Impact of Cluster B Personality Disorders in Drugs Therapeutic Community Treatment Outcomes: A Study Based on Real World Data

Background: The impact of dual pathology on treatment outcomes is unclear, with the literature reporting both favorable and unfavorable evidence. The main aim of this study was to determine how dual pathology affects treatment outcomes using real world data obtained from inpatients that began treatment in therapeutic communities. Method: The data of 2458 inpatients were used. Clinical information was obtained from electronic medical records. Reliability of diagnosis was checked and revealed a mean kappa value of 0.88. Results: Of the sample, 41.8% were discharged after achieving the therapeutic objectives. Patients diagnosed with Cluster B personality disorders were found to have a higher risk of dropping out of treatment (HR = 1.320; z = 2.61; p = 0.009). Conclusions: Personality traits exhibited by Cluster B patients can interfere with treatment in therapeutic communities. There is a need to develop specific interventions for these inpatient groups, which could be implemented in therapeutic communities

Peer drinking and alcohol use: The role of risk perception, perceived vulnerability, and gender: a moderated moderation analyses

Objective: To examine the moderating role of alcohol-related risk perception and perceived vulnerability to alcohol consequences in the relationship between descriptive drinking norms and personal alcohol use, and to determine if this moderation was, in turn, moderated by gender Methods: 538 college students (78.0% women, mean age = 21.2) from three Spanish universities completed a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. Simple moderation and moderated moderation analyses were conducted Results: Risk perception and perceived vulnerability moderated the relationship between drinking norms and alcohol use. This relationship weakened as perceived vulnerability and risk perception increased. High levels of risk perception and perceived vulnerability nullified the effect of perceived peer drinking on drinking quantity among both men and women, but higher values were necessary to nullify these effects among men Conclusions: Risk perception and perceived vulnerability appear to be useful in identifying specific subgroups more vulnerable to the effects of drinking norms and might be effective strategies for weakening its impact on alcohol use, with such strategies being more beneficial for women than men. These variables could thus be incorporated into norm-based interventions as they may improve their effectiveness. Our findings highlight the importance of designing gender-specific interventions to reduce the potential negative impact of alcohol consumption.Fil: Vera, Belén del Valle. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; ArgentinaFil: Carmona Márquez, José. Universidad de Huelva; EspañaFil: González Ponce, Bella M.. Universidad de Huelva; EspañaFil: Fernández Calderón, Fermín. Universidad de Huelva; Españ

Controversy around statistical tests: Current situation in psychology and didactical implications

III Congreso Internacional Virtual de Educación Estadística (CIVEEST), 21-24 febrero de 2019. [www.ugr.es/local/fqm126/civeest.html]La controversia sobre el uso e interpretación de los contrastes de hipótesis en psicología ha sido muy amplia en los últimos 30 años y sociedades como la American Psychological Association ha publicado recomendaciones para mejorar la práctica estadística en este campo. En este trabajo analizamos las investigaciones recientes que estudian el uso de métodos estadísticos en psicología, mostrando que aunque ha habido un avance, queda mucho por hacer para solucionar el problema. Finalizamos con algunas recomendaciones para la mejora de la enseñanza de la estadística en psicologíaThe significance tests controversy in psychology was very wide in the past 30 years and associations such as the American Psychological Association published recommendations to improve the statistics practice in this field. In this paper we analyse recent research that study the statistical methods in psychology and show some advance that is still not enough to solve the problem. We finish with some recommendations to improve the teaching of inference in psychology

Perceived Gamblíng Availability and Adolescent Gambling Behavior: the Moderating Role of Self-Efficacy

