College student binge drinkers incur significant adverse consequences for themselves and others, yet often do not see their drinking as problematic. Counseling interventions should therefore be sensitive to relevant consequences, motivational level, and readiness to change. Article integrates harm-reduction principles, motivational interviewing,…

Research evaluated psychometric properties of College Alcohol Problem Scale (CAPS) using a sample of African American college students. CAPS was evaluated for reliability and accuracy in identifying potential abusive drinkers. Results indicate that CAPS is a reliable and effective device for identification of abusive drinking among African…

Study assessed extent to which peer-influence vulnerability moderates the relationship between campus drinking norms and undergraduates' alcohol use, using the Attention to Social Comparison Information subscale. Students high in attention to social comparison information who believed others were frequent, heavy users of alcohol reported highest…

Persons who underwent residential treatment for chemical dependency were identified as three-month treatment failures (N=52) or successes (N=52). Subjects were matched on Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) scores. Found posttreatment depression, anxiety, and sleep problems strongly related to failure among psychiatric MMPI group;…

Psychiatric outpatients (N=211) reported evidence of unresolved grief. Incidence of unresolved grief was greatest among patients who had lost children and lowest among patients who had lost parents. Unresolved grief was associated with increased intensity of affective symptomatology; past histories of depression, suicide attempts, and alcohol…

Examined the ability of CAGE, an established screening test for alcoholism, to identify accurately problem drinkers among college students (N=582). Found that the CAGE did not perform well enough to serve as a screening tool for problem drinking within the college student population. (Author/ABL)

The study with 32 male college students supported previous studies depicting the infant cry as a stressful and aversive event, capable of eliciting increased drinking. Subjects who heard an infant cry consumed significantly more alcohol and reported feeling more aversion, arousal, and distress than subjects who listened to a smoke alarm.…

Examines in detail the political and ethical dilemmas encountered when results of the Barrow Alcohol Study generated considerable reaction in the scientific community, popular press, and local population. Argues difficulties might have been avoided with better insight into community belief regarding the nature of the problem and better community…

A DWI prevention program for driving schools was developed and evaluated. Two hundred and eight driving school students followed the program. Research found that knowledge improved, attitudes and behavior intentions were already positive at pretest, DWI was equally reported by both control and study groups, and there was a positive effect on…

Impact of parent alcohol misuse on the sexual behavior of female adolescents was studied with 1,134 teenagers of alcohol-misusing parents. Index adolescents were more likely to report sexual intercourse and greater frequency of intercourse. Gender of the drinking parent was related to a number of factors related to sexuality. (SLD)

Reports on a nationwide sample of 52 colleges and universities examining the relationship between students' self-reported drinking patterns and problems and college administrator's perceptions of those problems, and the existence of campus alcohol policies, programs, and services. Results show little relationship between the three factors.…

Woititz identified 13 generalizations about adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs). Her work was based on clinical populations and may not be generalizable to a nonclinical population. Using 442 undergraduates, a study of students' perceptions of the applicability of Woititz's variables to them was conducted. No significant effects were found, even…

Reports on the knowledge of Israeli high school students about the strength of seven different types of alcoholic beverages. Low rates of correct responses were found, especially among females. The strength of distilled spirits was more accurately estimated and that of light beer less accurately estimated. Implications for prevention are…

Examined relationships between drug trafficking (selling and delivering), cigarette and alcohol use, and illicit drug use among African-American adolescents. Found that drug trafficking is equally likely to occur with or without cigarette and alcohol use or illicit drug involvement, suggesting that intervention should extend to drug trafficking in…

Examines the type, frequency, and chronicity of alcohol and drug use, impact of such use on functioning, and concomitant psychiatric diagnoses, symptomatology, and behavior problems among adolescent psychiatric inpatients. Results indicate that approximately 50% of the sample had problems with drugs or alcohol, which supports the need for…