A content analysis of personal strivings: associations with substance use.

This study examined relations between personal strivings and frequency of alcohol, marijuana, and any drug use among college students. Personal strivings are ongoing goals that an individual is characteristically trying to achieve through their behavior. Participants generated lists of personal strivings following standard instructions and then completed an assessment of alcohol and marijuana use and days used any drug (aside from tobacco or medication as prescribed). Personal strivings were coded into content categories by trained raters using a coding manual. Four content categories were examined for this study: achievement, affect regulation, self-presentation, and interpersonal. A series of t-tests revealed that participants' achievement strivings were unrelated to substance use. In contrast, participants endorsing more affect regulation goals used all drugs more frequently. Self-presentation goals were positively associated with alcohol use but unrelated to marijuana or other drug use. Finally, interpersonal goals were associated with higher rates of alcohol use, lower rates of marijuana use, and not related to total use days.

An experience sampling study of associations between affect and alcohol use and problems among college students.

OBJECTIVE: This study used experienced sampling methodology to examine the relationship between affective functioning and alcohol consumption and problems. METHOD: Fifty-six college students provided baseline data on measures of impulsivity and distress tolerance and provided experience sampling data for 2 weeks on measures of negative affect, positive affect, and alcohol consumption and problems. Women made up 54% of the sample. The sample ranged in age from 21 to 23 (mean [SD] = 21.50 [0.57]); 98% were white and 2% were Asian. RESULTS: As predicted, higher levels of both positive and negative affect during the day were associated with higher rates of consumption that night. In contrast, negative, but not positive, affect was associated with alcohol-related problems after controlling for alcohol consumption. Impulsivity was associated with higher consumption and problems and moderated the relationships between negative affect and problems and also between alcohol consumption and problems. Low distress tolerance was associated with a decreased association between positive affectivity and alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS: This study replicated and extended previous research on affective models of alcohol use and problems through the use of experience sampling methodology. The results demonstrated associations between affective variables and alcohol consumption and problems measured through near real-time assessment. The results suggest a functional association between alcohol consumption and problems and both within-person changes in affect and between-person differences in impulsivity and distress tolerance.

Methamphetamine and alcohol abuse and dependence symptoms: associations with affect lability and impulsivity in a rural treatment population.

The present study examined associations between impulsivity and affect lability and methamphetamine and alcohol abuse and dependence symptoms in a rural inpatient treatment population (N=235). Thirty-two percent of participants reported methamphetamine use in the past 90 days prior to admission. Amphetamine use disorders were found to be more common among younger participants whereas alcohol use disorders were more common among older and Native American participants. After controlling for age, gender, use frequency, and injection use, impulsivity but not affect lability was associated with methamphetamine abuse but not dependence symptoms. Lability but not impulsivity was associated with alcohol dependence but not abuse symptoms after controlling for age, gender, and use frequency. Consistent with past epidemiological studies, results indicate that methamphetamine use is a prominent problem facing rural substance use treatment facilities. Affect lability and impulsivity are associated with methamphetamine and alcohol-related problems in this population.

Factors influencing direct-care paraprofessionals' decisions to initiate mental health referrals for adults with mental retardation.

Direct-care paraprofessionals' recognition of psychopathology of varying severity in persons with mental retardation was evaluated. Factors that may influence paraprofessionals' decisions to initiate referrals for mental health services on behalf of individuals with mental retardation were also evaluated. Results suggest that staff members recognized and differentiated psychopathology of varying levels of clinical severity. Results also suggest that paraprofessionals are more likely to initiate making a referral when professionals are perceived as being competent in treating individuals with mental retardation, and when providers' interventions are consistent with the referring agency's philosophy.

Residential paraprofessionals' perceptions of and responses to work-related ethical dilemmas.

Paraprofessionals' awareness of possible ethical violations related to supporting consumers with mental retardation was evaluated. Eighty-one paraprofessionals from residential programs for adults with mental retardation responded to 10 vignettes describing hypothetical ethical violations. Results suggest that paraprofessionals recognized and recommended appropriate courses of action in response to ethical violations. When results were compared to a similar study in an inpatient psychiatric setting, findings indicated that paraprofessionals supporting persons with mental retardation were more conservative in their responses to ethical violations than were paraprofessionals supporting persons with mental illness.

Privatizing medicaid-funded mental health services: trading old political challenges for new ones.

States have aggressively pursued privatizing the management of Medicaid-funded mental health services. Although privatized managed care addresses many concerns, it brings several challenges. This article evaluates the impact of privatization on Medicaid-funded mental health services and highlights several contracting issues that should be considered to ensure high-quality mental health care.