Geographic accessibility has been linked to gambling behavior, but little is known about whether the perception of gambling availability in both offline and online venues is prospectively associated with adolescent gambling behavior. Further, relatively few studies have analyzed the interaction between environmental and individual factors in explaining adolescent gambling and problem gambling. This prospective study examined the association between perceived gambling availability, gambling frequency, and problem gambling among 554 adolescents aged 13–17 years (mean = 15.1, female 47.4%) and explored the moderating role of self-efficacy to control gambling in these associations. Participants completed assessments of perceived gambling availability and gambling self-efficacy at baseline. Gambling frequency and problem gambling were measured at follow-up. Two separate hierarchical regression models were applied to analyze the relationship of perceived gambling availability with gambling behavior and the moderating role of gambling self-efficacy. Results showed that a greater perception of gambling availability was associated with a higher gambling frequency and more problem gambling in adolescents. The impact of perceived gambling availability on gambling frequency and problem gambling was lower among participants with moderate gambling self-efficacy in comparison with participants with low gambling self-efficacy. In those adolescents with high self-efficacy to control gambling, perceived gambling availability was not associated either with gambling frequency or problem gambling. These results suggest the usefulness of implementing regulatory policies aimed at reducing gambling availability in adolescents, and the design of preventative interventions aimed at enhancing self-efficacy to control gambling.Open Access funding provided thanks to the University of Huelva/CBUA agreement with Springer Natur

The Protection Motivation Theory as a Predictor of the Use of Protective Behavioral Strategies among Young Adults

Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS) have shown to be effective in minimizing alcohol-related negative consequences. However, previous studies on the explanatory factors of PBS use are scarce. The Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) is a social cognition theory which attempts to explain intention to use protective behaviors in respond to health threats such as alcohol-related negative consequences. According to PMT, the likelihood of engaging in protective behaviors when facing a threat is a product of two processes: threat appraisal (perceived severity and perceived vulnerability to the threat) and coping appraisal (response efficacy and perceived self-efficacy for using a protective behavior). We examined the predictive utility of the PMT on the intention to use PBS related to the Manner of Drinking (MOD) among a community sample of young adults. Prospective study that recruited 360 young adults aged 18-24 years by targeted sampling procedure (Mage=21.15 [SD=2.23]; female=50.3%). Most baseline participants (94.2%, n=339) completed a 2-months follow-up assessment. Perceived severity and perceived vulnerability to alcohol use, perceived efficacy of MOD strategies to reduce alcohol-related negative consequences, and self-efficacy to engage in MOD strategies were measured at baseline, and intention to use MOD strategies at follow-up. A multiple lineal regression model for predicting intention to use MOD strategies was used. Perceived severity (β=.13, p=.017), response efficacy (β=.270, p<.001), and selfefficacy (β=.240, p<.000) were positively associated with high intention to use MOD protective strategies. In line with previous research, our findings demonstrated that coping-appraisal components of PMT are more explanatory of protective behaviors than threat-appraisal components. These results may be useful to inform interventions aimed at increasing PBS use among young adults.Fil: González Ponce, Bella. Universidad de Huelva; EspañaFil: Carmona Márquez, José. Universidad de Huelva; EspañaFil: Vera, Belén del Valle. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; ArgentinaFil: Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaFil: Fernández Calderón, Fermín. Universidad de Huelva; España17th European Congress of PsychologyLiublianaEslovenialovenian Psychologists’ Associatio

Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies in Young Spanish Adults in the Community: A Prospective Study of Perceived Effi cacy and Social Norms

Background: Protective behavioral strategies (PBS) have been shown to be useful for reducing excessive alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. However, research on the explanatory factors of PBS is limited. This paper prospectively examines the contribution of perceived effi cacy of PBS in reducing alcohol-related consequences and perceived descriptive norms of close peers´ PBS use in young adults. The mediating role of perceived effi cacy of PBS between descriptive norms of PBS use and personal PBS use is also examined. Method: Targeted sampling was used to recruit a community-based sample of 339 young Spanish adults aged 18-25 years, who completed baseline and two-month follow-up questionnaires. Three types of PBS (serious harm reduction-SHR, manner of drinking-MOD, and stopping/limiting drinking-SLD) were measured. Results: Both perceived effi cacy and descriptive norms at baseline were positively associated with personal PBS use (SHR, MOD and SLD) at follow-up. A partial mediation effect of perceived effi cacy between descriptive norms and personal PBS use was found for the three PBS subscales. Conclusions: Our fi ndings support the usefulness of correcting misperceptions of PBS use by peers in interventions aimed at reducing excessive drinking and alcohol-related consequences in young adults in the community. Moreover, PBS perceived effi cacy should be included as a component of these interventions.Antecedentes: las estrategias conductuales de protección (ECP) han mostrado utilidad para reducir el consumo excesivo de alcohol y sus problemas asociados, aunque la investigación sobre sus factores explicativos es escasa. Este trabajo examina la contribución de la efi cacia percibida de las ECP para reducir las consecuencias negativas del alcohol, y la norma descriptiva percibida del uso de PBS de los iguales, en adultos jóvenes. Además, analiza el papel mediador de la efi cacia percibida entre norma descriptiva y ECP. Método: mediante muestreo dirigido a poblaciones diana, 339 jóvenes españoles (18-25 años) comunitarios cumplimentaron cuestionarios basal y de seguimiento (dos meses), midiéndose tres tipos de ECP (reducción de daños-RR, forma de beber-FB, parar/limitar el consumo- PLC). Resultados: efi cacia y norma se asociaron positivamente con el uso de ECP (RR/FB/PLC) en el seguimiento. Para los tres tipos de ECP se detectó un efecto de mediación parcial de la efi cacia percibida entre la norma y el uso de ECP. Conclusiones: corregir percepciones erróneas del uso de ECP de los iguales puede ser útil en las intervenciones dirigidas a reducir el uso excesivo de alcohol y sus consecuencias en adultos jóvenes comunitarios, al igual que la inclusión de la efi cacia percibida como uno de sus componentes

