Motivational Enhancement Research Articles

Psychotherapeutic interventions for cannabis use disorder. What do we know and what should we do?

BackgroundCannabis use disorder is the most commonly reported illegal substance use disorder and demand for treatment is growing worldwide. ObjectivesOur aim was to compare the two last Cochrane systematic reviews of the literature concerning psychotherapeutic and psychosocial interventions for cannabis use disorder to determine what new evidence emerged and how craving was considered as a treatment mediator. MethodWe extracted raw data from both reviews regarding their titles, objectives, methods and results. This information was analyzed by face validity to distinguish apparent differences from real differences. It enabled us to describe similarities and differences between reviews. We also screened both reviews looking for craving or related words. ResultsThe objective and methods of both reviews were mostly similar. Although the second review covered a wider range of psychotherapies, including drug counseling and mindfulness-based meditation as an intervention group and minimal treatment as a control group. Five of the six studies included in the first review were also included in the second review. One study excluded from the first review was included in the last review that included an additional 17 studies published after the first review. The 2016 review performed a meta-analysis whereas the first review was descriptive. Both reviews supported the efficacy of motivational enhancement therapy and cognitive and behavioral therapy interventions with adjunction of contingency management for abstinence when possible. There was no relevant mention of craving in the 2006 review and very few in the 2016 review. ConclusionThe methods and results of the last two Cochrane reviews on psychosocial interventions for cannabis use disorder were mostly similar. Consistent with other reviews on the same subject and reviews of psychotherapies for other substance use disorders, the 2016 review confirmed evidence already available in the 2006 review. Instead of confirming already confirmed evidence, future research is needed to determine if craving focused treatment would increase efficiency and how to maintain initial treatment outcomes long-term.

Trait mindfulness and cannabis use–related factors in adolescents and young adults with frequent use

Background: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are effective in adult substance-use treatment and may be helpful for adolescents and young adults (AYAs). One target of MBIs is to improve trait mindfulness, which has been associated with better lifestyle and health outcomes. To inform MBIs for reducing cannabis use in AYAs, we sought to identify how trait mindfulness was associated with cannabis-related problems and quit attempts, as well as with motivation to change use in youth who report frequent use. Methods: Participants aged 15–24 years using cannabis ≥ 3x/week were recruited from AYA clinics in a northeastern US city to participate in a cannabis-use intervention pilot, randomized trial. At baseline, we assessed cannabis-use history, problems associated with use, attempts to quit, and trait mindfulness. All participants were offered two sessions of motivational enhancement therapy, during which they rated motivation to quit cannabis. Regression analyses were conducted to assess associations between trait mindfulness and cannabis use–related problems, attempts to quit, and motivation to change. Results: Seventy participants, mean age 20.7 ± 1.9 years, enrolled. Sixty percent identified as female, 47% as Black non-Hispanic, and 31% as Hispanic. Participants started using cannabis at mean age 15.0 ± 2.8 years and were using ≥ 3x/week by 17.0 ± 2.3 years. Higher mindfulness scores were associated with fewer cannabis-related problems (p = 0.004) and fewer quit attempts (p = 0.035). The number of cannabis-related problems did not significantly mediate the relationship between mindfulness and quit attempts. Trait mindfulness did not predict motivation to change cannabis use. Conclusions: Among AYAs using cannabis frequently, higher trait mindfulness was associated with both fewer cannabis use-–related problems and fewer quit attempts. Future research should assess whether trait mindfulness is an appropriate target for decreasing cannabis use and the utility of MBIs for reducing cannabis-use behaviors.

