In the spring of 2017, the AISD Department of Research and Evaluation (DRE) administered the Substance Use and Safety Survey (SSUSS) to track middle and high school students' self-reported knowledge, attitudes, and behavior related to substance use and perceptions of school safety. Results from this survey are used to inform and assist with…

This study explored substance use trajectories and associations with mental health among an ethnically/racially diverse college student sample before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We combined repeated cross-sections and panel data from a total of 3,247 college students assessed with an online survey in 2018, 2019, and in three waves in 2020.…

The postdisaster experiences of social work students have been the focus of a growing corpus of research in the past two decades; however, few investigations have been conducted in the context of catastrophic flooding events. The present study examined coping responses and mental health among 186 social work students in the aftermath of the Great…

The COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying lockdowns have had a serious impact. Prevention providers turned to online delivery to maintain their work. This study surveyed substance abuse prevention providers in New York State (NYS) to get a sense of successes and difficulties in the effort to deliver services online. Method: A survey was emailed using…

Although numerous studies have shown that child obesity is associated with internalizing symptoms, relatively few studies have examined the role of parenting behaviors on this relationship. Youth meeting obesity status may be at higher risk of psychosocial maladjustment when exposed to more vulnerable parenting contexts. The current study…

Research on family contexts and adolescent sexual risk behavior has largely neglected relational aspects of sexual risk, such as having sex with strangers. The present study uses the NLSY97 to examine associations between sexually active adolescents' sex with strangers and parental monitoring, support, strictness, and household structure. More…

Ethnic identity is a consistent predictor of positive youth adjustment, whereas discrimination has been associated with negative outcomes among Latino/a youth. Scholars have proposed associations between ethnic identity and discrimination; however, directionality of effects remains unclear. Addressing this gap, the current study examined the…

Background: Interventions are needed to improve health behaviors among Moroccan adolescents. Obtaining an understanding of suggestions and preferences of the target population can help develop such interventions. Purpose: The aim of the present study was twofold: (1) to explore social-ecological suggestions of participants for improving physical…

Research on cultural factors and substance use among Hispanic adolescents has focused primarily on acculturation, while specific core Hispanic values and attributes have received minimal attention. The objective of the current study was to examine the relationship between traditional Hispanic cultural assets and substance use among adolescents. A…

This study examines the point-of-sale marketing practices used to promote electronic cigarettes at stores near schools that serve at-risk youths. One hundred stores selling tobacco products within a half-mile of alternative high schools in Southern California were assessed for this study. Seventy percent of stores in the sample sold electronic…

The current study examined the relationships between a personality metatrait (Stability consisting of conscientiousness, agreeableness, and neuroticism), self-esteem, and stress in an adult population of individuals with substance use disorders living in recovery homes. Adults (N = 229) residing in 42 residential recovery settings were interviewed…

In 2014, Leelah Alcorn, a homeschooled transgender teenager in the United States, died by suicide after enduring months of social isolation and her parent's repeated efforts to change her gender identity. Sexual and gender minoritized (SGM) youth who are, like Leelah, homeschooled in the U.S. do not have access to the institutional and relational…

The purpose of this article is to investigate polysubstance use among college student-athletes and determine whether use is independent of gender, race, season status, and athletic division. College student-athletes responded to questions related to their past-30-day use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and prescription drugs. Findings suggest that…

American Indians have among the highest prevalence rates for both substance use and obesity, yet there is a dearth of studies that have examined this relationship. We examined a subsample of American Indian adolescents (n=623), using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. We examined the association between body mass index…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the patterns in allegations of workplace discrimination by individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs). The goal of the research was to describe the discrimination, both actual and perceived, that has occurred against individuals with SUDs through analysis of the United States Equal Employment…