(Press-News.org)
College students who want help overcoming high-risk drinking could benefit from a two-pronged approach that combines an individual-focused psychological theory with social network analysis.
That’s according to a new study from Texas A&M University School of Public Health Assistant Professor Benjamin Montemayor and former doctoral student Sara Flores, both in the Department of Health Behavior.
High-risk drinking is defined as drinking resulting in a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher, the legal threshold for intoxication in the United States.
For more than three decades, between 30% and 40% of college students in the United States have engaged in this behavior, and today, about 16% meet the criteria for alcohol use disorder, informally known as alcoholism.
“Still, less than 10% seek help, even when they know they have a problem and even though many colleges and universities have significantly expanded their mental health and substance use resources in recent years,” Montemayor said. “We wanted to understand what psychological and social factors might help bridge this gap.”
The research, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, combines the Reasoned Action Approach with social network analysis to provide a more comprehensive understanding of help-seeking intentions.
“The Reasoned Action Approach examines how our beliefs about a behavior, what we think others would expect, and our perceived control over the situation influence our intentions to go through with a behavior,” Flores said. “Integrating social network analysis lets us also explore how these students are influenced by the people closest to them regarding their intention to seek help.”
For the study, Flores analyzed data collected from 1,447 full-time college students aged 18 to 24 who reported consuming alcohol within the past year. Participants completed surveys about their alcohol use, attitudes toward seeking help and perceptions of alcohol use disorder stigma.
The students also identified up to five individuals to whom they felt closest, which Flores said provided insight into the social networks that may influence students’ decisions to seek support.
Statistical analyses revealed that the Reasoned Action Approach variables were important in shaping students’ intentions to seek help for alcohol use, accounting for nearly 40% of the variance in these intentions. The addition of social network characteristics increased the variance by a statistically significant 2.8%.
“This combination revealed something important that neither framework alone would have captured,” Flores said. “Students who believed that their closest connections strongly supported them in seeking help reported greater intentions to do so.”
This finding suggests that campus health services should leverage both frameworks, she said.
“Campus-based programs might consider not only addressing students’ perceptions about help-seeking but also identify and engage supportive friends and family members who may positively reinforce help-seeking intentions,” she said.
Flores noted that the research did not test the interventions directly.
“Still, it provides a theoretical foundation for creating more effective approaches to help students move from recognizing a drinking problem to seeking the help they need,” she said.
By Ann Kellett, Texas A&M University School of Public Health
END
Support networks may be the missing link for college students who seek help for excessive drinking
A Texas A&M University School of Public Health study combines two major approaches to shed new light on help-seeking behaviors.
2025-07-02
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
The New England Journal of Medicine shines spotlight on forensic pathology
2025-07-02
Forensic pathologists play a unique role in monitoring and responding to public health threats and advancing our understanding of human disease and injury, according to a new review article published July 3 in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Recognizing that there is little understanding about this key medical subspecialty among the public and even among physicians, the journal asked several forensic pathology leaders to write an overarching review of the field.
“Many people may picture forensic ...
Scientists discover protein that helps lung cancer spread to the brain
2025-07-02
Researchers at McMaster University, Cleveland Clinic and Case Comprehensive Cancer Center have uncovered how a protein long associated with Alzheimer’s disease helps lung cancer spread to the brain – a discovery that offers hope that existing Alzheimer’s drugs could be repurposed in preventing cancer’s spread.
The study, published in Science Translational Medicine on July 2, 2025, details how the protein (BACE1) is instrumental in the development of brain metastases – tumours that ...
Perceived social status tied to cardiovascular risks in women but not in men
2025-07-02
Women who see themselves as having lower social status are more likely than other people to show early signs of heart stress linked to future disease risk, according to a new study led by researchers at McGill and Concordia universities.
“One in three women in North America die from heart disease. Yet, women are less likely to receive important cardiac interventions or therapies than men. This highlights the need to rethink how we assess cardiovascular risk in women,” said co-lead author Dr. Judy Luu, Assistant Professor in McGill’s Department of Medicine ...
Brain tumor growth patterns may help inform patient care management
2025-07-02
As brain tumors grow, they must do one of two things: push against the brain or use finger-like extensions to invade and destroy surrounding tissue.
Previous research found tumors that push — or put mechanical force on the brain — cause more neurological dysfunction than tumors that destroy tissue. But what else can these different tactics of tumor growth tell us?
Now, the same team of researchers from the University of Notre Dame, Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital, and Boston University has developed a technique for measuring a brain tumor’s mechanical force and a new model to estimate how much brain tissue a patient has ...
This might be America's first campus tree inventory
2025-07-02
Ask anyone what comes to mind when they think of Northern Arizona University and they’ll probably say something about the trees. NAU's Flagstaff mountain campus is home to an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 trees—most of them ponderosa pines.
This precious resource is worth protecting. That’s why, this summer, students, faculty and staff at NAU are working together to take stock of the campus tree collection. Slowly but surely, a team of forestry and environmental scientists will collect information about the health, ...