70.2 WE SBIRE (SCREENING, BRIEF INTERVENTION, AND REFERRAL TO EVALUATION FOR SUBSTANCE USE) TO MAKE SBIRT (SUBSTANCE SCREENING, BRIEF INTERVENTION, AND REFERRAL TO TREATMENT) WORK

Less than 10% of adolescents who could benefit from substance treatment receive it. In an effort to address this gap in 2011, the AAP recommended universal adoption of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) in pediatric primary care settings. Unfortunately, despite widespread implementation of SBIRT, service utilization figures have remained stubbornly persistent over the past decade, leading us to conclude that SBIRT, in its current form, is not working. To overcome the limitations of SBIRT, Paula Riggs, MD, has partnered with pediatric primary care providers to develop “warm handoff” procedures to enhance adolescent substance treatment engagement in which pediatric clinicians screen and refer substance-involved adolescents for brief consultative evaluation (SBIRE), not treatment (SBIRT). Pediatric primary care providers are trained to administer Screening to Brief Intervention (S2BI)—a brief, well-validated substance screening measure—at annual adolescent well-visits. Youth who report at least monthly drug/alcohol use are asked for their consent to share screening results and be contacted by an expert in adolescent substance use for a brief consultative evaluation. During a brief telephone consultation/evaluation lasting 15 to 20 minutes, youth are provided with psychoeducation relevant to their screening results, along with information about treatment and motivational enhancement approaches, to facilitate treatment engagement. Since implementation (September 2020), 27 adolescents have screened positive on the S2BI and consented to referral and brief expert consultation/evaluation. Among these adolescents, 1 out of 27 lived in a different state and 2 out of 27 could not be reached by phone despite multiple attempts. Among the 24 who participated in brief telephone consultation/evaluation, 18 (75%) engaged in substance treatment (5 inpatient detox or residential; 13 outpatient substance treatment). These preliminary findings suggest that the SBIRE approach may significantly enhance adolescent substance treatment engagement compared to conventional SBIRT protocols.

Cognitive-behavioral interventions for the adherence to positive airway pressure therapy: A meta-analysis

The first-line treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is positive airway pressure therapy (PAP). In this context, adherence is widely recognized as problematic with mean adherence rates ranging between 46% to 89% limiting the effectiveness. Cognitive and behavioral interventions (CB) are promising for promoting adherence to PAP therapy. Our aim is to quantify the efficacy of CB interventions (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, Motivational Enhancement Therapy, Motivational Interview Nurse Therapy, Stage Matched Care and SCIP-PA Tailored Intervention) on PAP adherence in OSA patients through a meta-analysis.

Integrative data analysis of self-efficacy in 4 clinical trials for alcohol use disorder.

Self-efficacy has been proposed as a key predictor of alcohol treatment outcomes and a potential mechanism of success in achieving abstinence or drinking reductions following alcohol treatment. Integrative data analysis, where data from multiple studies are combined for analyses, can be used to synthesize analyses across multiple alcohol treatment trials by creating a commensurate measure and controlling for differential item functioning (DIF) to determine whether alcohol treatments improve self-efficacy. The current study used moderated nonlinear factor analysis (MNLFA) to examine the effect of treatment on self-efficacy across four different treatment studies (N=3720; 72.5% male, 68.4% non-Hispanic white). Self-efficacy was measured using the Alcohol Abstinence Self-Efficacy Scale (AASE) in the COMBINE Study (n=1383) and Project MATCH (n=1726), and the Drug Taking Confidence Questionnaire (DTCQ) in two studies of Telephone Continuing Care (TEL Study 1: n=303; TEL Study 2: n=212). DIF was examined across time, study, treatment condition, marital status, age, and sex. We identified 12 items from the AASE and DTCQ to create a commensurate measure of self-efficacy using MNLFA. All active treatments, including cognitive-behavioral treatment, a combined behavioral intervention, medication management, motivation enhancement treatment, telephone continuing care, twelve-step facilitation, and relapse prevention, were associated with significant increases in self-efficacy from baseline to posttreatment that were maintained for up to a year. Importantly, treatment as usual in community settings, which consisted of weekly group therapy that included addiction counseling and twelve-step recovery support, was not associated with significant increases in self-efficacy. Alcohol self-efficacy increases following treatment and numerous evidence-based treatments are associated with significant increases in self-efficacy, which are maintained over time. Community treatment that focuses solely on addiction counseling and twelve-step support may not promote increases in self-efficacy.

