Therapist-report measures of evidence-based interventions have enormous potential utility as quality indicators in routine care; yet, few such tools have shown strong psychometric properties. This study describes reliability and validity characteristics of a therapist-report measure of family therapy techniques for treating adolescent conduct and…

Background: Whether parental permission of alcohol and other drug use in a home environment is protective against substance-related negative outcomes remains controversial. We investigated substance use at home, with or without parental knowledge, and its association with substance-related consequences. Methods: The sample consisted of 21,207 U.S.…

This systematic review explores psychometric properties of the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory adult version (SASSI-3), the most commonly used instrument by counselors for assessment and diagnosis of alcohol and substance use.

Background: Suicidal ideation, an important risk factor for suicide, is strongly associated with substance use. Factors such as family cohesion, connection with friends, and social support can be protective against suicidal behaviors. The purpose of this study was to explore the association between suicidal ideation, substance use, and resiliency…

Objective: We evaluated how applying post-stratification sampling weights to National College Health Assessment II (NCHA-II) data affects estimates of substance use prevalence and tests of medical and recreational marijuana legalization (MML and RML) effects. Participants/Methods: We constructed weights for Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 surveys (n =…

Adolescence marks a transitional phase between childhood and adulthood, in which engagement to the maladaptive behaviors is more likely to occur. Alcohol and substance use among adolescents is of particular concern because it may lead to multiple forms of injuries, hospitalizations, and premature mortality. With the wider availability of the…

There has been a growing recognition of the value of education in facilitating desistance from offending. Yet, despite a determined push to "widen access" universities continue to be an unwelcoming place for those with a criminal record. To better understand the role of higher education in raising aspiration towards desistance, this…

Addictions can be classified as any substance, habit or behavior that one has come to depend upon. These can include a variety of habits or behaviors outside of the traditional illicit drug realm. We studied substances, behaviors and habitual addictions to determine if relapse rates are negatively correlated with positive or negative support. We…

Persons with substance use disorders (SUDs) experience high unemployment rates that can increase relapse risk. Research on employment counseling for this population is lacking. This study examined a direct skills teaching (DST) approach to improve job interview preparedness. Graduate internship students at mental health and rehabilitation agency…

The goal of the present study was to replicate Burt et al. (2009) and Hou et al. (2013) findings by determining the contribution of peers' deviance to changes in participants' (monozygotic [MZ] twins') self-reported delinquency from mid- to late adolescence while controlling for possible gene-environment correlations (rGE) through the use of the…

Illicit drugs and other substances are serious threats to global health and security. Thus, there have been several global efforts to enact and enforce strict humane drug laws and adequate interventions to curb the trade and use of drugs. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of research in the area of knowledge, perception, and attitude of high-risk…

Suicide is a global mental health problem. In recent years, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and suicides have increased in children and adolescents. In this population, cyberbullying is a public health problem that has grown along the increase in use of devices with internet access. Cybervictimization is related to negative health effects,…

The closure of schools, social hubs, and extracurricular activities due to lockdown measures imposed to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2, has increased the risk factors for students' mental health. This cross-sectional study, conducted from March 2020 to March 2021, aimed to estimate socio-emotional, cognitive, and affective disorders and substance…

Adolescents are likely to experiment with risky behaviors, such as substance use, which can have implications lasting throughout their lives. Private schools, while not immune to substance use, tend to report lower levels of substance use among their students when compared to the adolescent population in general. This quantitative study focuses on…

An earlier trial of a school-based, preventative intervention, HealthWise South Africa, demonstrated some efficacy in preventing adolescent drinking and smoking in the Western Cape, South Africa. This was followed by the current implementation trial, which examined how implementation support conditions influenced adolescent drinking and smoking…