Emoji use may impact relationship outcomes
2025-07-02
The use of emojis in text messaging improves perceived responsiveness and thereby enhances closeness and relationship satisfaction, according to a study published July 2, 2025, in the open-access journal PLOS One by Eun Huh from The University of Texas at Austin, U.S.
Text-based messaging is a primary use of smartphones, with near-universal adoption across age groups. The use and variety of emojis in such messages have also surged, particularly among young adults. Defined as digital representations of emotions and ideas, emojis enrich text-based communication by conveying emotional nuance and increasing expressiveness. ...
Individual merit, not solidarity, prioritized by early childhood education policies
2025-07-02
Do we climb the social ladder alone or with help from our communities? Early childhood education (ECE) policies are betting on the former, according to a study published July 2, 2025, in the open-access journal PLOS One by Katarzyna Bobrowicz from the University of Luxembourg and University of Liège in Belgium, and colleagues. A 53-country survey of global ECE policies indicates favoritism of competition over cooperation, individualism over solidarity and talent over luck.
Recent decades have seen a rising belief in meritocracy: a 1950s-era Western ideal that one’s individual merit (i.e., their skill and talent), begets success rather ...
Preclinical study unlocks a mystery of rapid mouth healing
2025-07-02
Your mouth is a magician. Bite the inside of your cheek, and the wound may vanish without a trace in a couple of days. A preclinical study co-led by Cedars-Sinai, Stanford Medicine and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), has discovered one secret of this disappearing act. The findings, if confirmed in humans, could one day lead to treatments that enable rapid, scarless recovery from skin wounds on other parts of the body.
The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Translational Medicine.
“Our research began with two ...
Extraterrestrial habitats: bioplastics for life beyond earth
2025-07-02
Key takeaways
SEAS researchers grew green algae inside shelters that recreated pressure conditions on Mars.
The shelters were made from bioplastics derived from algae.
The experiments demonstrate the possibility of closed-loop, sustainable habitats in space.
If humans are ever going to live beyond Earth, they’ll need to construct habitats. But transporting enough industrial material to create livable spaces would be incredibly challenging and expensive. Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) think there’s a better way, through biology.
An international team of researchers led by Robin Wordsworth, ...
U.S. military spending reductions could substantially lower energy consumption
2025-07-02
A new analysis suggests that reductions in U.S. military spending could result in significant decreases in energy consumption by the Department of Defense, leading to reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Ryan Thombs of Penn State University, U.S., and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS Climate on July 2.
Of all the world’s institutions, the U.S. military produces the most greenhouse gas emissions. This occurs through such activities as maintaining bases, continual preparations and training, research and development, and transporting people, supplies, and weapons worldwide. According to military ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
New CZI AI model could help scientists pinpoint signs of cancer cells
Sugar-coated ‘sticky’ stem cells could unlock surgery-free liver treatments
Children’s social media activity highlights emotional stress of living with long-term health issues
New tool maps hidden roles and risks in ecosystems
New breakthrough method to protect quantum spins from noise
Chemicals from turmeric and rhubarb could help fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria lurking in wastewater
Instant cancer diagnosis with light and AI!
New electroenzymatic strategy enables non-natural oxidation reactions
Tunable laser light
Scientists uncover magnetic-field control of ultrafast spin dynamics in 2D ferromagnets
New AI-powered model accurately predicts lung motion with minimal radiation
AI language models show promise in predicting liver cancer treatment outcomes
Tracking insect and bug health in a heartbeat from a digital camera
'Talking fish' not heard by conservation policies, SFU study warns
Thirty years of research shows increased resistance in fungi
Junk food ‘avoids advertising regulation’ with top level UK sports sponsorship
Banking on AI while committed to net zero is ‘magical thinking’, claims report on energy costs of big tech
Ancient river systems reveal Mars was wetter than we thought
Online toolkit to help parents of autistic children improve dental health
The psychological and neurological parallels between sports fandom and religious devotion
Agricultural liming in the US is a large CO2 sink, say researchers
Seaside more likely to make us nostalgic than green places, study finds
Psilocybin delays aging, extends lifespan, Emory study suggests
Buck Institute awarded DARPA contract to pioneer next-gen AI modeling platform
Orange is the new aphrodisiac—for guppies
Murals boost Cincinnati’s vitality, community development
Ad blockers may be showing users more problematic ads, NYU Tandon study finds
Verbal response time reveals hidden sleepiness in older adults
University of Maryland School of Medicine launches groundbreaking study on THC/CBD therapy for dementia-related agitation at end of life
Targeting stem-property and vasculogenic mimicry for sensitizing paclitaxel therapy of triple-negative breast cancer by biomimetic codelivery
[Press-News.org] Support networks may be the missing link for college students who seek help for excessive drinkingA Texas A&M University School of Public Health study combines two major approaches to shed new light on help-seeking behaviors.