Varenicline as a treatment for cannabis use disorder: A placebo-controlled pilot trial

An efficacious pharmacotherapy for cannabis use disorder (CUD) has yet to be established. This study preliminarily evaluated the safety and efficacy of varenicline for CUD in a proof-of-concept clinical trial. Participants in this 6-week randomized, placebo-controlled pilot trial received either varenicline (n=35) or placebo (n=37), added to a brief motivational enhancement therapy intervention. Outcomes included cannabis withdrawal, cannabis abstinence, urine cannabinoid levels, percent cannabis use days, and cannabis sessions per day. Both treatment groups noted significant decreases in self-reported cannabis withdrawal, percentage of days used, and use sessions per day during treatment compared to baseline. While this pilot trial was not powered to detect statistically significant between-group differences, participants randomized to varenicline evidenced numerically greater rates of self-reported abstinence at the final study visit [Week 6 intent-to-treat (ITT): Varenicline: 17.1% vs. Placebo: 5.4%; RR=3.2 (95% CI: 0.7,14.7)]. End-of-treatment urine creatinine corrected cannabinoid levels were numerically lower in the varenicline group and higher in the placebo group compared to baseline [Change from baseline: Varenicline -1.7ng/mg (95% CI: -4.1,0.8) vs. Placebo: 1.9ng/mg (95% CI: -0.4,4.3); Δ=3.5 (95% CI: 0.1,6.9)]. Adverse events related to study treatment did not reveal new safety signals. Findings support the feasibility of conducting clinical trials of varenicline as a candidate pharmacotherapy for CUD, and indicate that a full-scale efficacy trial, powered based on effect sizes and variability yielded in this study, is warranted.

Psychometric investigation of the Chinese version of the Habit, Reward and Fear Scale (HRFS).

BackgroundTobacco use is one of the most important risk factors for health, and China is the largest producer and consumer of tobacco in the world. Monitoring and controlling the tobacco epidemic is an important issue. However, the motivation underlying smoking behavior is complex and specific to the individual. The Habit, Reward and Fear Scale (HRFS) is a feasible tool to evaluate this complex motivation.ObjectivesTo validate the psychometric properties of the HRFS Chinese version (HRFS‐C) and to assess the relationship between motivation and smoking behavior.MethodWe recruited 967 participants through social media and assessed their smoking behavior with three instruments: the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence‐Chinese version (FTND‐C), the Questionnaire on Smoking Urges‐Brief Scale‐Chinese version (QSU‐brief‐C), and the HRFS‐C. Ultimately, we retained 700 valid data points. Cronbach's α and split‐half tests were used to evaluate the reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis, Pearson's r and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to evaluate the validity. In addition, linear regression was used to explore the relationship among the three instruments. The HRFS‐C showed good homogeneity (α = 0.965), concurrent validity, and discriminant validity. A significant linear relationship was observed among the FTND‐C, QSU‐brief‐C, and HRFS‐C (p < .001).ConclusionThe motivation measured by the HRFS‐C can significantly predict nicotine dependence and craving in the smoking population. The HRFS‐C can be used to carry out targeted interventions for addicted patients (e.g., motivational enhancement therapy).

Efficacy of the Motivational Interviewing-Walk Intervention for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy and Quality of Life During Oxaliplatin Treatment: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN) is prevalent among gastrointestinal cancer survivors and often impairs quality of life (QOL). This pilot randomized controlled trial aimed to explore the effect of an 8-week home-based brisk walking (the "MI-Walk") intervention on (1) OIPN severity and (2) QOL at 8 weeks, compared with physical activity (PA) education alone in oxaliplatin-receiving adults with gastrointestinal cancer. Participants (N = 57) recruited from 5 infusion sites received PA education at their second oxaliplatin visit, followed by phone assessments of adverse events over 8 weeks. Half (n = 29) received additional MI-Walk intervention motivational supports (eg, a Fitbit Charge 2 and motivational enhancement therapy sessions). Self-reported OIPN, QOL, and PA were measured before and after intervention. The intervention compared with the control condition had no effect on sensory OIPN (mean difference [] = -0.01; P > .99), motor OIPN (=2.39; P = .17), and QOL (= -1.43; P > .99). Eight-week sensory (=11.48 ± 0.38) and motor OIPN severities ( = 7.48 ± 0.36) were mild but higher than baseline (P ≤ .01). Self-reported PA level increased over time in both groups (=44.85; P = .01). Averaging ≥225 moderate to vigorous PA minutes per week led to less sensory OIPN, particularly finger/hand tingling (= -26.35; P = .01). This study failed to detect beneficial effects of the MI-Walk intervention; however, the findings suggest that aerobic walking may blunt but not completely prevent OIPN. Further research is necessary. Although the effectiveness of brisk walking in reducing OIPN is unclear, this study supports prior evidence that moderate to vigorous PA is beneficial and safe during chemotherapy treatment.

