Alcohol use remains a significant problem among young adults (YAs), and growing evidence suggests exposure to alcohol-related content (ARC) on social media may contribute to increased alcohol use. ARC often portrays drinking as rewarding and/or normative, potentially shaping drinking motives, which are key predictors of alcohol use. Therefore, the present study sought to longitudinally examine if drinking motives mediate the associations between (a) exposure to peers' ARC on social media and (b) perceived number of friends posting ARC and YA alcohol use over an 8-week period. A sample of N = 266 YAs (ages 18-30) in the US who reported consuming ≥8 drinks per week completed baseline, 4- and 8-week follow-up surveys assessing ARC exposure, perceived number of peers posting ARC, drinking motives, and alcohol use. Eight longitudinal mediated growth curve models were tested, evaluating drinking motives (social, enhancement, coping, conformity) as mediators. Both ARC exposure and perceived ARC posting were significantly associated with all four motives, with each predicting baseline alcohol use, however, none predicted longitudinal change in alcohol use. Coping and enhancement motives significantly mediated the association between ARC exposure and baseline alcohol use. All four motives significantly mediated the association between perceived number of friends posting ARC and baseline alcohol use, suggesting proximal peer cues may be especially influential. Findings highlight the roles of coping and enhancement motives in linking ARC exposure to YA drinking. Programs targeting motivational pathways and perceived peer norms and challenging social media-driven alcohol motivations may help reduce YA alcohol use.

OBJECTIVE:Medical cannabis use is often motivated by somatic or affective concerns, and both are common among older adults. Protective behavioral strategies (PBS) are known to mitigate adverse outcomes associated with substance use. Goals of this study were to examine how somatic and affective use motives relate to use of PBS, cannabis use, and symptoms of cannabis use disorder. METHOD:The sample included 471 participants age 55+, recruited through social media, who self-reported legal medical cannabis use. Measures included cannabis use motives, subjective cannabis use patterns, the Protective Behavioral Strategies for Marijuana Scale (PBSM), Cannabis Use Disorder Symptoms questionnaire, Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test-Revised (CUDIT-R). RESULTS:Both a measurement and a hypothesized model fit the data well (RMSEA = .036, CFI = .981, c2 = 112.57). Somatic use justifications were associated with greater PBS use, less cannabis use, and lower CUDIT scores. Affective use justifications were associated with less PBS use, more cannabis use, and higher CUDIT scores. Indirect pathways linking both somatic and affective use justifications with CUDIT score through PBS were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS:Findings indicate that somatic justifications for cannabis use among older adults are associated with use of protective behaviors that reduce the risk for CUD symptoms, while affective motives suggest higher risk for CUD symptoms. These findings support the common practice of referring older adults with mental health concerns for conventional treatment, including evidence-based psychotherapy. Training in PBS use may mitigate escalation of CUD symptoms in this vulnerable population, and future research should examine that hypothesis.

