No abstract

Previous research has suggested that Behavioral Activation System (BAS) sensitivity may be associated with stronger appetitive responses to alcohol cues. This study was conducted to explore whether those with higher BAS sensitivity showed greater urge and affective responses to alcohol cues and whether different types of appetitive cues moderated the magnitude of these associations. One hundred eighty-eight hazardous drinkers (90 women) were exposed to the sight and smell of their favorite alcoholic beverage during a cue exposure procedure. Participants were asked to either lean towards the beverage (Cue Only) when signaled by tones, or lift the beverage towards them (Cue+Action). BAS sensitivity was significantly associated with baseline ratings of urge and affect, and was found to be a significant predictor of urge and affect reactivity; however significant interaction effects with cue type were not observed. Results provide further evidence for the influence of individual differences in reward responsiveness on alcohol use and abuse.

Despite the development of brief efficacious interventions, they are not reaching a large proportion of college students who continue to drink in a manner that puts them at risk for harm. Recent efforts have attempted to address this issue through the development of brief alcohol interventions that may be more broadly disseminated to college students. Researchers have adapted a variety of approaches to print and computer-based modalities that do not require direct real-time contact with an interventionist. The goal of this paper is to review the empirical evidence for the utility of these brief alcohol interventions that are delivered without direct real-time contact. A systematic review of this research suggests that 'no-contact' interventions are feasible and may have efficacy. Further research is needed to understand the duration of these effects, mechanisms of change, moderators of outcome, and how to enhance the effectiveness of these approaches.

There are many complexities inherent in the assessment of veterans who have served in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Not only do many OEF and OIF veterans have histories of exposure to a range of potentially traumatic or highly stressful events, but the consequences of these exposures may manifest themselves in varied mental health problems following deployment. Therefore, the development of a comprehensive clinical case conceptualization requires an in-depth understanding of the deployment-related experiences that increase veterans' risk of mental health problems, as well as the postdeployment mental health sequelae that are most relevant for this population.Consistent with this goal, we begin this chapter with a discussion of predeployment, deployment, and postdeployment factors that may be associated with postdeployment sequelae to provide a conceptual framework