Monitoring adherence and abstinence of cannabis use disorder patients: profile identification and relationship with long term treatment outcomes

Background: Patients with cannabis use disorder (CUD) show heterogeneous sociodemographic and consumption patterns. Although previous studies, focused on identifying subgroups of CUD patients using input variables, have yielded useful results for planning individualized treatments, no published research has analyzed the profiles of CUD patients according to their therapeutic progress. This study therefore aims to identify subgroups of patients using adherence and abstinence indicators and to explore whether these profiles are associated with sociodemographic characteristics, consumption variables, and long-term therapeutic outcomes. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study with a multisite sample of 2055 CUD outpatients who were beginning treatment. The study monitored patient data at two-year follow-up. We conducted latent profiles analysis on the appointment attendance ratio and percentage of negative cannabis tests. Results: A three profile solution emerged: i) moderate abstinence/moderate adherence (n = 997); ii) high abstinence/moderate adherence (n = 613); and iii) high abstinence/high adherence (n = 445). The study found the most marked differences at the beginning of treatment for education level (chi2 (8) = 121.70, p < .001), source of referral (chi2 (12) = 203.55, p < .001), and frequency of cannabis use (chi2 (10) = 232.39, p < .001). Eighty percent of patients from the “high abstinence/high adherence” group were relapse-free at two year follow- up. This percentage decreased to 24.3 % in the “moderate abstinence/moderate adherence” group. Conclusions: Research has shown adherence and abstinence indicators to be useful for identifying subgroups of patients with different prognoses regarding long-term success. Recognizing the sociodemographic and con- sumption variables associated with these profiles at the beginning of treatment could help to inform the design of more individualized interventionsFunding for open access charge: Universidad de Huelva / CBU

Operational definitions and measurement of externalizing behavior problems: An integrative review including research models and clinical diagnostic systems

Measurement of externalizing disorders such as antisocial disorders, attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder or borderline disorder have relevant implications for the daily lives of people with these disorders. While the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) have provided the diagnostic framework for decades, recent dimensional frameworks question the categorical approach of psychopathology, inherent in traditional nosotaxies. Tests and instruments develop under the DSM or ICD framework preferentially adopt this categorical approach, providing diagnostic labels. In contrast, dimensional measurement instruments provide an individualized profile for the domains that comprise the externalizing spectrum, but are less widely used in practice. Current paper aims to review the operational definitions of externalizing disorders defined under these different frameworks, revise the different measurement alternatives existing, and provide an integrative operational definition. First, an analysis of the operational definition of extern- alizing disorders among the DSM/ICD diagnostic systems and the recent Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) model is carried out. Then, in order to analyze the coverage of operational definitions found, a description of measurement instruments among each conceptualization is provided. Three phases in the development of the ICD and DSM diagnosis systems can be observed with direct implications for measurement. ICD and DSM versions have progressively introduced systematicity, providing more detailed descriptions of diagnostic criteria and categories that ease the measurement instrument development. However, it is questioned whether the DSM/ICD systems adequately modelize externalizing disorders, and therefore their measurement. More recent theoretical approaches, such as the HiTOP model seek to overcome some of the criticism raised towards the classification systems. Nevertheless, several issues concerning this model raise mesasurement challenges. A revision of the instruments underneath each approach shows incomplete coverage of externalizing disorders among the existing instruments. Efforts to bring nosotaxies together with other theoretical models of psychopathology and personality are still needed. The integrative operational definition of externalizing disorders provided may help to gather clinical practice and research.Supported by the “Reliable and clinical relevant change of Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms II-IDASII: a longitudinal clinical utility study (RELY-IDAS-II)”, project PID2020-116187RB-I00 on Proyectos I+D+i 2020 “Retos del Conocimiento” provided by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spain) and by the grant FPU20/06606

