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Objective: It is critical to gain further understanding of etiologic factors, such as descriptive normative perceptions and behavioral willingness, that are associated with prescription stimulant misuse (PSM) among young adults. Our primary hypotheses were that descriptive normative perceptions for PSM (i.e., perceptions of how much and how often others engage in PSM) and perceived peer willingness (i.e., perceptions of how open others are to PSM under certain circumstances) would be positively associated with higher willingness to engage in PSM, which in turn would account for significant shared variance with self-reported PSM. Method: Data were collected from a U.S. sample of 18–20-year-olds (N = 1,065; 54.5% females; 70.5% White) recruited for a larger study on alcohol-related risky sexual behavior. Results: Findings indicated higher descriptive normative perceptions and higher perceived peer willingness were associated with higher participants' willingness to engage in PSM. Participants' own willingness was positively associated with PSM. Finally, participants' own willingness to use, descriptive normative perceptions, and perceived peer willingness were associated with higher willingness to engage in PSM, which accounted for significant shared variance with self-reported PSM. Conclusions: Findings suggest the potential utility of personalized feedback interventions for PSM that focus on constructs such as descriptive normative perceptions and behavioral willingness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prior research on romantic relationships and alcohol use among young adults has not distinguished between differences in patterns of relationship status over extended periods of time and within-person changes in status that only occur for some individuals. Objectives: This study captured between-person differences in relationship patterns, assessed associations between relationship patterns and alcohol use, and examined within-person associations between alcohol use and relationship status changes. In addition, age and sex differences in between- and within-person associations were tested. Methods: We used multilevel modeling of monthly data collected over one year on alcohol use and romantic relationship status from a Seattle area community sample of 620 young adults (ages 18-24). Results: Participants were coded into six relationship pattern groups: (1) single-not-dating (16%), (2) stable-in-a-relationship (30%), (3) single-dating (10%), (4) ended-a-relationship (14%), (5) started-a-relationship (13%), and (6) ended-and-started-a-relationship (18%). Single-not-dating and stable-in-a-relationship groups reported the least drinking across the entire year; the single-dating, ended-a-relationship, and ended-and-started-a-relationship groups reported higher levels of drinking. Examining within-person changes in groups 3-6 revealed increases in drinking associated with months of dating among the single-dating group, months postbreakup among the ended-a-relationship group, and months of breaking up and starting a new relationship among the ended-and-started-a-relationship group. Few differences by age or sex were found for between- or within-person associations. Conclusions: The findings point to heterogeneity in patterns of relationship status over time, differences in relationship patterns associated with variations in drinking, and particular time points of elevated risk for young adults who experience changes in status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]