OBJECTIVE:Extensive research supports the conclusion that alcohol expectancies could be a causal variable influencing drinking behavior. Expectancies have been conceptualized as information stored in memory in relation to a specific concept, like alcohol. Successful methods have been developed to change expectancy processes to reduce drinking and related problems in adults. Development of effective expectancy-based prevention programming for children, however, would benefit from identification of expectancy activation patterns in memory preceding drinking initiation. METHOD:We analyzed data collected from children over the course of 4 years (fifth grade-ninth grade) to assess changes in expectancy activation before drinking initiation. Participants were grouped based on initiation of drinking in ninth grade (n = 309) or maintenance of abstinence through ninth grade (n = 507). We used Individual Differences Scaling, to map expectancies into memory network format and Preference Mapping was used to model likely patterns of expectancy activation. RESULTS:A two-dimensional Individual Differences Scaling solution was optimal with bipolar dimensions representing positive-negative and arousing-sedating aspects of alcohol use. Abstainers showed little change from fifth grade through ninth grade. In contrast, dimension emphasis and activation patterns changed substantially preceding drinking initiation for those who started drinking in ninth grade. CONCLUSIONS:Results suggest changes in expectancy activation patterns precede onset of alcohol use in children. Implementation of prevention programming focused on preventing this shift in expectancies could further reduce early onset of drinking and associated negative consequences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: There have been widespread increases in cannabis use as recreational and medical use has become legal across the globe. Changes to the chemical makeup of cannabis may have changed residual effects experienced by individuals who use cannabis, and more individuals may be affected. Method: We conducted a meta-analysis examining the neurocognitive effects of cannabis after abstinence lasting a period of at least 25 days (Prospero: CRD42023466560). Databases used were PsychInfo, PsycArticles, PubMed, and Medline. Previous research has reported mixed results, with some studies finding significant differences between abstinent individuals who use cannabis and matched healthy controls, and others finding no evidence of significant differences. Bias was assessed using Joanna Briggs Critical Appraisal for Analytical Cross-Sectional studies and fail-safe N testing. Random-effects modeling and standardized mean differences were used to assess overall effects on neurocognitive functioning. Results: Our meta-analysis found no significant effects within the domains of overall effects (ES = 0.17), attention (ES = 0.22), forgetting/retrieval (ES = 0.31), learning (ES =0.29), or verbal/language (ES = 0.41). We identified a significant small effect size within the domain of abstraction/executive function (ES =0.27). However, due to the limited literature in this area, our analysis was under-powered and should be interpreted with caution. Conclusions: Limited conclusions can be made about the neurocognitive effects of cannabis after abstinence. We describe many deficiencies in existing studies of residual effects of cannabis and provide recommendations for improvement.

Sex-related alcohol expectancies about oneself and one's partner vary across time and context, yet alcohol-related sexual violence research predominantly measures alcohol expectancies as stable traits. Sexually active, non-abstinent men completed a sexual aggression analog scenario. After indicating a preference for a female or male hypothetical partner, participants were randomized to a scenario depicting a highly or low intoxicated partner, and they reported sex-related alcohol expectancies and sexual interest for themselves and their partner at four points across the scenario as well as their sexual aggression intentions. Repeated-measures ANOVA and latent growth curve modeling suggested self- and partner-specific sex-related alcohol expectancies and sexual interest fluctuated across the scenario. Less acute decreases in self- and partner-sex-related alcohol expectancies and perceived sexual interest following partner sexual refusal were associated with sexual aggression intentions. Prevention research and program development should incorporate a dynamic conceptualization of alcohol expectancies when examining sexual assault perpetration risks.

Background Prior research has explored the links between emotion regulation, rumination, and problematic alcohol use. However, the extant literature has yet to investigate daily fluctuations among these factors on drinking and non-drinking days comparatively. Method College student drinkers (n = 85; 64 % female; M age = 20.04 years) were enrolled in a 21-day ecological momentary assessment study (EMA) examining rumination, via the brooding subscale of the ruminative response scale, and emotion, from the mood circumplex model, on both drinking and non-drinking days. Participants completed up to 11 assessments each day measuring composite positive mood, sadness, anger, anxiety, rumination, and alcohol use. Multilevel regression examined the influence of rumination and mood trajectories across drinking and non-drinking days. Results On drinking days, positive mood peaked at drinking initiation and declined after. On non-drinking days, positive mood was low across the day. Both sadness and anger trajectories were moderated by rumination on drinking days. On drinking days, at high rumination both sadness and anger peaked several hours before drinking initiation and then declined across the day leading up to a drinking episode. In the hours after drinking, sadness and anger changed directions and escalated rapidly. Anxiety was lower on drinking days and not moderated by rumination. Discussion Findings support differences in emotional functioning on drinking days and non-drinking days, particularly for individuals with rumination; highlighting the importance of rumination in the context of overall affect and alcohol use.

