Enhancing the Relevance and Effectiveness of a Youth Gambling Prevention Program for Urban, Minority Youth: A Pilot Study of Maryland Smart Choices

The effect of group assertive training on the self-esteem and quality of life in the spouses of drug-abusing patients

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to examine the effect of group assertive training on self-esteem and quality of life among spouses of drug-abusing patients.

METHODS

This randomized clinical trial assignment study with a control group. The statistical population included all spouses of drug users referring to private addiction treatment centers in Tehran-Iran in 2020 and the sample included 50 spouses of drug users who were selected by simple random sampling from among the volunteers. They were randomly divided into two groups control and experimental, each group consisting of 25 people.

RESULTS

The results of data analysis showed that group assertive training increased self-esteem and quality of life in spouses of drug-abusing patients in the experimental group compared to the witness group (p < .001).

CONCLUSION

As a result, group assertive training is effective in increasing the self-esteem and quality of life among the spouses of drug-abusing patients.

Racial Associations Between Gambling and Suicidal Behaviors Among Black and White Adolescents and Young Adults

Purpose of Review

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among Black youth ages 10-19 years. Between 1991 and 2017, rates of suicide among Black youth have been increasing faster than rates among any other race/ethnic group. There are many factors that may explain this increase, with gambling being suggested as one such potential risk factor. This review examines the association between gambling and suicide behaviors, and how these associations may vary between Black and White youth and young adults. The current review examines these associations using data from the Missouri Family Study (MOFAM).

Recent Findings

Recent findings have revealed distinct patterns of substance use initiation and gambling behaviors between Black youth and White youth. While strong links between gambling and suicide behaviors have also been reported, whether the associations were consistent across race/ethnicity groups was not investigated, nor in these cross-sectional analyses was it possible to determine whether the gambling behaviors preceded or followed suicidality. Thus, there is a need to investigate whether there are differences in the associations of gambling and suicide behaviors at the race/ethnicity level in tandem with data that examine the sequence of the behaviors. The current report focuses on racial/ethnic differences using data that allow for sequencing the occurrence of the behaviors via the age of first gambling experience, and of first suicidal symptom, to better distinguish the nature of the association.

Summary

The current findings revealed that gambling initiation predicted suicide ideation among Black youth, while no significant association was found among White youth. This is of major public health concern, given the rising rates of suicide among Black youth, and the increased availability of gambling. The report did not find a link between gambling and suicide attempts. Culturally tailored interventions should be considered among schools, families, and clinicians/providers, to highlight the risk of adolescent gambling, particularly among Black youth.

Exploring Patterns of the Use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems among Adolescents in High-Risk Appalachian (U.S.A) Communities

Background: Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use among adolescents in the United States (U.S.) has surpassed conventional tobacco products (CTPs), including cigarettes. Increasingly, ENDS are used concurrently with CTPs and substances such as cannabis. However, few studies involve Central Appalachia, a region with historically high rates of tobacco and other substance use. Objective:  To examine prevalence of concurrent use of ENDS and cannabis among school-going adolescents in Appalachian Tennessee and delineate associations between ENDS use and substance-related risk behavior (cannabis use), social relations (peer use), and school-related risk behavior (academic performance). Methods: Data were obtained from a survey conducted with youth aged 13-17 years in 2018 in a county in Appalachian Tennessee (n = 280). A multivariable logistic regression model was fit to evaluate associations between ENDS and cannabis use, and other factors. Results: Overall, lifetime ENDS and cannabis prevalence estimates were 31.1% and 18.6%, respectively. Lifetime ENDS users had increased odds of also being lifetime cannabis users [OR = 9.22, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.44-24.75]. Lifetime ENDS users had increased odds of reporting ENDS use among peers [OR = 12.11; 95% CI: 5.40-27.12] and lower academic performance (OR associated with mostly C or D vs. A grades was 4.28, 95% CI: 1.68-10.90). Conclusion: This study found an association between ENDS and cannabis use among adolescents in Appalachian Tennessee exists. Additionally, peer use and academic performance were associated with ENDS use. The findings have implications for public health intervention planning to address not only ENDS but also substance use among Appalachian youth.

Ludens: A Gambling Addiction Prevention Program Based on the Principles of Ethical Gambling

Gambling is legal in most countries. However, despite having some economic benefits, certain characteristics of gambling can have health consequences, rendering it a public health issue. The effects can be summarized according to the following three "laws" of ethical gambling: "Gambling Dynamics Law": companies' economic gains come directly from players' losses; "Expected Loss Law": the more one gambles, the greater the probability of losing; and "Addiction Law": the more one gambles, the greater the need to play again, leading to further losses. Ludens is a gambling addiction prevention program that has four goals: inform participants about gambling and gambling addiction; sensitize participants to the risk of gambling for health, especially addiction; promote a change in attitudes toward gambling; and alert participants to risky behaviors that can lead to addiction. The prevention program was implemented during 2017 to 2019. Fourteen psychologists presented it to 2372 adolescents (48.8% females, 51.2% males) aged 14-19 years, none of whom were university students, recruited from 42 Spanish high schools in 132 groups taking different courses. The main dependent variables analyzed were the monthly frequencies of gambling, at-risk gambling, and gambling addiction (as measured by the National Opinion Research Center DSM-IV Screen for Gambling Problems, adapted to diagnose gambling disorder according to DSM-5, in which pathological gambling is considered an addictive disorder). Given that all of the gamblers were adolescents (most were minors), fulfilment of 1-3 the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria was considered to indicate a risk of problem gambling. After the administration of Ludens, statistically significant reductions were observed in the three variables of interest: monthly frequency of gambling, percentage of adolescents with risky gambling, and percentage of adolescents with gambling disorder. The results were analyzed according to sex and age (minors vs. adolescents between 18 and 19 years old). The results obtained after applying the prevention program indicate that Ludens is effective as a universal prevention program for gambling addiction.

The Neurosciences of Health Communication: An fNIRS Analysis of Prefrontal Cortex and Porn Consumption in Young Women for the Development of Prevention Health Programs

This work explores the use of fNIRS neuroimaging technique using young female college students with different levels of consumption of pornography, and the activation of the prefrontal cortex (cue reactivity) when viewing a pornographic clip (cue exposure) versus a control clip. The results indicate that the viewing of the pornographic clip (vs. control clip) causes an activation of Brodmann's area 45 of the right hemisphere (BA 45, pars triangularis) (p < 0.01). An effect also appears between the level of self-reported consumption and the activation of right BA 45: the higher the level of self-reported consumption, the greater the activation (p < 0.01). On the other hand, those participants who have never consumed pornographic material do not show activity of the right BA 45 compared to the control clip (p < 0.01) indicating a qualitative difference between non-consumers and consumers. These results are consistent with other research made in the field of addictions. It is hypothesized that the mirror neuron system may be involved, through the mechanism of empathy, which could provoke vicarious eroticism. Finally, we suggest the applications that these results may have for primary and secondary prevention programs in the field of problematic consumption of pornography.