Background Interactive and mobile technologies (i.e., smartphones such as Blackberries, iPhones, and palm-top computers) show promise as an efficacious and cost-effective means of communicating health-behavior risks, improving public health outcomes, and accelerating behavior change (Abroms and Maibach, 2008). The present study was conducted as a “needs assessment” to examine the current available mobile smartphone applications (e.g., apps) that utilize principles of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) -- daily self-monitoring or near real-time self-assessment of alcohol use behavior -- to promote positive behavior change, alcohol harm reduction, psycho-education about alcohol use, or abstinence from alcohol. Methods Data were collected and analyzed from iTunes for Apple iPhone©. An inventory assessed the number of available apps that directly addressed alcohol use and consumption, alcohol treatment, or recovery, and whether these apps incorporated empirically-based components of alcohol treatment. Results Findings showed that few apps addressed alcohol use behavior change or recovery. Aside from tracking drinking consumption, a minority utilized empirically-based components of alcohol treatment. Some apps claimed they could serve as an intervention, however no empirical evidence was provided. Conclusions More studies are needed to examine the efficacy of mobile technology in alcohol intervention studies. The large gap between availability of mobile apps and their use in alcohol treatment programs indicate several important future directions for research.

In the present study, the psychometric properties and factor structure of the 24-item Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) were tested in a sample of 687 college students. Results support a similar 3-factor structure to that identified in samples of youths, in whom this measure was previously validated. Correlations with external variables support the convergent and discriminant validity of the ICU total score and Uncaring and Callousness factor scores. The ICU was moderately to strongly correlated with the total score and the Coldheartedness and Self-Centered Impulsivity factors of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised, and the total score of Levenson's Self-Report Psychopathy Scale, and also predicted incremental variance in several external variables beyond these existing self-report psychopathy measures. Together, these findings suggest that with a few modifications, the ICU may hold promise as a brief self-report measure for assessing traits reflecting callousness and "meanness" in adults. High scores identified college students who tended to show antisocial tendencies consistent with diagnostic criteria for antisocial personality disorder, while also exhibiting low levels of empathy. Recommendations for future research with the ICU are discussed.

There have been relatively few population-based studies that have documented the extent of tobacco use among those with mental health disorders. Recently, the K6 scale, designed to assess serious psychological distress (SPD) at the population level, has been incorporated into a number of population-based health behavior surveys. The present study documented the prevalence of tobacco use products, dependence, and quit behavior among those with and without SPD utilizing the 2002 National Survey of Drug Use and Health. Results from the current study indicated that adults with SPD had greater odds of lifetime, past month, and daily use of cigarettes, cigars and pipes than adults without SPD. Common measures of nicotine dependence (e.g., Nicotine Dependence Syndrome Scale) indicated that a greater percentage of those with SPD were nicotine dependent compared to those without SPD. Lastly, quit ratios differed notably by SPD status. Among those with SPD, 29% quit or were former smokers compared to 49% of those without SPD. Findings highlight the importance of continuing to enhance public health efforts towards smoking cessation among those with mental health disorders, extensive tobacco surveillance and monitoring of tobacco trends among this group, and evaluating the extent to which this group of smokers may contribute to a hardening of the population.

Objective-We examined the effectiveness of motivational interviewing (MI) on club drug use and risky sex in non-treatment-seeking men who have sex with men (MSM).Method-MSM (N=150) were assessed and randomly assigned to four sessions of MI or an educational control intervention. Follow up occurred at quarterly intervals for 1 year. Primary outcomes were days of any club drug use and number of unsafe sex acts.Results-On average, club drug use declined during follow up. A significant interaction effect showed that MI was associated with less club drug use during follow up compared to education, but only among participants with lower severity of drug dependence (p<.02; small to medium effect size). MI did not result in a significant reduction in risky sex relative to education. Conclusions-The results support the use of MI targeting club drug use in at-risk or mildly dependent users not seeking treatment, but not in more severely dependent users. MI does not appear effective in reducing risky sexual behavior in this population.