Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs
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J Stud Alcohol Drugs · May 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial"I will take a shot for every 'like' I get on this status": posting alcohol-related Facebook content is linked to drinking outcomes.
This study investigated whether self-reports of alcohol-related postings on Facebook by oneself or one's Facebook friends were related to common motives for drinking and were uniquely predictive of self-reported alcohol outcomes (alcohol consumption, problems, and cravings). ⋯ Posting alcohol-related content on social media platforms such as Facebook is associated with common motivations for drinking and is, in itself, a strong predictive indicator of drinking outcomes independent of drinking motives. Moreover, self-related posting activity appears to be more predictive than Facebook friends' activity. These findings suggest that social media platforms may be a useful target for future preventative and intervention efforts.
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Research indicates that alcohol consumption by college students fluctuates across the semester, with consumption changing because of social events and calendar holidays. In addition, some research indicates that Thursday alcohol consumption is a function of Friday course schedule. Students with courses after 10 a.m. or not at all on Friday are more likely to consume alcohol on Thursday nights. Furthermore, college women are increasingly consuming alcohol at higher levels and comprise a larger portion of college students in comparison with their male counterparts. The current study was aimed at examining patterns of Thursday night alcohol consumption and academic load among female college students. ⋯ It seems that female students who are more likely to consume alcohol on Thursday night have made academic scheduling decisions to allow for this experience. These decisions seem to not adversely affect their grade-point average. Findings suggest that changes to the academic calendar to curb alcohol consumption warrant further investigation.
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J Stud Alcohol Drugs · Jul 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyBuprenorphine/naloxone and methadone maintenance treatment outcomes for opioid analgesic, heroin, and combined users: findings from starting treatment with agonist replacement therapies (START).
The objective of this secondary analysis was to explore differences in baseline clinical characteristics and opioid replacement therapy treatment outcomes by type (heroin, opioid analgesic [OA], or combined [heroin and OA]) and route (injector or non-injector) of opioid use. ⋯ Findings indicate that substance use severity differentiates heroin users from OA users and injectors from non-injectors. Irrespective of medication, heroin use and injecting are associated with treatment attrition and opioid misuse during treatment. These results have particular clinical interest, as there is no evidence of superiority of BUP over methadone for treating OA users versus heroin users.