The self-medication hypothesis of addictive disorders derives primarily from clinical observations of patients with substance use disorders. Individuals discover that the specific actions or effects of each class of drugs relieve or change a range of painful affect states. Self-medication factors occur in a context of self-regulation vulnerabilities--primarily difficulties in regulating affects, self-esteem, relationships, and self-care. Persons with substance use disorders suffer in the extreme with their feelings, either being overwhelmed with painful affects or seeming not to feel their emotions at all. Substances of abuse help such individuals to relieve painful affects or to experience or control emotions when they are absent or confusing. Diagnostic studies provide evidence that variously supports and fails to support a self-medication hypothesis of addictive disorders. The cause-consequence controversy involving psychopathology and substance use/abuse is reviewed and critiqued. In contrast, clinical observations and empirical studies that focus on painful affects and subjective states of distress more consistently suggest that such states of suffering are important psychological determinants in using, becoming dependent upon, and relapsing to addictive substances. Subjective states of distress and suffering involved in motives to self-medicate with substances of abuse are considered with respect to nicotine dependence and to schizophrenia and posttraumatic stress disorder comorbid with a substance use disorder.

The Self-medication Hypothesis of Substance Use Disorders: A Reconsideration and Recent Applications

Statistical Analysis With Missing Data (2nd ed.) (Book)

1 July 7, 2010, marks the fifth anniversary of the 2005 terrorist attacks on London’s Metro system. In 2005, terrorists launched a coordinated attack against London’s transportation system, with 3 bombs detonating simultaneously at three different Metro stations and a fourth bomb exploding an hour later on a city bus. In all, there were 52 victims in these bombings with an additional 700 injuries resulting. The four terrorists who executed the attacks were killed in the explosions.

National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism

Human Development Report 2006

Researchers have become increasingly interested in disentangling selection and influence processes. This literature review provides context for the special issue on network–behavior dynamics. It brings together important conceptual, methodological, and empirical contributions focusing on longitudinal social network modeling. First, an overview of mechanisms underlying selection and influence is given. After a description of the shortcomings of previous studies in this area, the stochastic actor-based model is sketched; this is used in this special issue to examine network–behavior dynamics. The preconditions for such analyses are discussed, as are common model specification issues. Next, recent empirical advances in research on adolescence are discussed, focusing on new insights into moderating effects, initiation of behaviors, time heterogeneity, mediation effects, and negative ties.

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Network–Behavior Dynamics

This study addresses not only influence and selection of friends as sources of similarity in alcohol use, but also peer processes leading drinkers to be chosen as friends more often than non-drinkers, which increases the number of adolescents subject to their influence. Analyses apply a stochastic actor-based model to friendship networks assessed five times from 6th through 9th grades for 50 grade cohort networks in Iowa and Pennsylvania, which include 13,214 individuals. Results show definite influence and selection for similarity in alcohol use, as well as reciprocal influences between drinking and frequently being chosen as a friend. These findings suggest that adolescents view alcohol use as an attractive, high status activity and that friendships expose adolescents to opportunities for drinking.

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Peers and the Emergence of Alcohol Use: Influence and Selection Processes in Adolescent Friendship Networks

Although some sources have observed an increase in the number of gun purchases following mass shootings, empirical research investigating this pattern is limited. Appraisal Theory suggests that mass shootings contribute to fear of victimization through media exposure. Desire for self-protection is the primary reason many individuals own and purchase guns. This paper examines this link by assessing the effects of six mass shootings that took place in the 2000–2010 time period. This study examines effects for gun acquisition nationally and regionally as well as timing-specific patterns in gun acquisition following these events. Gun acquisition counts are approximated from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Results indicate a positive but delayed association between mass shootings and the number of NICS background checks. Implications of this finding for violence and possibilities for future research are discussed.

Responding to violence with guns: Mass shootings and gun acquisition

Friendship group position and substance use.

While much existing research has examined either juvenile or adult weapon carrying, this study assesses whether carrying a weapon to school as a juvenile is predictive of bringing a handgun to school or work in adulthood. Data are drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Results show a decline in weapon carrying behavior over time. However, youth who report school weapon carrying in adolescence are much more likely to report carrying a handgun to school or work in adulthood. Findings also demonstrate that victimization, rather than offending behavior, is predictive of adulthood handgun carrying at school and work.

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Armed Kids, Armed Adults? Weapon Carrying From Adolescence to Adulthood:

In this study, we examined how the number of friends and leadership among peers related to e-cigarette use and beliefs about the social consequences of use among college students. Data were collect...

Lacey N. Wallace

Papers

Peers and the Emergence of Alcohol Use: Influence and Selection Processes in Adolescent Friendship Networks

Responding to violence with guns: Mass shootings and gun acquisition

Friendship group position and substance use.

Armed Kids, Armed Adults? Weapon Carrying From Adolescence to Adulthood:

Vaping in Context: Links Among E-cigarette Use, Social Status, and Peer Influence for College Students: