ABSTRACT. Objective: Motivational interviewing to reduce alcohol and marijuana use among incarcerated adolescents was evaluated. Method: Adolescents (N = 162, 84% male; M = 17.10 years old) were randomly assigned to receive motivational interviewing or relaxation training, with follow-up assessment 3 months after release. Results: Compared with those who received relaxation training, adolescents who received motivational interviewing had lower rates of alcohol and marijuana use at follow-up, with some evidence for moderating effects of depression. At low levels of depression, adolescents who received motivational interviewing had lower rates of use. Adolescents who received relaxation training and who had high levels of depressive symptoms early in incarceration showed less use at follow-up than those low in depressive symptoms who received relaxation training. Conclusions: This brief motivational interviewing intervention during incarceration reduces alcohol and marijuana use after release. In addition, depressive symptoms early in incarceration should be considered in treating these adolescents, but more work is needed to extend follow-up period and account for the impact of depression on outcomes. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 72, 497-506, 2011) Received: October 6, 2010. Revision: March 2, 2011. *This research was supported by National Institute on Drug Abuse Grant R01 #13375 (to L.A.R. Stein, principal investigator).† Correspondence may be sent to L. A. R. Stein at the above address or via email at: LARStein@uri.edu. L. A. R. Stein is also with The Rhode Island Training School, Cranston, RI, and the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI. Suzanne M. Colby, Nancy P. Barnett, and Peter M. Monti are with the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI. Charles Golembeske is with the Psychology Department, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, and The Rhode Island Training School, Cranston, RI. Peter M. Monti is also with Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RI. R ATES OF ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA USE are high among youths involved in the juvenile justice system. An investigation of substance use by adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system found that those arrested in the past year were twice as likely to have used alcohol and 3.5 times more likely to have used marijuana compared with adolescents who were not arrested in the last year (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 2004). Rates of alcohol and marijuana use disorders among detainees are approximately 26.1% and 43.3%, respectively, and adolescent detainees show relatively high rates of depression or dysthymia (29.6%;Teplin et al., 2002). Incarcerated adolescents with negative mood (especially depression) have higher levels of alcohol use, have more consequences from alcohol and marijuana, use to regulate emotions, and use more avoidant coping than their normal-mood counterparts (Turner et al., 2005). Similarly, incarcerated adolescents with...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a brief version of the Marijuana Effect Expectancy Questionnaire (MEEQ; Schafer & Brown, 1991). The original MEEQ was reduced to 6 items (MEEQ-B). Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed and two factors were identified (positive effects and negative effects) accounting for 52.3% of the variance. Internal consistencies (0.42 to 0.60) were slightly lower than those of the original MEEQ. The negative effect expectancy scale correlated with criterion variables that assess marijuana use (p ≤ .05). This measure is a helpful tool for clinicians to use when assessing youth expectancies. Replication across different samples of adjudicated youth is recommended. KeywordsAdolescent; incarcerated; marijuana effect expectancies More than half of high school seniors acknowledge using illicit substances, including marijuana, and approximately 25% admit to using drugs in the past 30 days (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2002). The number of youth starting to use marijuana at younger than 15 years old has grown in the last decade; this is significant because those adolescents who start using at 15 years or younger are 2.5 times more likely than those starting to use marijuana at 18 years or older to have symptoms of dependence in adulthood (Dennis et al., 2002). Marijuana use has increased despite its association with higher rates of mental disorders, health problems, and school problems among youth (Dennis et al., 2002 The risk of substance use disorders is also elevated among youth who commit crimes (McClelland, Elkington, Teplin, & Abram, 2004) and are detained (Braithwaite, Conerly, Robillard, Stephens, & Woodring, 2003). Many youth involved in the justice system have a substance use disorder ) and many more regularly use illicit substances, including high rates of marijuana use (95.7%; Lebeau-Craven et al., 2003). McClelland, Elkington et al. (2004) found that marijuana use disorder, alone and/or in addition to alcohol, was the most common substance use disorder among an adolescent detainee population.The subjective and behavioral effects of drugs are influenced by expectancies (Aarons, Brown, Stice, & Coe, 2001). Expectancy theory indicates that "through learning, the effects, consequences, and contexts of substance use act to motivate future substance use" (Brown, 1993, p. 56). There is considerable evidence that expectations for reinforcement from alcohol use are highly correlated with the commencement and continuation of drinking behavior (Brown, 1993;Katz, Fromme, & D'Amico, 2000). For example, adolescents who expect positive and arousing effects from alcohol use have been found to have earlier initiation of drinking behavior and drink more often and with less moderation than those youth who hold less evident expectancies (Aarons et al., 2001). Moreover, young adults are more likely to drink alcohol and use illicit drugs when they hold strong positive and weak negative expectancies for these behaviors (Aarons et al., 2001;Katz et al., 2000;Schafer...

Background The impact of depressed mood on Motivational Interviewing (MI) to reduce risky behaviors and consequences in incarcerated adolescents was examined in this brief report. Methods Adolescents (N=189) were randomly assigned to receive MI or Relaxation Training (RT). Results At 3-month follow-up assessment, MI significantly reduced risks associated with marijuana use, with a trend towards reducing risks associated with alcohol use. There was also a trend for depressive symptoms to be associated with reduced risks after release. Interaction effects were non-significant, indicating no moderating effects for depressed mood on treatment outcome. Conclusions MI may be a useful treatment for incarcerated adolescents in order to reduce risks and consequences associated with substance use after release.

BackgroundIn light of the accelerating and rapidly evolving overdose crisis in the United States (US), new strategies are needed to address the epidemic and to efficiently engage and retain individuals in care for opioid use disorder (OUD). Moreover, there is an increasing need for novel approaches to using health data to identify gaps in the cascade of care for persons with OUD.

GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate) was developed as a general anesthetic. Due to dosing difficulty and side effects, regular use was discontinued. Medical uses include treating sleep and alcohol disorders. In the 1990s, it was promoted as a supplement and taken to improve mood and sex. GHB and its analogs (gamma butyrolactone and butanediol) were widely available until federal regulations were put into effect with mounting evidence of adverse events. This survey (N = 61) study was conducted to assess patterns, experiences, and functions of use. Much of what is understood regarding GHB treatment is based on hospital case studies for overdose and withdrawal. Not enough is known about prevention, reducing use and associated problems, or relapse. We know little about specific drug effect expectancies, triggers, coping skills, and consequences of use (positive/negative). While the drug treatment literature has a wealth of information to draw upon, GHB-specific information may greatly assist relapse prevention.