Objective: To assess the influence of specific COVID-19 impacts on college student depression, loneliness, and alcohol and cannabis use, and to investigate if resilience moderates these relationships. Participants: Data were collected from students (N = 1849, 80.9% white, 66.6% female) at a midwestern university during the 2021 winter/spring…

Objective: Psychoactive substance use is prevalent among young people in Nigeria. However, the dearth of accessible and good-quality treatment for substance use disorders in Nigeria creates a treatment gap. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a substance use prevention education programme (SUPEP) for young people in Nigeria. Design: A…

This study examined the program effectiveness of Health Rocks!, a youth substance use prevention program. Merging data from 128,544 youth participants in 21 states between 2009 and 2021, this study compared self-reported levels of knowledge, skills, and internal and external assets before and after the program. Youth reported significant increases…

Rural adolescents are at a greater risk for substance abuse and other mental health challenges. There is a need for enhanced evidence-based prevention efforts. This case study evaluated both remote and in-person instruction of "Second Step®", a social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum aimed to improve school-based prevention efforts.…

Death anxiety has been an unremitting agent of the human experience. The psychological dilemma posed by the awareness and forecasting of death can increase anxiety, thus affecting well-being through the compulsive desire or will to persist (Becker, 1973; Yalom, 1980). Such psychological armor can manifest in conscious and unconscious behaviors,…

Research is mixed on the common patterns of substance use within a college student population after trauma. Data was collected from students from a mid-sized, Midwestern university. Respondents often reported the use of combinations of medications and drugs that could lead to dangerous effects. Alcohol use was predicted by the substance use…

Sexual minority adolescents have worse sleep health than their peers. Adolescents who identify as heterosexual and report prior same-sex sexual contact (termed 'discordant heterosexuals') have elevated health risks, but little is known about this group's sleep health. This study examined 2015-2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data (n = 12,773 high…

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), Wisconsin ranked third in the nation in 2019 in the percentage of adults who said they had engaged in binge drinking in the past month (21.9%). The situation is equally alarming when it comes to other forms of substance use disorders. According to DHS, between 2014 and 2020, Wisconsin…

While loneliness for short periods of time is normal, prolonged loneliness has severe health risks. This study aims to discover what loneliness trajectories can be found in a cohort of adolescents, how belongingness to different groups may be associated with these trajectories, and the mental, physical, and academic consequences of these…

This study explores high school teachers' perspectives on the prevalence of school violence within a selected high school in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, focusing on bullying, substance abuse, and gang-related activities. Guided by social disorganisation theory and an interpretive paradigm, the study utilised a qualitative approach and purposive…

Emerging adult (EA; aged 18-29) military-connected students experience major developmental changes, often coupled with the transition into the civilian sector and higher education. This conglomeration may exacerbate anxiety, stress, and negative coping mechanisms, including substance use. Substance use rates are highest among EAs, across the…

School personnel often take on ancillary responsibilities that extend beyond their role as educational professionals, including supporting students who have parents suffering from substance use disorders (SUDs). Our objectives were to use the experience of these school personnel to better understand how healthcare professionals can support school…

The overwhelming majority of scholarship about collegiate sexual violence centers experiences of white, cisgender, heterosexual women (Harris et al., 2020; Linder et al., 2020), although LGBTQ students experience even higher rates of sexual violence than their cisgender and heterosexual peers (Cantor et al., 2019). The exclusion of asexual…

Adult basic education (ABE) programs in the United States serve millions of students annually to help them achieve high school equivalency, English proficiency, and other skills. These skills are necessary for upward mobility and competitiveness in the labor market, which is important for ABE students who are disproportionately affected by…

Purpose: This study explored differences between lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB)-housed and homeless students regarding substance use patterns on and off school grounds and the unique contribution of homelessness to substance use in school. Methods: Data were from the 2013-2015 California Healthy Kids Survey, a statewide survey of school…