Patterns of Use, Acute Subjective Experiences, and Motivations for Using Synthetic Cathinones ("Bath Salts") in Recreational Users.

Given the variety and potential toxicity of synthetic cathinones, clinicians and educators would benefit from information about patterns of and motivations for use, frequency of psychosocial consequences, and experience of acute subjective effects. We administered a comprehensive, web-based survey to 104 recreational users of synthetic cathinones. Sixty percent of respondents consumed synthetic cathinones once or more per month, usually snorting or swallowing these drugs, typically at home, usually with others, customarily during the evening and nighttime hours, and often in combination with another drug such as alcohol or marijuana. Acute subjective effects attributed to synthetic cathinones were similar to those of other psychostimulants, including increased energy, rapid heartbeat, racing thoughts, difficulty sleeping, euphoria, decreased appetite, open-mindedness, and increased sex drive. Reported reasons for using synthetic cathinones included its stimulating effects, curiosity, substitution for another drug, and being at a party/music event. Respondents had experienced an average of six negative consequences of using synthetic cathinones during the previous year (e.g., tolerance, neglecting responsibilities, personality change). In combination with previously published investigations, these findings increase our understanding of the reported rationales and outcomes of recreational use of synthetic cathinones.

Pain, mindfulness, and spirituality: A randomized controlled trial comparing effects of mindfulness and relaxation on pain-related outcomes in migraineurs.

In order to examine mindfulness as an intervention for pain, 107 migraineurs, predominantly college students, were randomly assigned to brief training in standardized mindfulness, spiritualized mindfulness, and simple relaxation instructions. After 2 weeks of daily practice, participants completed the cold-pressor task while practicing their assigned technique, and their experience of the task was assessed. Among the 74 study-completers, standardized mindfulness led to significantly reduced pain-related stress relative to simple relaxation, providing modest support for the utility of mindfulness in pain management. Pain-related outcomes in the spiritualized mindfulness condition were similar to those of standardized mindfulness, though spirituality did appear to enhance mindful awareness.

Psychometric evaluation of the Marijuana Reduction Strategies Self-Efficacy Scale with young recreational marijuana users.

INTRODUCTION: This study evaluated the cue-reactivity and several psychometric properties of a questionnaire designed to assess marijuana users' self-efficacy to employ 21 specific cognitive-behavioral strategies to reduce their marijuana use. METHOD: Using a web-based recruitment and data-collection procedure, 513 regular marijuana users completed dependent measures following marijuana-related or control cue exposure. RESULTS: Although exposure to marijuana-related stimuli significantly increased reported craving, mean reduction-strategy self-efficacy scores did not differ as a function of cue exposure. Reliability analyses supported retaining all 21 items as a single scale. Reduction-strategy self-efficacy was positively associated with marijuana-refusal self-efficacy and with recent past use of reduction strategies, was negatively associated with quantity and frequency of marijuana use and marijuana-related problems, and was positively but weakly associated with general self-efficacy. The most frequently reported strategies that were employed reflected restricting marijuana use to once per day, not keeping a large stash available, turning down unwanted hits, and not obtaining more marijuana right away if one's supply runs out. CONCLUSIONS: These findings further support the reliability and validity of the questionnaire when administered to a diverse sample of regular marijuana users.

Physical activity and bone health in children and adolescents.

Bone gain is the greatest during the pubertal years. However, physical activity declines precipitously with age among adolescents (1,2). Therefore, promotion of physical activity in children and adolescents is very important. It is imperative to maximize peak bone mass, so bones remain strong even after losing their density during later life (3). While a number of environmental factors determine the peak bone mass, such as calcium intake and physical activities (4), the latter is more influential as a contributor to the peak bone mass (4). Physical activity is the modifiable factor that can enhance bone accretion if the individual performs regularly. Weight-bearing activity has been shown to increase bone accretion more than non-weight bearing activity. In this article, we review all the physical activities and the exercise regimens that have been documented to be efficient in promoting bone gain in children and adolescents. We also suggest recommended physical activity regimens for children and adolescents in order to maintain and improve bone accretion. In addition, we emphasize participating in regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy lifestyle across the lifespan to maintain optimal bone health.