Real-world simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use: An ecological study of situational motives and social and physical contexts.

Given the adverse outcomes associated with simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use, understanding factors that give rise to occasions of simultaneous use is critical. This study examines the relationships between situational motives and contexts and three situational outcomes: simultaneous alcohol and marijuana use (SAM) use versus cannabis-only use, number of cannabis uses, and subjective effects. Past-month SAM users (n = 341; 52% female; 75% White; 10% Latinx/Hispanic; age 18-24) from three U.S. college campuses completed 8 weeks of surveys up to five times a day. Three-level generalized linear mixed-effects models tested the effects of situational motives and social and physical contexts on occasion type (SAM vs. cannabis-only), cannabis use, and subjective effects. Situational social and enhancement motives were related to greater odds of SAM relative to cannabis-only use; expansion motives were reported more often on cannabis-only occasions. Using with others and at friends' places, being with others consuming cannabis, and being with others who are intoxicated were more likely when combining alcohol with cannabis. Increased number of cannabis uses and subjective effects in a social context were evident only on cannabis-only occasions. Using alone and using at home were greater on cannabis-only occasions and were associated with lower cannabis use and subjective effects. The combination of alcohol and cannabis use occurs during social situations and when motivated by positive reinforcement but number of cannabis uses is not increased when consuming cannabis with alcohol in social situations. Characterizing the complex interplay of situational factors that contribute to risky use will inform interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Online Design Thinking Problems for Enhancing Motivation of Gifted Students

Motivation is important for harnessing abilities and competencies, even if students are naturally or potentially gifted. This study used design thinking pedagogy as an innovative approach to motivate students holistically to learn and attend school. Design thinking is an approach to acquire and apply knowledge in a real situation that involves five stages: empathy, define, ideate, prototype, and test. The study was a quantitative quasi-experimental study with a one-group design and pre and post-tests. The study evaluated intrinsic and four extrinsic motivation categories – integrated, identified, introjected, and external regulation – to evaluate gifted students’ motivation to do coursework, and used a motivation scale to gauge their willingness to attend school, and an attitude questionnaire to determine students’ satisfaction with and engagement in the design thinking class. The experimental group consisted of 77 randomly selected gifted students at the King Abdullah II School for Excellence. After engaging in the design thinking class, the gifted students’ scores on all motivation categories were higher in the post-test than they had been in the pre-test. However, gifted students’ motivation levels were not associated with their gender, grades, and SAT scores. Thus, the design thinking approach is a promising approach for educating gifted students; students found it satisfying and they exhibited high levels of engagement behavior. The study results recommend that a design thinking approach is worth pursuing to increase gifted students’ motivation. The researchers recommend considering both gifted and non-gifted students in future studies involving the design thinking approach.

Experimental investigation of solar energy-based water distillation using inclined metal tubes as collector and condenser

