Standardization of Menstrual Cycle Data for the Analysis of Intensive Longitudinal Data

Daily diary methodology is becoming popular in human menstrual cycle (MC) research. However, variations in MC length makes it difficult to examine fluctuations in dependent variables (e.g., substance use levels), across the MC. Existing analytic approaches collapse data across MC phases, examining phase-related changes; however, a loss of potentially vital information can result when data is collapsed across phase. Additionally, current phase designation methods (phase designation and days within each phase) vary substantially across studies, making it difficult to interpret/compare results across studies. To address these problems, two methods were developed to standardize intensive longitudinal data collected via daily diary methodologies—phasic and continuous standardization. Phasic standardization accounts for individual variability in MC length by allowing luteal phase length differences while remaining phases are fixed, enabling the analysis of phasic variations. Alternatively, continuous standardization accounts for individual variability in MC length by standardizing the luteal phase to a seven-day phase, while remaining phases are fixed, allowing for the exploration of continuously reported variables across MC day. This chapter will discuss how to standardize daily diary data collected across the MC using phasic and continuous standardization methods and demonstrate the two standardization methods using two clinically-relevant hypothetical examples

A Four-Stage Method for Developing Early Interventions for Alcohol Among Aboriginal Adolescents

This paper details a four-stage methodology for developing early alcohol interventions for at-risk Aboriginal youth. Stage 1 was an integrative approach to Aboriginal education that upholds Aboriginal traditional wisdom supporting respectful relationships to the Creator, to the land and to each other. Stage 2 used quantitative methods to investigate associations between personality risk factors and risky drinking motives. Stage 3 used qualitative interviews to further understand the contexts and circumstances surrounding drinking behaviour within a larger cultural context. Stage 3 involved tailoring personality- matched, motive-specific brief interventions to meet at-risk adolescents’ needs. Stage 4 involved an efficacy test of the interventions. This novel methodology has significance for future program development to meet diverse social, cultural and health needs of at-risk adolescents

Estudio transcultural del modelo de cinco factores de motivos de consumo de alcohol en universitarios españoles y canadienses

This study aims to test the cross-cultural suitability of Modified Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised (M DMQ-R) (Grant, Stewart, O’Connor, Blackwell, & Conrod, 2007). The sample included 571 Spanish and 571 Canadian undergraduates between the ages of 18 and 22 (65.8% women). The confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated factorial invariance between samples. The regression analysis showed that social, enhancement and low conformity motives were related to drinking frequency and drinking quantity in the total sample. No moderation effect of country on predicting alcohol consumption was found. The results suggest that M DMQ-R is a suitable instrument for comparing drinking motives across Spanish and Canadian undergraduates, and that motives-focused prevention and treatment programmes developed in one country could be generalised to another.El objetivo de este estudio es testar la utilidad transcultural del Modified Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised (M DMQ-R) (Grant, Stewart, O’Connor, Blackwell, y Conrod, 2007). La muestra incluyó 571 universitarios españoles y 571 universitarios canadienses, de 18 a 22 años de edad (65,8% mujeres). El análisis factorial confirmatorio (AFC) mostró invarianza factorial entre las muestras. Los análisis de regresión mostraron que los motivos sociales, de animación y los bajos motivos de conformidad se relacionaban con la frecuencia y cantidad de alcohol consumida en la muestra completa. El país de origen no moderó la relación de los motivos con el consumo de alcohol. Los resultados sugieren que el M DMQ-R es un instrumento adecuado para comparar los motivos de consumo entre los estudiantes españoles y canadienses, y que los programas de prevención y tratamiento centrados en los aspectos motivacionales del consumo desarrollados en un país pueden generalizarse al otro.Los proyectos de investigación E-2009-05 y E-2010-12 de la Universitat Jaume I han aportado recursos económicos para este estudio

Hopelessness and Excessive Drinking among Aboriginal Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Depressive Symptoms and Drinking to Cope

Canadian Aboriginal youth show high rates of excessive drinking, hopelessness, and depressive symptoms. We propose that Aboriginal adolescents with higher levels of hopelessness are more susceptible to depressive symptoms, which in turn predispose them to drinking to cope—which ultimately puts them at risk for excessive drinking. Adolescent drinkers (n = 551; 52% boys; mean age = 15.9 years) from 10 Canadian schools completed a survey consisting of the substance use risk profile scale (hopelessness), the brief symptom inventory (depressive symptoms), the drinking motives questionnaire—revised (drinking to cope), and quantity, frequency, and binge measures of excessive drinking. Structural equation modeling demonstrated the excellent fit of a model linking hopelessness to excessive drinking indirectly via depressive symptoms and drinking to cope. Bootstrapping indicated that this indirect effect was significant. Both depressive symptoms and drinking to cope should be intervention targets to prevent/decrease excessive drinking among Aboriginal youth high in hopelessness

The Premenstrual Assessment Form: Short Form (PAF-SF): Additional Psychometric Analyses of a Brief Measure of Premenstrual Symptoms

While most females experience some mood and/or somatic symptoms premenstrually, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is less common. Despite the clinical advantages of identifying those with PMS, there are few validated brief self-report questionnaires to assess PMS. Allen et al. (1991) developed the 10-item Premenstrual Assessment Form – Short Form (PAF-SF) to address this concern, but there is a dearth of research assessing its psychometric properties. In the proposed chapter, we will: 1) identify conceptually relevant subscales on the PAF-SF through factor analysis; 2) assess the internal consistency of the identified subscales; and 3) assess construct validity by testing how identified subscales relate to theoretically associated traits and mental health diagnoses including trait anxiety on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and a premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) diagnosis on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5. We will discuss the importance of these results in the context of providing care to females with PMS or PMDD

Psychometric Assessment of the Comprehensive Effects of Alcohol Questionnaire: Comparing a Brief Version to the Original Full Scale

The current set of studies compared the psychometric properties of the original Comprehensive Effects of Alcohol Questionnaire (CEOA) to a 15-item version (B-CEOA) in a nonclinical undergraduate sample (N = 581), and attempted to replicate and extend the B-CEOA findings in an undergraduate sample referred to an alcohol intervention (N = 734). Psychometric assessment included construct validity, internal consistency, and concurrent validity, using both “positive” and “negative” expectancy items in all analyses. Results provided further support for the empirical validity of the original CEOA, and provided support for the use of the B-CEOA despite the reduction in the number of items. The B-CEOA factor structures obtained using exploratory and confirmatory techniques provided support for a 4-factor structure of expectancies and 3-factor structure of valuations. Findings reveal potential problems with “positive” and “negative” expectancy items. Trade-offs regarding factor structure, internal consistency, and administration time should be considered in using the B-CEOA vs. the CEOA

The validity of the brief version of the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale.

The Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale [FNE; J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 33 (1969) 448] is a commonly used measure of social anxiety. A brief version of the scale (FNEB) is available for convenient administration. Despite being widely advocated for use, the psychometric properties of the FNEB have not been evaluated with clinically anxious samples. The present study addressed the reliability and validity of the FNEB in a clinical sample of individuals with either social phobia (n = 82) or panic disorder (n = 99) presenting for treatment. Factor analysis supported the construct validity of the FNEB. The validity of the FNEB was further demonstrated through significant correlations with social avoidance and depression, and non-significant correlations with agoraphobic avoidance and demographic variables. The scale obtained excellent inter-item reliability (alpha = .97) and 2-week test-retest reliability (r = .94). Discriminant function analysis also supported validity of the FNEB. For example, individuals with social phobia scored significantly higher on the FNEB than those with panic disorder and a group of non-psychiatric community controls (n = 30). The FNEB was sensitive to pre- to post-CBT changes in both social anxiety and panic disorder, and changes on the FNEB correlated significantly with other measures of treatment responsiveness, such as reductions in somatic arousal, depression and other anxiety symptomatology. These research findings strongly support the validity of the FNEB and its clinical utility as an outcome measure in social anxiety treatment

Depression, anxiety, and stress among hangover-sensitive and hangover-resistant drinkers

This study investigated potential differences in baseline (i.e., non-hangover-related) levels of depression, anxiety, and stress between individuals who are sensitive to and those resistant to hangovers after consuming alcohol. Participants included 5111 university students from the Netherlands and the U.K., including 3205 hangover-sensitive and 1906 hangover-resistant drinkers. All participants completed surveys on their demographics, alcohol consumption, and hangover susceptibility (whether they experienced a hangover in the past 12 months), as well as their baseline levels of depression, anxiety, and stress on the DASS-21 scale. The results showed that hangover-sensitive drinkers had significantly higher levels of anxiety and stress, but not depression, compared to hangover-resistant drinkers. However, the observed differences between the two groups were small, with a magnitude of less than 1 out of 42 points on the DASS-21 anxiety and stress subscales, and are thus unlikely to be clinically meaningful

Mood, motives, and money: An examination of factors that differentiate online and non-online young adult gamblers

Background and aims To date, there is a lack of research on psychological factors associated with young adult online gambling. The current study examined differences between young adult online and non-online gamblers, using information gathered at baseline and over 30 days during which participants reported on their moods, gambling behaviors, and reasons for initiating and discontinuing gambling. Methods Participants were 108 young adult regular gamblers (i.e., gambling four or more times in the past month) who participated in a 30-day daily diary study. Results Male gender, baseline coping motives for gambling and negative affect averaged across the 30 days emerged as significant correlates of online gambling, over and above other background variables. Online gamblers also scored higher on a baseline measure of pathological gambling. Over the 30 days of self-monitoring, online gamblers spent more time gambling, and won more money gambling, whereas non-online gamblers consumed more alcohol while gambling. Online gambling was more often initiated to make money, because of boredom and to demonstrate skills, whereas non-online gambling was more often initiated for social reasons and for excitement. Online gambling was more often discontinued because of boredom, fatigue or distress, whereas non-online gambling was discontinued because friends stopped gambling or mood was improved. Discussion and conclusions This study provides preliminary evidence that coping strategies may be particularly important to reduce risks for online gamblers, whereas strategies for non-online gamblers should focus on the social aspects of gambling