Background: Questionnaires assessing alcohol-related consequences potentially capture events that can also occur in the absence of alcohol use but are not assessed while sober. This lack of measurement specificity has likely led to an over-attribution of certain negative outcomes to drinking, which in turn may result in inaccuracies in our understanding of alcohol-related consequences and the impact of intervention on these outcomes. Objective: We examined negative events typically associated with alcohol use while drinking and while sober. Participants were 768 college students recruited from a large, southeastern university, who completed a one-time assessment related to alcohol use and negative events. We adapted an alcohol-related consequences questionnaire to collect data on negative events that occurred when drinking and sober. Results: Seven of eight negative events occurred more often while sober (OR = 1.80-8.20, ps < .001). None of the negative events examined, individually or in total, were more likely to occur when drinking. Conclusion: Findings may help to explain the persistence of high rates of consequences reported in relation to alcohol use despite decreases in drinking following intervention. Future research should refine measures of consequences to ensure that negative events that are labeled as alcohol-related can be more directly attributed to alcohol use.

Objective: The prevalence of smoking combustible cigarettes has decreased, but rates of nicotine vaping among adolescents and young adults have increased dramatically. Vaping is associated with acute health problems and exposes users to toxic metals with unknown longterm consequences. Research on factors influencing vaping is needed to inform the development of effective prevention and intervention methods. Nicotine vaping expectancies, or expected effects related to vaping, may be an important target as they can predict vaping behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine nicotine expectancy activation patterns with corresponding nicotine vaping behaviors. Method: Using methods from alcohol expectancy research, we applied a memory model approach to identifying nicotine vaping expectancies and modeling organization and activation patterns concerning the frequency of nicotine vaping. We created a memory model-based nicotine expectancy measure based on information from 200 adolescents in 8th and 12th grades, and 429 college students. Our expectancy measure was completed by a second sample of 862 college students. Results: We mapped expectancies into network format using Individual Differences Scaling (INDSCAL) and we modeled likely paths of expectancy activation using Preference Mapping (PREFMAP). Nonusers primarily emphasized a positive-negative expectancy dimension and were more likely to activate expectancies of negative internal experiences about vaping. Students who vaped nicotine daily or almost daily primarily emphasized an external appearance-internal experience expectancy dimension and were more likely to activate expectancies of negative affect reduction and withdrawal relief. Conclusions: Our results identify specific targets for expectancy-based prevention and intervention methods that have the potential to be as effective as similar approaches to preventing and reducing alcohol use. (J. J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 85, 497-507, 2024)

Introduction: Older adults are increasingly using medical cannabis (MC). It is unclear if therapeutic effects increase problematic use patterns. The current study addresses this issue by examining symptom trajectories across the day and using trajectories to predict problematic use. Methods: One-hundred six older adults (age range 55-74) who endorsed medical conditions approved for treatment using MC were recruited online. Participants received six text messages/day to assess momentary symptoms for 15 days. Results: Participants provided 5,156 momentary assessments across 1,106 use days. Symptom trajectories were examined across the day. There was a decline in all symptoms following use. Negative affect, pain, and nausea evinced momentary negative reinforcement associations with cannabis intoxication. Momentary negative reinforcement was associated with adverse cannabis outcomes. Declines in post-use trauma symptoms and momentary negative reinforcement effects for negative affect were both associated with cannabis use disorder symptoms. Discussion: These data suggest that MC may be effective in reducing common symptom clusters. However, the negative reinforcing effect (i.e., the link between use and symptom relief at the event level) may complicate the therapeutic nature (i.e., symptom reduction). Identifying interventions to maximize benefits while minimizing costs may increase the efficacy and safety of MC in older adults.