ABSTRACT The solar still utilizes solar energy to produce potable water from brackish water, which may support agricultural and industrial sectors as well as the life of humans and animals. A conventional solar still normally distills an average freshwater of 2 L/m2/day which is not sufficient to meet individual daily demand. As a motivation for productivity enhancement, a new model of solar water distiller has been experimented with under Thailand climatic conditions. Its structure is not like a typical solar still, the low-temperature brackish water was supplied from the water tank to the condenser tubes for condensation rate improvement. After making a turn, the brackish water was heated up in blackened receiver tubes by absorbing solar radiation, which leads to a temperature growth of the feed water. The high temperature of outlet water in the receiver tubes plays a role as an additional heat for brackish water in the basin, which will enhance the temperature of basin water along with the evaporation rate. Various water feed rates and a variety of water depths were studied for their effect on the performance of the proposed solar still. The experimental conditions consisted of 0.5 cm, 1 cm, and 2 cm of water levels and 0.5 L/h and 1 L/h of mass flow rates. As the water level decreased from 2 cm to 0.5 cm, the daily productivity was improved by 34%. Additionally, there is a 28% growth in output as the mass flow rate of feed water declined from 1 L/h to 0.5 L/h. Further remarkably, in comparison with a conventional solar still under the same level of water depth, the daily distillate yield of the proposed model improved double and 58.5% at a water depth of 0.5 cm and 1 cm, respectively.

Getting high to cope with COVID-19: Modelling the associations between cannabis demand, coping motives, and cannabis use and problems

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people may use substances like cannabis for enhancement or coping purposes. Behavioral economic demand for a substance is a key determinant of its use and misuse and can be measured via hypothetical purchase tasks. Previous research suggests that motivations to use a substance play a mediational role between elevated substance demand and problems, but comparable mechanistic research has yet to be done in the COVID-19 context and on the effects of cannabis demand on cannabis use patterns. Participants (n = 137) were recruited via the online crowdsourcing platform Prolific. Participants completed measures of cannabis use and problems, motivations for cannabis use, and the Marijuana Purchase Task. Two indices of demand, Persistence (i.e., sensitivity to increasing cost of cannabis) and Amplitude (i.e., consumption of cannabis at unrestricted cost), were related to increased cannabis problems via the use motive of coping during the COVID-19 pandemic. This model did not support the mediational role of enhancement motives. Those with increased cannabis demand who tend to use cannabis to cope are at increased risk of experiencing negative cannabis-related consequences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Impacts of formative assessment on pedagogical English major’s learning motivation at teacher education universities in Vietnam

The motivation of students to study is crucial to a teaching process, which contributes to shaping student’s attitude vis-à-vis what he/she is learning. Formative assessment, together with curriculum content design and teaching methodology, is recognised as one of the key factors facilitating motivation enhancement. The insights of formative assessment lead stakeholders to the right decision whether to apply formative assessment in one another way. A study on formative assessment literature gave a theoretical frame to mirror how the reality meets criteria. To investigate this reality, we conducted a survey of 116 lecturers and 228 students at three teacher education universities in Vietnam based on Yamane Taro’s simplified sample selection formula. Then the data were analysed by using the software SPSS to produce the percentage, mean value and standard deviation of each answer group. The results show important positive and negative impacts of formative assessment on English major’s motivation. Thence some solutions are suggested to improve student motivation and the quality of English teacher-student training.

Maintenance of smoking cessation in Korean single mothers

BackgroundSingle mothers in South Korea are vulnerable to developing smoking habits, due to many difficulties and limitations; however, they have often been overlooked by smoking cessation support services. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the general and smoking-related characteristics of single mothers registered with the Visiting a Smoking Cessation Service in Seoul, South Korea, to identify factors associated with smoking cessation maintenance at 4 weeks and 24 weeks after they initially quit smoking.MethodsThe participants were 77 single mothers registered in the Smoking Cessation Service Program. Data were included from a three-year span (January 2017–December 2019). Smoking cessation counseling, motivational enhancement, and self-exploration counseling were provided for six months. The participants were evaluated on their smoking cessation status at 4 weeks and 24 weeks.ResultsMost participants were aged 22 years or younger. The rates of smoking cessation maintenance were 58.4 and 18% at 4 weeks and 24 weeks, respectively. The higher the number of counseling sessions, the higher the participants’ chances of maintaining smoking in all non-smoking periods, and whether pregnancy, CO level, and drinking were significant only in a short-term non-smoking period (4 weeks).ConclusionsOur results suggest that the number of smoking cessation counseling sessions is important for long-term smoking cessation beyond short-term cessation in single mothers. To increase the smoking cessation rate of single mothers, it is important to conduct customized smoking cessation counseling at the time of smoking cessation and continue such counseling in the long term.

