Examining the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on university students’ life and their use of substances : a pilot study

"During the COVID-19 pandemic, many students reported using different kinds of substances to cope with loneliness, depression, anxiety, stress, and all uncertainties. The purpose of the study is to examine prevalence of various types of substances, and associations between challenges during the pandemic, physical and mental health, emotional well-being, and substance use."--Introduction

Diagnostic Prevalence Rates from Early to Mid Adolescence among Indigenous Adolescents: First Results from a Longitudinal Study

Objective: To investigate change in prevalence rates for mental and substance abuse disorders between early and mid-adolescence among a cohort of indigenous adolescents. Method: The data are from a lagged, sequential study of 651 indigenous adolescents from a single culture in the northern Midwest United States and Canada. At waves 1 (ages 10-12 years) and 4 (ages 13-15 years), one adult caretaker and one tribally enrolled adolescent completed a computer-assisted personal interview that included Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children- Revised assessment for 11 diagnoses. Multivariate analyses investigate effects of wave 1 adolescent diagnosis and wave 1 biological mother diagnosis (University of Michigan Composite International Diagnostic Interview) on wave 4 diagnostic outcomes. Results: The findings show a increase in prevalence rates for substance abuse disorders and conduct disorders between ages 10 and 12 years and 13 and 15 years among indigenous adolescents, with these disorders affecting more than one fourth of the children. The rate of lifetime conduct disorder is about twice that expected in general population studies (23.4% versus 5%– 10%), and the rate of lifetime substance abuse disorder (27.2%) is three times that reported in the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (9.4%) for individuals 12 years or older. Prevalence rates for any single mental or substance use disorder (44.8 lifetime) for the 13-to 15-year-olds are similar to the lifetime prevalence rates reported in the National Comorbidity Survey- Replication (46.4%) for individuals 18 years and older. Conclusions: A mental health crisis exists on the indigenous reservations and reserves that participated in this study. Current service systems are overwhelmed and unable to meet the demands placed upon them

Diagnostic Prevalence Rates from Early to Mid Adolescence among Indigenous Adolescents: First Results from a Longitudinal Study

Objective: To investigate change in prevalence rates for mental and substance abuse disorders between early and mid-adolescence among a cohort of indigenous adolescents. Method: The data are from a lagged, sequential study of 651 indigenous adolescents from a single culture in the northern Midwest United States and Canada. At waves 1 (ages 10-12 years) and 4 (ages 13-15 years), one adult caretaker and one tribally enrolled adolescent completed a computer-assisted personal interview that included Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children- Revised assessment for 11 diagnoses. Multivariate analyses investigate effects of wave 1 adolescent diagnosis and wave 1 biological mother diagnosis (University of Michigan Composite International Diagnostic Interview) on wave 4 diagnostic outcomes. Results: The findings show a increase in prevalence rates for substance abuse disorders and conduct disorders between ages 10 and 12 years and 13 and 15 years among indigenous adolescents, with these disorders affecting more than one fourth of the children. The rate of lifetime conduct disorder is about twice that expected in general population studies (23.4% versus 5%– 10%), and the rate of lifetime substance abuse disorder (27.2%) is three times that reported in the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (9.4%) for individuals 12 years or older. Prevalence rates for any single mental or substance use disorder (44.8 lifetime) for the 13-to 15-year-olds are similar to the lifetime prevalence rates reported in the National Comorbidity Survey- Replication (46.4%) for individuals 18 years and older. Conclusions: A mental health crisis exists on the indigenous reservations and reserves that participated in this study. Current service systems are overwhelmed and unable to meet the demands placed upon them

Satellite Laser Ranging System at Geochang Sta

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) has been developing the space optical and laser tracking (SOLT) system for space geodesy, space situational awareness, and Korean space missions. The SOLT system comprises satellite laser ranging (SLR), adaptive optics (AO), and debris laser tracking (DLT) systems, which share numerous subsystems, such as an optical telescope and tracking mount. It is designed to be capable of laser ranging up to geosynchronous Earth orbit satellites with a laser retro-reflector array, space objects imaging brighter than magnitude 10, and laser tracking low Earth orbit space debris of uncooperative targets. For the realization of multiple functions in a novel configuration, the SOLT system employs a switching mirror that is installed inside the telescope pedestal and feeds the beam path to each system. The SLR and AO systems have already been established at the Geochang station, whereas the DLT system is currently under development and the AO system is being prepared for testing. In this study, the design and development of the SOLT system are addressed and the SLR data quality is evaluated compared to the International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS) tracking stations in terms of single-shot ranging precision. The analysis results indicate that the SLR system has a good ranging performance, to a few millimeters precision. Therefore, it is expected that the SLR system will not only play an important role as a member of the ILRS tracking network, but also contribute to future Korean space missions

Depressive Symptoms, Gender, and Growth in Cigarette Smoking among Indigenous Adolescents

This study reports findings from two-level growth curve modeling of cigarette smoking and depressive symptoms based on the first three waves of data from a longitudinal study of Indigenous adolescents and their parents/caretakers in the northern Midwest and Canada. The 743 adolescents were aged 10–13 years at Wave 1 and 12–15 years at Wave 3. Over the three years of the study the overall retention rate was 93%. By Wave 3, 39% of the adolescent girls and 25% of the boys had smoked cigarettes in the past 12 months. The growth curve results indicated that smoking increased for both adolescent boys and girls across time. Depressive symptoms were associated with an increase in cigarette smoking for girls but not boys

Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among College Students in Sierra Leone: A Life Course Ecological Analysis

Applying life course theory, this study examined the direct and indirect effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), mediated by early sexual activity (first sexual experience before age 15), number of lifetime sex partners, and mental health problems. The link between ACEs and mental health on college students\u27 sexual risk is still understudied. Using cross-sectional data from a sample of 327 college students in Sierra Leone, this study tested the hypothesized mediation model using structural equation modeling analysis. The results showed that ACEs significantly increased sexual risks. Specifically, ACEs increased the risk of early initiation of sexual activity and the number of lifetime sex partners, which in turn increased the risk of STDs. Furthermore, ACEs significantly predicted negative mental health and were significantly associated with an increased risk of STDs. Effective future intervention strategies should include health education programs to address the lifelong effects of ACEs and mental health treatment