Cue-Evoked Positive Affect, Depression Vulnerability and Smoking Years

Objectives—To evaluate whether cue-evoked affective response would moderate the relationship between depression-proneness and smoking years. Methods—Depression-proneness profiles were derived using clinician diagnosed personal and family histories of major depression, recurrent depression, trait-anhedonia, and ruminative coping styles (n=70). Affective distress was produced by idiographic, guided negative mood imageries in the presence of an in vivo cigarette exposure. Results—Contrary to expectations, results showed that individuals less vulnerable to depression reported longer smoking histories. Stress-induced decreases in positive affect bolstered the association between depression vulnerability and smoking years. Conclusion—Depression-proneness assumptions are challenged and implications to affective influences on smoking behavior are discussed

Emotional reactivity across individuals with varying trauma and substance dependence histories

Background—Research has reported a high rate of substance dependence in traumatized individuals who do not develop PTSD (TWP). While past studies have failed to consistently demonstrate that TWP individuals experience PTSD symptoms, findings have indicated that TWP and a history of substance dependence aside from nicotine dependence (SDH) are linked to affect disruption. Aims—The present study explored positive and negative affective mechanisms across four groups with varying SDH and TWP including TWP + SDH, TWP only, SDH only, or no history. Researchers hypothesized that adults (n = 78) would be more emotionally reactive to an experimentally-induced negative mood compared to a neutral mood induction as the presence of co-existing TWP and SDH increased. Method—After a brief telephone screening, eligible participants completed baseline self-report questionnaires and experimentally-manipulated negative and neutral mood inductions. Results—Most notably, results showed a significant TWP × SDH × Mood induction interaction (F (1, 63) = 4.154; Mse = 51.999; p = .046) for positive affect responses. Simple effects indicated that all participants except TWP + SDH individuals experienced a significant decrease in positive affect during the negative compared to the neutral mood condition. Conclusion—Findings may identify a protective mechanism for relapse among individuals with a history of both TWP and SDH

Mediators of the relationship between depression and alcohol-related harm: The role of alexithymia, impulsivity and negative reinforcement outcome expectancies

Background and Objectives: The prevalence of alcohol misuse on college campuses is a considerable problem. Depression is commonly found to be related to increases in alcohol related harm; however, not frequently found to be directly related to increases in alcohol use. This pattern suggests that there are factors related to depression that exaggerate alcohol problems other than the association between depression and the amount of alcohol used. This study examined the relationship between depression and alcohol related harm in college binge drinkers, focusing on emotional, behavioral, and cognitive variables believed to mediate the association. The roles of alexithymia, impulsivity, and negative expectancies of alcohol were specifically examined as potential mediators. Methods: This data was a subset of a larger study that examined college students who had broken the universities dry campus policy and were referred to an alcohol skills training program (n = 373). This subset was among those who completed all measures of interest (n = 198). Demographics were age (m = 18.92, sd = 1.029), freshman (63.6%, n = 126), male (61.6%, n = 122), White (92.4%, n = 183). Results: With regards various measures of alcohol related harm, a multiple mediation analysis revealed that a paths from depression to the mediators were significantly related; however, only negative expectancies mediated the relationship between depression and alcohol related harm. Discussion and Conclusion: These results emphasis the important role expectancies play in alcohol related harm, and provides support for the importance of monitoring expectancies of binge drinkers as part of intervention efforts. Scientific Significance: The findings contribute to the existing body of literature on the relationship between depression and alcohol related harm, and alcohol related harm in college students

Reward Value of Cigarette Smoking for Comparably Heavy Smoking Schizophrenic, Depressed, and Nonpatient Smokers