Introduction: Natriuretic peptides (NPs) regulate vascular volume and tone via the membrane-bound guanylate cyclase, natriuretic peptide receptor 1 (NPR1). Activation of this pathway is known to lower systemic and venous blood pressure (BP) and effect natriuresis and diuresis. Previous recombinant NP infusions for heart failure were limited by their duration of effects. REGN5381, a novel investigational NPR1 agonist monoclonal antibody, showed sustained hemodynamic effects in animal models. Here, we report safety and pharmacodynamic (PD) outcomes from a phase 1, first-in-human study of REGN5381. Hypothesis: REGN5381 is sufficienty well tolerated in healthy humans to warrant continued clinical investigation. Aim: To assess the safety, tolerability, and REGN5381 PD in normotensive humans. Methods: This double-blind, single-ascending dose study (NCT04506645), randomized healthy adults aged 18-55 years (6:2) to receive a single intravenous dose of REGN5381 or placebo. Participants received a fixed-sodium and fluid diet and remained 4 days in the clinic for non-invasive hemodynamics monitoring and safety assessment. Results: A total of 48 participants were enrolled; 12 were randomized to placebo and 6 to each of 6 REGN5381 dose levels (total n=36). Eight (66.7%) participants in the placebo and 24 (66.7%) in the total REGN5381 group reported ≥1 treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE), with no obvious relationship to dose level. Four (33.3%) participants in the placebo and 15 (41.7%) in the total REGN5381 group reported ≥1 study drug related TEAE, with no obvious relationship to dose level. Common TEAEs (experienced by >10% of participants in the total group) were postural dizziness (placebo: 2 [16.7]%; total REGN5381: 6 [16.7]%) and headache (placebo: 5 [41.7%]; total REGN5381: 4 [11.1%]). Pyuria and orthostatic hypotension were reported in 4 (11.1%) participants in the total group, but none in the placebo group. No serious or severe TEAEs or deaths were reported in any dose groups. Participants treated with the highest dose saw a 7-11 mmHg reduction of systolic BP that was sustained over 72 hours (the full duration of inpatient monitoring). Conclusion: A single dose of REGN5381 is generally well-tolerated and provides sustained hemodynamic effects.

Cannabis is increasingly accessible and use is increasing rapidly among older adults as laws change and cannabis becomes more frequently prescribed in healthcare settings. Past research identified cognitive effects of cannabis use among adolescents and young adults that can persist for several weeks after intoxication, though little is known about how these effects generalize to older adults. Participants (N = 1348) were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and were categorized as current occasional users (up to once/week in the past year, n = 36), current frequent users (once per week or more in the past year, n = 92), past users (n = 334), and non-users (n = 886). Participant ages ranged from 50 to 98 (M = 67.25, SD = 10.68). Uncontrolled, one-way ANOVAs and controlled ANCOVAs were used to examine between-group differences on immediate and delayed wordlist memory and working memory (serial sevens). When controlling for age, gender, education, and minority status, current frequent users demonstrated significantly worse immediate memory performance compared to past and non-users. However, this difference could have been the result of acute, residual effects of past-month cannabis use among current users. In controlled analyses, there were no differences between groups on delayed or working memory. Findings indicate that greater than weekly cannabis use may result in attentional and short-term memory deficits. Further, these effects may be mitigated by sustained abstinence. Limitations including sample size and measures of cannabis use warrant future studies to replicate and build upon these findings.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health problem worldwide, and alcohol use contributes to the occurrence and severity of abuse. A better understanding of the mechanism underlying the association between alcohol use and IPV is necessary to identify potential abusers and develop effective interventions. Perceived control and alcohol expectancies have both been linked to abuse. The purpose of our study was to test the relationship between perceived control, alcohol expectancies, alcohol use, and IPV to inform development of effective prevention and intervention strategies. Results indicated that alcohol expectancies significantly predicted physical and psychological IPV and were moderated by perceived control. Alcohol expectancies accounted for 53% of the variance in physical IPV committed by low perceived control individuals under the influence of alcohol. Understanding these relationships could guide development of effective prevention/ intervention strategies based on expectancy challenge methods.

