Psychology
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Item A Behavioral Activation Approach to Smoking Cessation for Depressed Smokers at VA Medical Centers.(2007-07-19) Bercaw, Edwin; Lejuez, Carl W; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Depressed smokers experience greater difficulty in quitting, and patients who report improvement in depressive symptoms during smoking cessation treatment achieve higher rates of abstinence. Patients may benefit from a novel treatment approach that combines standard smoking cessation with behavioral activation treatment for depression (BA; Jacobson et al., 1996). Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center patients are a psychiatrically complex population with a smoking prevalence 10% higher than the general population. VA patients experience low cessation rates and may be underserved by standard treatments. The purpose of the present study was the development and initial investigation of a brief BA-based smoking intervention called the Life Enhancement Treatment for Smoking (LETS-Quit). A total of 21 VA patients with elevated (>12) Beck Depression Inventory-II scores (BDI-II; Beck, Steer, & Brown, 1996) received 3-sessions of LETS-Quit or a control treatment and were followed for 30 days. A small sample size limited treatment evaluation and no benefit of LETS-Quit on smoking outcome was noted. However, findings suggested a strong effect of LETS-Quit on depressive symptoms. Treatment of depression during smoking cessation may greatly improve long-term success rates for this difficult to treat population. The feasibility and potential effectiveness of LETS-Quit in outpatient medical settings is discussed to guide further treatment evaluation.Item THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL ANXIETY AND ALCOHOL USE IN A COLLEGE STUDENT SAMPLE(2004-12-02) Bercaw, Edwin; Turner, Samuel M; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Some individuals with social phobia frequently use alcohol, a behavior that may often result in the alleviation of anticipatory or performance anxiety in social situations. Reinforcement of drinking behavior may eventually lead to alcohol abuse or possibly the more severe condition of dependence. This study investigated the prevalence of alcohol use disorders in a sample of socially anxious college students. Quantity and frequency of drinking were measured and analyzed between high social anxiety participants (HSA) and low social anxiety participants (LSA). The HSA group included those with DSM-IV social phobia, as well as those who did not meet criteria for social phobia. Drinking motives were analyzed between the two groups to determine whether highly socially anxious drinkers differed from low socially anxious drinkers in reported reasons for drinking. Trait negative affect also was measured to explore the possibility that socially anxious drinkers experience a greater level of general, negative emotionality when compared to those with social anxiety who do not drink. Results indicated that low socially anxious participants had greater amounts of alcohol use on all drinking indices. When drinking motives were used to predict actual amount of alcohol use, high social facilitation motives were best associated with actual drinking for LSA participants; whereas coping motives were most predictive for HSA drinkers. Therefore, among college students, where drinking is a social behavior, individuals with low social anxiety were more likely to drink. However, socially anxious individuals may be more likely to drink to cope with anxiety and depression, a style of drinking associated with drinking problems later in life.