This prospective longitudinal study examined how maternal prenatal substance use disorder (SUD) and early mother-infant interaction quality are associated with child social cognition (emotion recognition and mentalization) at school age. A sample of 52 poly-substance-using mothers receiving early interventions and 50 non-users, along with their…

There are no nationally representative estimates of the prevalence of dating abuse-related stalking and harassment. We analyzed data collected from 320 twelve- to 18-year-old U.S. youth. Youth with dating experience were asked whether a dating partner had ever spied on or followed them, damaged something that belonged to them, or gone through…

Aims: The current study aims to examine the role of energy drink and energy shot consumption in school disengagement, low academic performance, and academic expectations, and investigates the robustness of these associations across sex, grade, race, and substance use history. Method: This study employs a pooled cross-sectional design and uses a…

High school is a time of changes in adolescents' physical, psychological, social, and sexual development, often resulting in stress and anxiety. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems. Yoga is an Indian discipline practiced globally for health and relaxation. School-based yoga programs are becoming increasingly common…

From October to December 2016, a college sample (n = 536) of men (41%) and women (59%) 18 to 41 years old (M = 20.2 SD = 3.02) completed self-report surveys that assessed mental and behavioral health using a novel, mobile app called SHAPE. Multiple methods (e.g., flyers, face-to-face, e-mail, listservs) were used to recruit students. Almost half…

Background: Skepticism of therapy and stigma are significant barriers for veterans with mental health issues. Therapeutic adventure shows promise in addressing veterans' mental health needs while circumventing the stigma many veterans face in initiating treatment. Purpose: Given the small group model of therapeutic adventure programs, such…

This paper examines the extent to which transgender students' experiences with school-based victimization and school protective factors contribute to or reduce substance use. We conducted secondary analyses of school-based victimization, school protective factors, and substance use of a subsample of transgender students from the 2013-2015…

Substance use disorders are considered externalizing disorders, defined by anti-social and impulsive behavior, as opposed to internalizing disorders, defined by anxious and depressive thinking; however, that strict binary is increasingly untenable. In this dissertation, I evaluate the co-development of internalizing and externalizing symptoms…

Background: Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults. Improving the understanding of social-ecological factors associated with youth suicide behaviors may highlight important ideas for prevention. Objective: From a social-ecological theoretical framework of suicide, this study aims to test whether parental…

Objective: Existing literature on young adults' e-cigarette and polysubstance use focused on college students. This study examined the differences between college and noncollege groups on prevalence and patterns of e-cigarette and other substance use using data from a national survey. Participants: Adults aged 18-24 from the 2013-2014 Population…

Purpose: Despite being a significant public health problem, teen dating violence and related risk behaviors are yet to be examined in Nicaragua. This study aims to examine the prevalence of in-person dating violence and cyber dating abuse and to test the associations between teen dating violence and substance use (i.e. alcohol, cigarette,…

Background: There is a dearth of reliable data on sexual assault prevalence amongst people with learning disabilities. This work aims to identify the prevalence of learning disabilities amongst adult clients attending Saint Marys Sexual Assault Referral Centre and ascertain the similarities/differences amongst clients with learning disabilities as…

Middle America is dying. The United Nations reports the average number of deaths per 1,00 population in the U.S. has steadily increased an average of 1.2 per 1,000 persons annually since 2015. Existing research offer conflicting theories regarding the factors influencing the phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to examine reliable and valid…

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are among the most debilitating psychiatric disorders. Although prevalence rates of SUDs are similar between White and Black adults, these groups experience differential treatment outcomes (e.g., Black adults with SUDs are more likely to report greater pre- and post-treatment substance use). Examining…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the findings from an evaluation of an intervention (Moving Parents and Children Together (M-PACT+)) aiming to address the effects of parental substance misuse (PSM) in school settings. The paper considers the evidence of effectiveness, and goes on to explore how schools were involved with the…