Comparison of Extended Versus Brief Treatments for Marijuana Use

Adult marijuana users (N = 291) seeking treatment were randomly assigned to an extended 14-session Cognitive–behavioral group treatment (relapse prevention support group; RPSG), a brief 2-session individual treatment using motivational interviewing (individualized assessment and intervention; IAI), or a 4-month delayed treatment control (DTC) condition. Results indicated that marijuana use, dependence symptoms, and negative consequences were reduced significantly in relation to pretreatment levels at l-, 4-, 7-, 13-, and 16-month follow-ups. Participants in the RPSG and IAI treatments showed significantly and substantially greater improvement than DTC participants at the 4-month follow-up. There were no significant differences between RPSG and IAI outcomes at any follow-up. The relative efficacy of brief versus extended interventions for chronic marijuana-using adults is discussed

Goal Setting and Feedback in the Reduction of Heavy Drinking in Female College Students

The present study examines self-regulation variables (goals, feedback, goal commitment, efficacy, discrepancy) within the context of a brief intervention designed to decrease heavy drinking amongst college females. Participants (N = 76) were randomly assigned to one of six between subjects conditions created by crossing goal conditions (no goal, proximal goal, distal goal) with feedback conditions (feedback, no feedback), and were assessed across time on drinking behavior and self-regulation variables. Neither goal setting, feedback, nor the combination of goal setting and feedback were superior to assessment and information in the reduction of heavy drinking. The interaction of efficacy, commitment and discrepancy failed to add to the prediction of future drinking beyond that accounted for by current drinking behavior and the main effects of self-regulation variables in hierarchical regression analyses. Correlational analyses revealed a negative relationship between efficacy and commitment and future drinking behavior. Results are discussed in relation to theory, the college student environment, and the potential limited efficacy of individual level interventions within this environment

Women And Cigarette Smoking: Does Amount Of Weight Gain Following A Failed Quit Attempt Affect Social Disapproval?

This study examined the perception of social attractiveness and approval of smoking in a vignette of an American college female smoker after a failed quit attempt. It was hypothesized that she would be perceived more favorably when she was smoking to control her weight, compared to a non-weight related excuse during a failed quit attempt. The design was a 2 (gender: male vs. female)×4 (condition: control, 5, 10, 20 lb gain)×3 (participants' smoking status: never, former, or current smoker) factorial design with the Social Attraction Index and Perception of Smoking Index as dependent variables. Contrary to the hypothesis, perceptions of the female were not affected by her disclosed amount of weight gain. However, consistent with the literature on stigmatization of smokers, smoking participants perceived the female target as most socially attractive and nonsmokers perceived her to be the least attractiv

Group-based motivational interviewing for alcohol use among college students: An exploratory study

How can practicing psychologists help reduce excessive alcohol consumption among college students? Over 80% of college students consume alcohol, and a significant percentage drinks excessively with myriad problems. Brief interventions based on motivational interviewing (MI) have been identified for use with college populations. The authors randomly assigned 91 freshman students to a brief, classroom-based MI intervention or an assessment control condition. At the end of the semester, MI group participants reported fewer drinks per occasion and fewer episodes of intoxication compared to controls. A classroom-based, MI-style intervention might be an efficient, sustainable, and effective means of reducing heavy drinking among college students

Methamphetamine treatment in rural western North Carolina [Presentation Slides]

This presentation describes the implementation of an empirically-supported intervention for methamphetamine abuse, and outcomes will be contrasted with an intensive family-based intervention in rural Western North Carolina

Psychological, nutritional, and energy expenditure differences in college females with anorexia nervosa vs. comparable-mass controls

This is the first study to examine psychological and behavioral variables in nonhospitalized college females with subclinical anorexia nervosa (AN) as compared to healthy college females of comparable body mass (i.e., body mass index (BMI)<19). Participants who met all DSM-IV [Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th ed. (1994). Washington, DC: APA.] criteria for AN-restrictive type (except for BMI<17.5; n=11) and control participants (n=15) with comparable body mass completed psychological, nutritional, and exercise assessments. Results suggested that those with AN evidenced more general psychopathology, more eating disorder symptoms, more dieting, more compulsive exercise, and less consumption of calories compared to participants in the control group. There was no difference in macronutrient consumption. There was no significant difference in expenditure of energy, despite differences in reports of compulsive exercise. Given similar body mass, this suggests that the women with AN were experiencing an energy deficit consistent with the disorder's defining features of “fear of gaining weight or becoming fat” and provides us with more understanding of individuals with AN in their natural environment