Maintaining a Good Image with Abusive Supervision: The Role of Self Enhancement Motives and FOC

The purpose of the research is to examine the mediating role of facades of conformity in the relationship between abusive supervision and emotional exhaustion. Further, we analyze the moderating role of the self-enhancement motives in the relationship between abusive supervision and facades of conformity. Furthermore, self-enhancement motives moderates the mediated relationship. Time lagged data across three intervals of four weeks (Time 1, Time 2, and Time 3) were collected from 321 employees working in the service sector of Pakistan. The key findings are that 1) abusive supervision predicts emotional exhaustion; 2) façade of conformity mediates this direct relationship; 3) self-enhancement motives moderate the relationship between abusive supervision and facades of conformity; and 4) self-enhancement motives moderate the mediated relationship. Managers need to promote a culture that accommodates diverse of opinion at the, so that everyone is able to express and share views openly. Organizations should encourage supervisors to participate in leadership development programs aimed at eliminating abusive supervision.

FORMATION OF COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCIES OF FUTURE IT SPECIALISTS

The purpose of the study is aimed at performing a verification of the teaching conditions for effective communicative competence formation of the future IT professionals. Creating conditions of success, motivation enhancement, use of engaging group work, encouraging students’ participation in project work are the key factors and conditions for effective communicative competence formation. Scientific literature analysis, "communicative competence" concept clarification; analysis of pedagogical conditions of IT students’ communicative competence formation is discussed in details. Research methodology used is questionnaire, interview, quantitative and qualitative data analysis and processing of the results as well as analysis of class observation in AITU done within the IT students’ communicative competencies research. The national technological development strategy focuses both on the development of science-intensive technologies and technological cooperation and partnership. The need of society in IT specialists with a high personal and professional culture is determined by the need of a sufficient level of communicative competence to build professional relationships in workplace.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Coping Motives are Independently Associated with Cannabis Craving Elicited by Trauma Cues.

Cannabis use is common among individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), although its use can ultimately worsen PTSD outcomes. Cannabis-use coping motives may help explain the PTSD-cannabis relationship. Frequent pairing of trauma cues with substance use to cope with negative affect can lead to conditioned substance craving. For the present cue-reactivity study, we examined if PTSD symptoms were associated with cannabis craving elicited by a personalized trauma cue and explored whether coping motives mediated this hypothesized relationship; enhancement motives were included as a comparison mediator. Participants (N = 51) were trauma-exposed cannabis users who completed validated assessments on PTSD symptom severity and cannabis use motives. They were then exposed to a personalized audiovisual cue based on their own traumatic experience after which they responded to questions on a standardized measure regarding their cannabis craving. The results demonstrated that PTSD symptoms were associated with increased cannabis craving following trauma cue exposure, B = 0.43, p = .004, 95% CI [0.14, 0.72]. However, the results did not support our hypothesis of an indirect effect through general coping motives, indirect effect = .03, SE = .08, 95% CI [-.10, .21]. We found an independent main effect of general coping motives on trauma cue-elicited cannabis craving, B = 1.86, p = .002, 95% CI [0.72, 3.01]. These findings have important clinical implications suggesting that clinicians should target both PTSD symptoms and general coping motives to prevent the development of conditioned cannabis craving to trauma reminders in trauma-exposed cannabis users.

Pedagogical benefits of Chinese-American virtual exchange: A study of student perceptions

Abstract Despite the rapid development of virtual exchange in foreign language education, its use in the field of Chinese language education is still rather nascent. Adopting a mixed-methods research approach, this study focuses on examining the pedagogical benefits of a Chinese-American virtual exchange as mediated by students’ self-reported data. Two Chinese language classes (i.e. one at the elementary level and one at the intermediate level) at a small liberal arts college in the United States and a group of Chinese-speaking English majors at a Chinese university in Shanghai participated in the exchange. Analyses of four sources of qualitative data (i.e. WeChat group cultural discussion transcripts, Skype conversations, reflection journals, and end-of-program interviews) gave rise to four benefits of the exchange: promotion of cultural learning, improvement of Chinese language skills, enhancement of learning motivation, and establishment of a language learning community. Quantitative analyses of the end-of-semester questionnaire items show that the benefit regarding cultural learning, on average, received the highest rating, followed by community building and motivation enhancement, with improvement of Chinese skills being rated the lowest. Moreover, intermediate-level students evaluated all four benefits with higher ratings than elementary-level students. In particular, the two groups’ quantitative evaluations in terms of Chinese skills and motivation differed significantly. However, both groups enthusiastically endorsed the benefits of cultural learning and community building. The pedagogical implications of these results are also discussed.

Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) on cannabis abstinence amongst undergraduates in two private universities in southwestern Nigeria

Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug with higher abuse prevalence among undergraduates; which comes with adverse health and psychosocial consequences on the adolescents and the society at large. The trend has become a major public health concern for governments and other stakeholders that require qualitative and effective treatment approach different from those used with other drug abuse populations. This study, therefore, examined the effect of Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) on cannabis use among undergraduates in private universities in southwestern, Nigeria.<BR> The study was anchored on the Social Cognitive theory, while the pretest-posttest, control group, quasi experimental design of a 2x2x2 factorial matrix was adopted. Two private universities in the Southwest, Nigeria that conduct drug screening of its student population were purposively selected, while undergraduates who tested positive to cannabis use during the screening exercises were selected as participants. The participants were randomized into MET (25) and control (15) groups. Two hypothesis were formulated and analyzed using descriptive statistics, and Analysis of covariance at 0.05 level of significance.<BR> Participants were mostly male (75%) with a mean age of 13.3±4 years. Treatment had a significant main effect on cannabis use among undergraduates (F(1, 39)=23.45, η2=.45). Participants in MET had a post-treatment mean score of (χ=63.123) than those in the control (χ=58.407). while the three-way interaction effect was not significant.<BR> Motivational enhancement therapy was effective in bolstering rapid and internally motivated cannabis abstinence among undergraduates in private universities in southwestern, Nigeria. The intervention should, therefore, be incorporated as part of universities’ drug rehabilitation policy to encourage drug abstinence among students who are challenged with drug use.<BR>

Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Mood Disorders, or Substance Use Disorders

&#x0D; Two systematic reviews, 3 randomized controlled trials, and 2 single-arm safety trials were identified that evaluated several combinations of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Psilocybin was the psychedelic most tested. Other psychedelics identified in the systematic reviews and primary studies were 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (or MDMA), lysergic acid diethylamide (or LSD), ayahuasca (also named N,N-dimethyltryptamine [or DMT]), ibogaine, ketamine, and nitrous oxide.&#x0D; Manualized therapy (not defined) and non-directive support (not defined) were the psychotherapies most studied in the relevant primary studies in the 2 systematic reviews. Other psychotherapies identified included integrative psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), CBT and motivational enhancement therapy, psychosocial interventions, non-directive support, group talk therapy, and guided support.&#x0D; Clinical effectiveness lasting weeks to months was observed in 1 systematic review that reviewed primary studies examining various combinations of psychedelics and psychotherapy in patients with various mental health conditions. Significant improvement in symptom scores related to mental illnesses and no serious and long-term adverse events were reported in the other systematic review.&#x0D; Various combinations of psychedelics and psychotherapies were evaluated in 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 2 safety studies. Ketamine-assisted psychotherapies were associated with improvements in the symptoms related to substance use disorder in 2 RCTs. Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy was reported to be efficacious in treating MDD in 1 RCT. No serious adverse effects were reported in the RCTs or in 2 safety trials using MDMA-assisted psychotherapy.&#x0D; There were several limitations to the included studies, including small sample sizes (less than 20 in the majority of primary studies), relatively short follow-ups (1 week to 3 years; less than or equal to 1 year in 27 out of 31 relevant publications), differences in psychotherapy classification between systematic reviews, considerable heterogeneity between studies, and unclear generalizability and availability of the interventions in Canadian contexts. Therefore, findings should be interpreted with caution. No relevant guidelines were identified.&#x0D;