Initial orientation vs maintenance of attention: Relationship with the severity of dependence and therapeutic outcome in a sample of cocaine use disorder patients

The visual probe paradigm allows for evaluating attentional bias (AB), distinguishing between approach vs avoidance patterns of attention and assessing two different processes when the exposure time to images is manipulated: initial orienting and maintenance of attention. The present study aimed to analyze the predictive capacity of these two processes for substance use disorder severity and therapeutic outcomes of patients with cocaine use disorder in treatment. The sample consisted of 70 outpatients who were starting treatment at a public service. AB was evaluated using a task based on the visual probe (VP) paradigm with images presented under two conditions: 200 ms vs 1000 ms. Cocaine and alcohol use disorder severity, craving, retention in treatment and relapse in consumption were recorded. Cocaine AB in the 1000 ms condition was negatively correlated with the cocaine use disorder severity (r = −0.26), whilst a positive correlation was found between cocaine craving and cocaine AB (r = 0.29). Alcohol use disorder severity negatively correlated with cocaine AB in the 200 ms condition (r = −0.24). Logistic regression analysis revealed that, after controlling for gender, age, and substance use disorder severity, cocaine AB in the 200 ms condition predicted dropout and relapse. Our results suggest that patients who adhere to treatment and remain abstinent tend to show avoidance in the 200 ms condition, with effect sizes of r = 0.29 and 0.30 respectively. The results suggest that training in avoidance strategies could be a valuable way of maintaining adherence and abstinence, as well as improving control of craving.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Huelva / CBU

Coping motives for drinking as a mediator between anxiety and depression, and alcohol outcomes in community Spanish young adults

Consistent with the medication hypothesis, drinking to cope with negative affect appears to mediate the relationship between mental health and alcohol-related problems, which has been shown in college students. However, there is a lack of evidence in non-university samples that limits the generalization of results. The present study examines the mediating role of coping motives in the relationship between depression and anxiety and alcohol outcomes (frequency and quantity of alcohol use, binge drinking, and alcohol-related consequences). Prospective design with a baseline assessment and a 2-month follow-up. We recruited 334 young adults in the community (mean = 21.1; SD = 2.21) who completed a questionnaire to measure coping motives for drinking and depression and anxiety (Brief Symptom Inventory) at baseline. Eight mediation models were tested, one for each alcohol outcome (at follow-up) for depression and another four for anxiety. The coping motives for drinking mediated the positive relationships between depression and alcohol outcomes, such that higher levels of depression were associated with higher coping motives, which in turn, were associated with higher alcohol-related outcomes. The same results were found for anxiety, except for the relationship between anxiety and binge drinking, which was not mediated by coping motives. Our findings are consistent with the medication hypothesis that "drinking to cope with negative affect" is a critical mediator of associations between mental health and alcohol-related problems in young adults in the community. Training in healthy coping strategies against negative affect should be useful for interventions aimed at reducing alcohol use and their harms.Fil: González Ponce, Bella. Universidad de Huelva; EspañaFil: Vera, Belén del Valle. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; ArgentinaFil: Pilatti, Angelina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; ArgentinaFil: Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaFil: Parrado González, Alberto. Universidad de Huelva; EspañaFil: Dacosta Sánchez, Daniel. Universidad de Huelva. Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación. Departamento de Psicología Clínica, Experimental y Sociale.; EspañaFil: Fernández Calderón, Fermín. Universidad de Huelva. Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación. Departamento de Psicología Clínica, Experimental y Sociale.; EspañaII Virtual Meeting of the Latin American Society for Biomedical Research on AlcoholismCórdobaArgentinaLatin American Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholis