Web-Based Personalized Feedback: Is This an Appropriate Approach for Reducing Drinking Among High School Students?

Research indicates brief web-based personalized feedback interventions are effective in reducing alcohol use and the negative associated consequences among college students. It is not clear, however, that this is an appropriate strategy for high school students. This study examined high school students’ perceptions of a brief web-based personalized feedback program to assess the appropriateness of this approach for this age group. Results indicated that the majority of students found the program to be user-friendly and to have high utility. Additionally, students reporting alcohol use found the program more useful and indicated they would be more likely to recommend the program to other students relative to non-drinkers. Findings support the appropriateness of this approach for high school students, and suggest web-based personalized feedback may be more positively perceived by students who have initiated drinking

Daytime Predictors of Evening Alcohol Use: Treatment Implications for Moderate to Heavy Drinkers

This study examined daytime mood, stress, and drinking-related consequences as predictors of evening alcohol use. Twenty-four moderate to heavy drinkers completed diaries twice daily for 28 days. Results of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyses indicated daytime negative mood states predicted higher levels of evening alcohol use, whereas negative drinking-related consequences predicted lower levels of subsequent alcohol use. Clinical implications include emphasizing negative drinking-related consequences in enhancing client motivation to change. Results also support routine assessment of anxiety and depressed mood to help clinicians identify risk factors for drinking and provide intervention strategies targeting negative mood states to improve treatment outcomes

Preventing High-Risk Drinking in Youth in the Workplace: A Web-Based Normative Feedback Program

This study evaluated the efficacy of an alcohol web-based personalized feedback program delivered in the workplace to young adults. Participants (N = 124) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: web-based feedback (WI), web-based feedback plus a 15-minute motivational interviewing session (MI), or a control group. Results indicated participants in the intervention group (WI and MI conditions combined) reported significantly lower levels of drinking than those in the control group at a 30-day follow-up. This was particularly true for participants classified as high-risk drinkers at the baseline assessment. Similar results were found when comparing the WI condition to the control group. No differences were found between the WI and MI conditions, indicating the addition of a 15-minute motivational interviewing session did not increase the efficacy of the web-based feedback program. Findings support the use of web-based feedback as a stand-alone alcohol prevention program for young adults in the workplace

The Effects of Students’ Perceptions of Teachers’ Anti-Bullying Behavior on Bullying Vicimization: Is Sense of School Belonging a Mediator?

This study evaluated the influence of students’ perceptions of teachers’ anti-bullying behavior and sense of school belonging on bullying victimization among elementary school students (N = 110). We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to test a mediational model in which we hypothesized sense of school belonging would mediate the relationship between students’ perceptions of teacher behavior and bullying victimization. Results supported the mediational model, indicating students’ perceptions of teachers’ anti-bullying behavior was positively related to sense of school belonging, which in turn was related to lower levels of bullying victimization. Findings highlight the importance of teachers in fostering a positive school climate to reduce bullying behavior. Implications for school-based bullying prevention and intervention programs are discussed

Training Elementary School Students to Intervene as Peer-Advocates to Stop Bullying at School: A Pilot Study

The prevalence of bullying among children has prompted the development of school- based programs to address this problem. This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of a brief, standalone bystander bullying program for elementary school students. The purpose to the program was to train students to take action as peer-advocates. After completing the 75-minute program, students reported an increase in their ability to identify what different types of bullying look like, knowledge of bystander intervention strategies, and general confidence intervening as peer-advocates. Furthermore, fifth grade students showed the greatest response to the program. Implications for school counselors as leaders in program implementation and future directions for research are discussed

The Relationship Between Witnessing Cyberbullying and Depressive Symptoms and Social Anxiety Among Middle School Students: Is Witnessing School Bullying a Moderator?

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between witnessing cyberbullying and depressive symptoms and social anxiety among middle school students (N = 146). Students completed questionnaires assessing experiences witnessing cyberbullying, school bullying, depressive symptoms, and social anxiety. Regression analyses revealed that witnessing cyberbullying was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms even after controlling for frequency of witnessing school bullying. Further, for depressive symptoms, the moderating effect of witnessing school bullying was significant, indicating that students who witnessed both cyberbullying and school bullying reported the highest level of depressive symptoms and those that reported not witnessing either type of bullying reported the lowest level. Contrary to our hypotheses, however, we did not find significant effects for social anxiety. Results indicate that witnessing cyberbullying uniquely contributes to depressive symptoms for middle school students and students who witness both cyberbullying and school bullying are at the highest risk for depressive symptoms. Findings suggest the importance of providing programs to support middle school students who witness cyberbullying to reduce the mental health risks associated with being a bystander, particularly for students who also witness school bullying

The Impact of a Brief Bullying Bystander Intervention on Depressive Symptoms

The authors evaluated the impact of a brief bullying bystander intervention (STAC) on depressive symptoms among high school students using a randomized controlled design. Results of path analyses provided support for a mediational model in which the intervention was associated with an increase in sense of school belonging, which in turn was associated with a reduction in depressive symptoms. The authors discuss implications for high school counselors and counselors in other settings working with adolescents

Evaluation of Service-Learning Infused Courses with Refugee Families

This study evaluated the impact of service-learning infused courses on multicultural competence and social justice advocacy skills among counseling students. The project, in which students acted as job-coaches for refugee families, was integrated into a first year and second year counseling course. Results indicated an increase in multicultural knowledge and advocacy skills, with greater changes reported among first year students. Implications for counselor training including placement of service-learning projects within the counseling curriculum are discussed

Cognitively and socially induced stress affects postural control

This is the final version. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.Postural control is an adaptive process that can be affected by many aspects of human behavior, including emotional contexts. The main emotional contexts that affect postural control are postural threat and passive viewing of aversive or threatening images, both of which produce a reduction in postural sway. The aim of the present study was to assess whether similar stress-related changes in postural sway can be observed using stress induced by social evaluative threat (SET) while performing arithmetic tasks. Twelve young adults performed an arithmetic and a postural control task separately, concurrently, and concurrently with added time pressure in the arithmetic task. In the final condition, participants were given negative feedback about their performance in the arithmetic task and performed it again while being observed (SET condition). Results showed that stress increased linearly with task demand. Postural sway and reaction times were not affected by the first two conditions; however, when time pressure was introduced, reaction times became faster and sway amplitude increased. Finally, introduction of SET caused the predicted reduction in postural sway and an increase in reaction times relative to the time pressure condition. Our results suggest that stress induced using a combination of arithmetic tasks and social evaluative threat leads to systematic changes in postural control. The paradigm developed in the present study would be very useful in assessing interactions between cognition, stress, and postural control in the context of postural instability and falls in older adults

Reducing Alcohol Use Among High School Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Brief, Web-Based Personalized Normative Feedback Intervention

High school athletes are at risk for heavy alcohol use, which is associated with consequences that may negatively impact performance and eligibility to participate in sports. This study evaluated the efficacy of a web-based personalized normative feedback intervention on reducing alcohol use among high school athletes in their senior year. Class periods were randomized to the intervention or an assessment-only control group. Athletes completed surveys at baseline and at a 6-week follow-up. They were classified as high-risk or low-risk drinkers based on baseline reports of binge drinking. Results indicated that for athletes classified as high-risk drinkers, those in the intervention group reported significantly greater reductions in quantity of weekly drinking and peak drinking quantity compared with those in the assessment-only control group. There were no significant intervention effects for frequency of alcohol use. Findings support the efficacy of web-based personalized normative feedback intervention for reducing alcohol use among high school senior athletes