Religious life-styles and mental health: An exploratory study.

Conducted an intensive, case-by-case assessment of life-styles of a sample of religious students. We identified differing styles of religiousness and made comparisons by means of tests and interviews between subgroups whose subjects manifested differing religious life-styles. Those subjects with continuous religious development and mild religious experiences appeared to be healthier than those with discontinuous development and intense religious experiences; however, intense religious experiences tended to enhance the adjustment of those who experienced them. There was no evidence in the group as a whole for an overall negative or positive correlation between religiousness and mental health, but some modes of religious involvement appeared to be related to disturbance, whereas other modes appeared to be related to enhanced stability and resilience. Because causality in these relations remains uncertain, we generate hypotheses concerning further studies of life-styles and adjustment. We also discuss implications for student counseling and development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Examining gender differences in drug-abusing adolescents.

This exploratory study examined gender differences among drug-abusing adolescents (N?=?2,281). Overall, male adolescents reported somewhat higher usage levels of various drugs than did female adolescents, and they had an earlier onset of regular marijuana use. In terms of clinical signs of problem severity, female adolescents showed higher scores than male adolescents on Physical Symptoms, Escape (with drugs), and Emotional Consequences (of drug use) scales when drug use levels were controlled. However, the relatively small magnitude of the significant differences, and the fact that many scales did not show group differences, suggest that male and female adolescents attending drug clinics share many similar features of adolescent drug abuse. Implications of these findings for the prevention and treatment of adolescent drug abuse are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adolescent substance abuse treatment outcome: The role of substance abuse problem severity, psychosocial, and treatment factors.

A structural equation model incorporating substance abuse problem severity, psychosocial risk and protection, and treatment variables examined adolescent drug abuse treatment outcome pathways across 6- and 12-month follow-up points. Findings on resiliency factors and an empirical method adapted from previous research were used to select and assign 10 psychosocial factors to either a multiple protective factor index or a risk factor index. Gender, substance abuse problem severity, treatment modality, treatment length, and aftercare participation were also examined as outcome predictors. The findings suggest that treatment intensity decisions may be better informed by pretreatment psychosocial risk level rather than by substance abuse problem severity. The present study also suggests that drug-abusing adolescents who receive sufficiently long treatment, participate in aftercare, and possess at least 1 individual or interpersonal protective factor during their recovery process have the best chance to maintain gains made during treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pathways of Youth Gambling Problem Severity.

Prospective studies are needed to advance knowledge of the developmental features of gambling involvement and associated problems. Developmental pathways of youth gambling problem severity (no problem gambling, at-risk gambling, and problem gambling) are described on the basis of a 3-wave data set that spans midadolescence to young adulthood (N = 305). The most prevalent group was the resistors (no problem gambling at all data points); 60% of study participants were in this group. New incidence cases (no problem gambling followed by at-risk or problem gambling) and desistors (at-risk or problem gambling followed by no problem gambling) were found among 21% and 13% of participants, respectively. Only 4% of cases were persistors, that is, at-risk or problem gambling at all 3 data waves. Findings are discussed in light of extant research on adolescent gambling that heretofore has not benefited from a developmental pathway perspective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gambling among Minnesota public school students from 1992 to 2007: Declines in youth gambling.

The specific aims of this study are twofold. First, measure 2007 rates of gambling and underage gambling among public school students. Second, compare rates of gambling, frequent gambling, and underage gambling from 1992 to 2007. The 2007 sample includes 40,605 male and 42,655 female Minnesota public school students enrolled in the 9th and 12th grades and similar sample sizes from 1992, 1995, 1998, 2001, and 2004. Students were administered the Minnesota Student Survey, a 126-item, anonymous, self-administered, paper-and-pencil questionnaire that inquires about multiple health-related content domains, including gambling behavior. In 2007, most students gambled at least once during the past year, however, most did not gamble frequently. Gambling participation has shown a gradual and consistent decline from 1992 to 2007 for both boys and girls. Underage gambling has also shown declines over time. Conversely, rates of frequent gambling (weekly or more often) have remained fairly stable over time. There have been two fluctuations of note, a peak in lottery play in 1998 and a peak in card playing in 2004 with subsequent declines in both. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prevalence and risk factors of problem gambling among college students.

College students from 2 Minnesota universities were surveyed about their gambling involvement. Gambling was reported to be a common experience, with 87% having participated at least once in the previous year. Most students reported gambling at fairly infrequent levels, and few identified financial, social, or personal consequences as a result of gambling. The odds of being identified as a probable pathological gambler was high for men, those indicating a positive parental history for gambling problems, regular (weekly plus) users of illicit drugs, and those with poor grades. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measuring alcohol and cannabis use disorders in an adolescent clinical sample.

The measurement of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-III-Revised (DSM-III-R) alcohol and cannabis use disorders with a new structured adolescent diagnostic interview, the Adolescent Diagnostic Interview (ADI), is described. 276 Ss (aged 12–19 yrs) were administered the ADI while receiving assessments at adolescent drug abuse facilities. Results pertaining to interrater agreements, test–retest reliability, concurrent validity, and criterion validity suggest that the interview offers a psychometrically sound approach to the measurement of alcohol and cannabis use disorders in adolescent clients. Further diagnostic research needs and limitations of the present study are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measuring Adolescent Drug Abuse and Psychosocial Factors in Four Ethnic Groups of Drug-Abusing Boys.

There is an absence of empirical work on the measurement of adolescent drug abuse among non-White ethnic youths. The field would benefit from psychometrically sound measures for ethnic groups. The psychometric properties of a multi-scale assessment tool for adolescent drug abuse, the Personal Experience Inventory (PEI), have been examined largely in White samples. The current study reports reliability and validity data for the PEI across four samples of boys (White, African American, Native American, and Hispanic). The results provide general psychometric support for the non-White groups. The use and limitations of the PEI in different ethnic/racial groups are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)