Smoking abstinence responses were characterized in 96 female smokers. Participants completed subjective state measures twice per week for 5 weeks and were then randomly assigned to a group required to abstain for 31 days or a control group that continued to smoke. Financial incentives for biochemically verified abstinence resulted in an 81% completion rate. Abstinence-related increases in depression, tension, anger, irritability, and appetite showed little tendency to return to prequit levels and remained significantly elevated above smoke-group levels. In contrast to psychological components of anxiety, physical components decreased to smoke group levels by the 2nd week of abstinence. Trait depression and neuroticism predicted larger increased abstinence-associated negative affect. The Big Five personality dimensions predicted variance not associated with depressive traits.

Leaving home to attend college is an important milestone for college students. However, the transition from home to college can be challenging, especially for students studying abroad. In this article, the authors explore factors that contribute to the academic, cultural, social, and psychological adjustments of international students. Adjustment issues include psychological distress such as homesick, depression, and anxiety. This article seeks to increase the reader’s understanding of some of the issues faced by international students during the process of adjusting to a new collegiate environment. More specifically, the article discusses factors that contribute to adjustment and different phases of cultural adjustment. This article may help the students, educational institutions, and policy makers to provide the resources necessary for a seamless transition for international students to overcome the issues.

Objectives. From 2001 through 2005, African Americans accounted for the largest percentage of new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/ acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in all age categories, especially among people aged 13 to 24 years. Although students attending historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) report many of the behaviors that promote HIV transmission, their risk behaviors and HIV testing practices have not been well-characterized. We compared the demographic and behavioral characteristics of people who have been previously tested for HIV with those of people tested for the first time in this demonstration project to increase HIV testing at HBCUs. Methods. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and collaborating partners conducted rapid HIV testing and behavioral surveys at HBCUs in Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, and Washington, D.C., from January 2005 to April 2007. We recruited a convenience sample of students and community members at different campus venues including student health centers, dormitories, and student activity centers. Results. Our analysis included 5,291 people, 42% of whom reported they had never been tested for HIV. People who had been tested in the past were more likely to be older, believe they were at high risk for infection, have visited a health-care facility, and report behaviors that increased their risk of HIV infection. Conclusion. Respondents who believed they were at increased risk for HIV infection or reported behaviors that increased their risk for infection were more likely to have been tested for HIV. Future research should compare actual vs. perceived risk for HIV infection and contrast how each impacts HIV testing.

This study examined the relationship between social-cognitive factors (e.g., attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control), psychological distress, and help-seeking intentions for a sample of 111 international and African American college students. The results of this study showed that the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) variables (e.g., attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control) accounted for 17.7 % of the variance in help-seeking intentions. The first hypothesis, which predicted that positive attitudes toward mental health services and perceived behavioral control would be significant predictors of the students’ intentions to seek mental health services, was partially supported. Perceived behavioral control was the strongest predictor of helpseeking intentions. Contrary to our expectations, attitudes toward mental health services were not a significant predictor of mental health seeking intentions. The second hypothesis was not supported. There was no significant difference in mean intention scores for African American college students compared to international college students.

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