Background: Despite modest reductions in alcohol use among college students, drinking-related harms continue to be prevalent. Group-delivered programs have had little impact on drinking except for experiential expectancy challenge interventions that are impractical because they rely on alcohol administration. Expectancy Challenge Alcohol Literacy Curriculum (ECALC), however, offers a non-experiential alternative suitable for widespread implementation for universal, selective, or indicated prevention. Objectives: ECALC has been effective with mandated students, fraternity members, and small classes of 30 or fewer first-year college students. Larger universities, however, typically have classes with 100 students or more, and ECALC has not yet been tested with groups of this size. To fill this gap, we conducted a group randomized trial in which five class sections with over 100 college students received either ECALC or an attention-matched control presentation and completed follow-up at four weeks. Results: ECALC was associated with significant changes on six subscales of the Comprehensive Effects of Alcohol Scale (CEOA), post-intervention expectancies predicted drinking at four-week follow-up, and there were significant expectancy differences between groups. Compared to the control group, students who received ECALC demonstrated significant expectancy changes and reported less alcohol use at follow-up. Conclusions: Findings suggest ECALC is an effective, single session group-delivered intervention program that can be successfully implemented in large classes.

College students consume more alcohol and engage in binge drinking more frequently than their non-college attending peers, and prevalence of alcohol-related consequences (e.g., drinking and driving; taking avoidable risks) has not decreased proportionally with decreases in consumption. Social anxiety and alcohol expectancies, or beliefs about the effects of alcohol, have been found to be significantly related to alcohol use and account for significant variance in alcohol use and related consequences. Few studies, however, have examined how other social variables such as need to belong and social connectedness may fit into existing models of increased and risky alcohol use. Methods: Students at a large state university (n = 1,278) completed an online survey measuring alcohol expectancies, need to belong, social anxiety, and social connectedness. Mean age of participants was 19.65 years, and 59.5% self-identified as female, 39.8% male, and 0.7% identified as transgender. Structural equation modeling supported hypothesized relationships between need to belong, social anxiety, social connectedness, alcohol expectancies, and alcohol use, a mean centered variable that included binge drinking, drinking frequency, and amount of consumption. Results: Positive alcohol expectancies related to tension reduction, sociability, and sexuality, were positively related to drinking, such that increased alcohol expectancies were associated with increased drinking. Alcohol expectancies mediated the relationship between need to belong and increased alcohol use, as well as social connectedness and increased alcohol use. Similarly, social anxiety also mediated these relationships. No direct relationships were found between need to belong or social connectedness and alcohol use, suggesting previous research exploring these relationships may have excluded control variables (e.g., biological sex, race/ethnicity) that better explain the impact of need to belong and social connectedness on alcohol use. Conclusion: Prevention and intervention efforts might be more effective in reducing alcohol use if social factors are more broadly targeted.

Prevention programs may have contributed to modest declines in alcohol use among college students in recent years, but negative consequences continue to be pervasive. First year college students (FYCS) are particularly vulnerable, and there is clearly a need for more effective methods to reduce risk. Meta-analyses focused on expectancy challenge (EC) have found this approach to be effective, but "experiential" EC that includes a drinking exercise is not suitable for most FYCS, many of whom are underage. A non-experiential alternative, the Expectancy Challenge Alcohol Literacy Curriculum (ECALC), is practical for widespread implementation. ECALC has been effective with mandated students and members of fraternities, and in the present study, we focused on evaluating effects with FYCS. In a group randomized trial, 48 class sections of a course designed for FYCS received either ECALC or an attention-matched control presentation. ECALC was associated with significant changes on six expectancy subscales of the Comprehensive Effects of Alcohol Scale (CEOA). Structural equation modeling was used to examine the mediated effects of the intervention on alcohol-related harms via alcohol expectancies. There were significant indirect effects from condition to alcohol use (IND = -0.04, p <.001) and alcohol harms (IND = -0.07, p <.001). This model accounted for 54% of the variance in alcohol use and 46% of the variance in alcohol-related harms. These findings suggest ECALC is an effective, single session group-delivered program that can be incorporated into classroom curricula.