Objective: The study goal was to determine whether schizophrenic and depressed smokers perceive the reinforcement value of cigarette smoking differently from nonpsychiatric smokers who smoke as heavily. Method: The authors assessed the preferences for smoking cigarettes versus engaging in other pleasant activities, the perceived advantages and disadvantages of smoking, and the amount of reinforcement that would be needed to attain smoking abstinence among 26 schizophrenic, 26 depressed, and 26 nonpsychiatric heavy smokers. Results: Both schizophrenic and depressed participants chose smoking as their preferred activity more often than nonpsychiatric smokers, and they did not differ from each other. The patients also exceeded the comparison group in the benefits they ascribed to smoking and felt they would require more incentives to quit, but they attributed comparable drawbacks to smoking. Conclusions: Schizophrenic and depressed smokers recognize many drawbacks associated with smoking, but compared to nonpatients who smoke as heavily, they also perceive more benefits and find cigarettes more appealing than alternative rewards. The heightened reward value of smoking warrants attention in tailoring tobacco control interventions for schizophrenic and depressed smokers

Does Alcohol Mediate the Relationship Between Sexual Victimization and Risk Perception in a Date Rape Vignette

The present study used a date-rape vignette to examine the relationship between prior victimization, drinking habits (AUDIT score), risk perception. This was part of a larger study that analyzed sexual victimization and aggression. The present study looked at the 913 college-aged women that self-identified as heterosexual and bisexual at 2 mid-western colleges. They completed a battery of surveys that identified relevant history and behaviors. Findings suggest that the problematic drinking variable (AUDIT) mediates the relationship between prior victimization and risk perception

History of Depression and Smoking Cessation Outcome: A Meta-Analysis

The authors conducted a meta-analysis of published studies to (a) evaluate the premise that a history of major depression is associated with failure to quit smoking and (b) identify factors that moderate the relationship between history of depression and cessation outcome. Fifteen studies met the selection requirements and were coded for various study methodology and treatment characteristics. DSTAT was used to calculate individual study effect sizes, determine the mean effect size across studies, and test for moderator effects. No differences in either short-term (≤ 3 months) or long-term abstinence rates (≥ 6 months) were observed between smokers positive versus negative for history of depression. Lifetime history of major depression does not appear to be an independent risk factor for cessation failure in smoking cessation treatment

Does Alcohol Mediate the Relationship Between Sexual Victimization and Risk Perception in a Date Rape Vignette

The present study used a date-rape vignette to examine the relationship between prior victimization, drinking habits (AUDIT score), risk perception. This was part of a larger study that analyzed sexual victimization and aggression. The present study looked at the 913 college-aged women that self-identified as heterosexual and bisexual at 2 mid-western colleges. They completed a battery of surveys that identified relevant history and behaviors. Findings suggest that the problematic drinking variable (AUDIT) mediates the relationship between prior victimization and risk perception

Depression Vulnerability Predicts Cigarette Smoking among College Students: Gender and Negative Reinforcement Expectancies as Contributing Factors

This study examined the association between vulnerability to depression and smoking behavior in college students in 1214 college students (54% female), and evaluated gender and expectancies of negative affect reduction as moderators or mediators of this relationship. Depression vulnerability predicted smoking in females, but not males. The relationship between depression vulnerability and smoking status was mediated by expectancies of negative affect reduction in females only. Female college students who are vulnerable to depression may smoke because they expect smoking to relieve negative affect. Smoking interventions for college females may increase in effectiveness by targeting depression and emphasizing mood regulation

Effect of non-nicotinic moist snuff replacement and lobeline on withdrawal symptoms during 48-h smokeless tobacco deprivation

The present study investigated the effects of two herbal components (BACCOFFTM and DIPSTOP ™) of a commercially available smokeless tobacco treatment program for reducing subjective withdrawal symptoms during deprivation. One component, BACCOFF™, is a non-nicotinic chew. The second component, DIPSTOP™, is a liquid containing the alkaloid lobeline, which to some extent mimics peripheral nicotinic effects. All participants (N = 22 males) were placed in four conditions: BACCOFF™ + DIPSTOP™, BACCOFF™ + placebo control, DIPSTOP™ only, and placebo control only. The conditions involved 48 h of deprivation, and subjects were exposed to one condition per week for 4 weeks. Withdrawal measures were taken at baseline, 24 h, and 48 h of deprivation. Individuals were randomly assigned, and conditions were counterbalanced. Results showed that BACCOFF™, as compared with DIPSTOP™, significantly reduced withdrawal symptoms but not craving. These data suggest that behavioral/sensory substitutes’ influence on withdrawal might be routed through the product’s ability to approximate the preferred moist snuff