MA, University of Cincinnati, 2020, Arts and Sciences: Psychology

In the U.S., approximately 2.3 million individuals ages 16-24 have not attained a high school diploma (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2017). Those who drop out are three times more likely to be unemployed and earn incomes 27% less than those who graduate (Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS], 2018, 2019). Academic failure is associated with higher rates of substance abuse (Trenz, Harrell, Scherer, Mancha, & Latimer, 2012), which can have a causal effect on academic performance. Prescription drug misuse (PDM), or taking drugs that are not prescribed to you or as intended, is the second most commonly abused drug class among teens after marijuana (excluding alcohol/cigarettes; NIDA, 2018). Nearly a quarter (23%) of adolescents report a lifetime history of PDM (MetLife Foundation, 2013). The current study evaluated the lifetime misuse of four different drug classes (i.e., sedatives, stimulants, tranquilizers, opioids) to understand the prevalence and correlates of PDM among this at-risk group. Results revealed that lifetime PDM among adolescents was at 8%, with the highest rates of use found among White youth, females, and individuals with family incomes at or above $75,000. Age and alcohol use were both significantly associated with lifetime PDM among youth. The odds of PDM were highest among 13-year-olds (B = .30, p = .05, OR = 1.36 [95% CI: 1.01, 1.83), indicating an increase in risk for this age group. There were decreased odds of PDM for youth engaging in alcohol use (B = -.28, p<.05, OR = .75 [95% CI: .69, 1.23). In terms of academic performance, youth who earned a D or less than D average had the highest odds of PDM (B = .52, p< .05, OR = 1.70 [95% CI: 1.16, 2.45]). Findings suggest that early adolescence and academic failure increase the risk for lifetime PDM among youth.

Committee: Monica Mitchell Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Quintino Mano Ph.D. (Committee Member); LaTrice Montgomery Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), Xavier University, 2018, Psychology

Nonmedical use of prescription stimulants is increasingly common among college students (Schulenberg, Johnston, O'Malley, Bachman, Miech, & Patrick, 2017). Research into the motives behind this behavior indicates that students most often use prescription stimulants to enhance academic performance in response to academic stress, although there is little empirical data to suggest that using stimulants leads to positive academic outcomes. Factors that appear to perpetuate prescription stimulant use on college campuses include low perceived risk and high social acceptability associated with using diverted stimulants to improve academic functioning. The current study used experimental and self-report methods to compare perceptions stimulant use for academic purposes to other types of drug use for utilitarian and recreational purposes in a sample (N = 243 ; 79% Caucasian; 65.4% women) of college students. In general, approval of all forms of drug use, with the exception of recreational marijuana and alcohol use, was low. Consistent with hypotheses, results indicated that college students rated a peer who used Adderall for academic purposes significantly more favorably than a peer who used Adderall, Vicodin, or marijuana for recreation. However, overall social acceptability ratings for all types of diverted prescription drug use were low. This suggests that although students view using prescription stimulants as a study aid more favorably than other types of drug use, they still do believe that this is a socially unacceptable behavior.

Committee: Susan Kenford Ph.D. (Advisor) Subjects: Psychology

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2023, Arts and Sciences: Psychology

Background: In 2020, 16.1 million individuals ages 12 and over endorsed past-year prescription drug misuse (PDM); opioids were the most misused prescription drug class (i.e., 9.3 million people). According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, prescription opioid misuse resulted in an average of 38 deaths per day in 2019, making pain relievers responsible for 28% of all opioid-related fatalities. The “opioid epidemic” was declared a public health emergency due to the widespread impact of drug overdose deaths in rural and suburban communities across the United States. This epidemic has traditionally been depicted as a crisis devastating non-Hispanic White populations, however, as opioid overdose deaths decrease within these communities, deaths among African Americans have increased over time. The prevalence and correlates associated with misusing prescription drugs have been outlined in the extant literature and the deleterious effects of PDM in the African American community have been observed, yet research investigating misuse among this population remains limited. A primary aim of this study was to examine the psychosocial factors (i.e., mental health, substance use) that increase the risk of PDM among African Americans. PDM trends were also analyzed to evaluate misuse over time. Method: Using pooled cross-sectional data (2015-2019) from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), this study examined trends and correlates (i.e., mental health [major depressive episode, suicidal ideation, serious psychological distress], substance use [alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, illicit substances]) of PDM among African American adults (ages 18 and older) who endorsed lifetime misuse of prescription drugs. Results: Trend analyses revealed that lifetime PDM among African Americans was significantly lower in 2017 and 2018, relative to 2015. A similar relationship was observed for past 12-month PDM with significant differences indicating lower prev (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Monica Mitchell Ph.D. (Committee Chair); LaTrice Montgomery Ph.D. (Committee Member); Dale Mantey Ph.D. (Committee Member); Quintino Mano Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

PHD, Kent State University, 2020, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology and Criminology

