a trait. A total of 92 subjects responded to a series of microcomputerized personality test items reflecting 4 different traits on each of 4 occasions. Estimates of internal consistency, parallel forms reliability, and test–retest stability suggested that the reliability of the response latencies was modest. Differential response latencies showed excellent convergent validity for corresponding trait level measures and excellent discriminant validity for irrelevant trait level measures. Moreover, as predicted, the latencies for endorsing trait relevant items were negatively related to trait level measures whereas the latencies for rejecting items were positively related. Differential response latencies had no tendency to group together as a method factor. Rather, the pattern of convergent and discriminant relationships generalized across all 4 retest sessions. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does comorbid substance use disorder exacerbate borderline personality features? A comparison of borderline personality disorder individuals with vs. without current substance dependence.

There is compelling evidence that comorbid borderline personality disorder (BPD) negatively impact the clinical courses and outcomes of substance use disorders (SUD). Conversely, there is little evidence that concurrent SUD exacerbates the clinical characteristics of BPD. Thus, this study sought to examine whether the presence of current substance dependence among BPD patients would be associated with stronger BPD-relevant personality traits and behavioral characteristics. Female BPD patients without (BOR; n = 37) or with current substance dependence (BSUD; n = 19), and female non-BPD/SUD controls (CON; n = 48) were compared with respect to impulsivity, affective lability, affective intensity, externalizing behaviors, and self-harming/suicidal tendencies, taking into consideration their comorbid mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and antisocial personality disorder. Results indicated that both BOR and BSUD groups scored higher than CON in most of the measures, but BOR and BSUD failed to reveal significant group differences especially when the influence of comorbid psychopathology was removed. The overall pattern of findings remained identical even when comparing BPD patients with versus without the diagnosis of lifetime substance dependence. Our results do not support the notion that BPD individuals with SUD display more severe BPD features than individuals with BPD alone. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Crushed Glass-Dredged Material (CG-DM) Blends: Role of Organic Matter Content and DM Variability on Field Compaction

Trial embankments comprised of crushed glass-dredged material (CG-DM) blends and a 100% DM embankment were constructed to provide the necessary data sets to determine if a moisture content (MC) correction was required for the nuclear density (ND) gauge, as DM may contain a high organic matter content (OC). The MCs of thin-walled tube samples of CG-DM blends collected immediately below the ND gauge were compared to the corresponding ND gauge readings. A direct correlation between the MC data pairings from the tube samples and ND gauge readings showed that the ND gauge was greater than 97% accurate for MCs up to 55% and OCs up to 10% for the CG-DM blends evaluated in this study. However, the MC determined by the ND gauge was underpredicted (not overpredicted) by approximately 2.5%, contrary to theoretical expectations. A comparison of the average MC results per embankment indicated that the ND gauge was generally within 1% of the tube sample values, again on the low side. Interestingly, the rutting of the individual embankment lifts, often used as an informal metric for compaction compliance also was found to be contrary to expectations. The (re)constructed CG-DM embankments of this study were again shown to satisfy local Department of Transportation embankment construction criteria in most cases.