Prevalence of nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) has risen dramatically during the past two decades. Studies meeting the demand for empirical research on this phenomenon have mainly identified individual-level drivers of NMUPD. While such identification assists in understanding these trends, few studies have considered the social drivers of NMUPD. This is surprising given 1) prevalence varies according to neighborhood type (i.e., rural, urban, suburban) and 2) the wealth of empirical and theoretical literature connecting social factors to health behaviors, deviant behavior, and use of other illicit substances. The goal of this dissertation is to situate the NMUPD as a social problem by investigating its structural sources and social determinants. I use social disorganization theory (Sampson and Groves 1989; Shaw and McKay 1942) and associated “neighborhood effects” frameworks (Brooks-Gunn et al. 1993; Gephart 1997; Leventhal and Brooks-Gunn 2000), to frame the NMUPD epidemic as a product of social-structural (i.e., macro) forces that are mitigated by community-level mechanisms. Using two waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), I generate logistic regression models testing the effects of macro-level predictors on individual odds of NMUPD, as well as the intervening roles of collective efficacy (Fagan, Wright, and Pinchevsky 2014; Sampson, Raudenbush, and Earls 1997; Theall et al. 2009), depressive symptoms (Aneshensel and Sucoff 1996; Ross 2000), and access to healthcare (Browning and Cagney 2002; Ross and Mirowsky 2001) in this relationship. Findings highlight the neighborhood context as a source of variation in NMUPD. Results indicate that living in a disorganized neighborhood is associated with increased odds of engaging in NMUPD and highlight neighborhood residential instability as an important risk factor. Further analyses reveal that this association is stratified, with female residents bearing the most su (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Robert L. Peralta Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Richard E. Adams Ph.D. (Committee Member); Kele Ding Ph.D. (Committee Member); Stacey Nofziger Ph.D. (Committee Member); Starr Solomon Ph.D. (Committee Member); Peggy C. Stephens Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Sociology

Master of Science in Criminal Justice, Youngstown State University, 2019, Department of Criminal Justice and Consumer Sciences

This thesis investigates possible associations between college students and their lifestyle choices with the misuse of prescription drugs in comparison to their academic achievements. Based on the literature regarding Robert Agnew's General Strain Theory and the misuse of prescription pain medication, sedatives and stimulants, the four hypotheses were tested: H1: College students who misuse prescription drugs have lower G.P. A's than college students who do not misuse prescription drugs. H2: In order to deal with the stress of college life, students will self-medicate as a way of coping. H3: Most college students will use prescription drugs non-medically for the purpose of improving grades. H4: Undergraduate students in their first and second years of college are more likely to misuse prescription medication than juniors, seniors, and graduate students. A total of 184 students from Youngstown State University responded to the College Prescription Drug Study (2018), administered by The Ohio State University's Center for the Study of Student Life, Student Life Student Wellness Center, and the College of Pharmacy. There was support for two of the four hypotheses regarding college students who misuse prescription medication. There was support of college students misusing prescription medication to help manage their stress and there was also support linking the reason why most college students misuse prescription medication to help study and/or improve grades. There was no support linking the relationship between drug use and GPA as well as no support for the idea that college students in their first and second years of college are more likely to misuse prescription medication than junior, seniors and graduate students. The findings add to the substantial literature examining drug use and academic achievement. Future research is recommended in order to develop ways in which college students can feel at ease in their environment as well as finding ways to cope and mana (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Christopher Bellas PhD (Advisor); John Hazy PhD (Committee Member); Monica Merrill PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Public Health; Social Research; Sociology

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2016, Sociology

In this paper, I examine the pathways between sexual anxiety and prescription drug misuse during sexual activities for men and women of different sexual identities (heterosexual, gay/lesbian, and bisexual/queer/questioning (BQQ)) in a sample of young adults (ages 18 to 29) who misuse prescription drugs. Based on general strain theory, I treat sexual anxiety as a source of strain that may increase the likelihood of engaging in delinquent behavior. I begin by asking whether sexual anxiety predicts the frequency of prescription drug misuse during sex. Secondly, I examine how sexual anxiety operates differently for men and women of different sexual identities. I use a mixed-methods approach to answer these questions. Specifically, I use negative binomial regression, general structural equation modeling, and thematic analysis of in-depth interviews. I find first that sexual anxiety is an important predictor of prescription drug misuse during sex. Sexual anxiety generally operates by decreasing the frequency of sexual activity, which in turn decreases the frequency of misusing prescription drugs during sex. However, for straight and BQQ men, higher levels of sexual anxiety do increase the likelihood of prescription drug misuse during sex. Further, I find that sexual anxiety captures different dimensions for different groups based on gender and sexual identity. These findings demonstrate the importance of including gender and sexual identity in deviance research and have implications for the direction of intervention and prevention efforts regarding substance abuse.

Committee: Mike Vuolo (Advisor); Corinne Reczek (Committee Member); Dana Haynie (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology; Sociology