The ReACH Lab is committed to understanding how adolescent problem behavior, including substance use, develops and how it can be prevented.
We aim to identify key biological, social, and individual risk and protective factors that contribute to substance use so that adolescents ReACH their full potential.
The ReACH Lab collaborates with community members in South Florida and recruits diverse scholars who have a passion for learning and critical thinking.
The E-cigarette Assessment for Youth-Revised (EAsY-R)
This study utilized cognitive interviews with high school and college-age youth who use vaping devices to inform the development of such an assessment. The sample consists of eight students between the ages of 15 and 24 (Mage = 18.75, SD = 2.73, 62.5% female, 75.0% Hispanic/Latino/a/x, 100.0% White). Interviewing and measure refinement were conducted in a two-phase iterative fashion. Suggestions made during cognitive interviews resulted in the refinement of assessed content type, updated categories and pictures of vaping devices, as well as updated and age-relevant terminology. Further, instructions were streamlined, and assessment items and multiple-choice options were refined to maximize clarity and to minimize participant confusion. The result of this study, the E-Cigarette Assessment for Youth Revised, is a unique tool for standardizing examinations of the quantity and frequency of vaping behaviors among high school students and college-age youth.
Mother-Child Dynamics: Examining Reciprocal Relations between Parental Knowledge, Child Disclosure, Parental Legitimacy Beliefs, and Adolescent Alcohol Use
Early adolescent alcohol use is associated with adverse developmental and health outcomes. Parental knowledge can prevent or delay substance use, while youth behaviors may concurrently influence parenting. More research is needed to examine the role of youth’s perceptions of legitimacy of parental authority. This multi-informant study examined prospective bidirectional effects between parental knowledge and child disclosure alongside youth-reported alcohol use and perceived legitimacy of parental authority. Positive reciprocal associations were found between child disclosure and both parental knowledge and perceived legitimacy of parental authority. Legitimacy of parental authority negatively predicted alcohol use across adolescence. Child alcohol use also negatively predicted parental knowledge. Novel findings demonstrate that the parental legitimacy beliefs predict reduced alcohol use and have a reciprocal association with child disclosure. Clinical implications to mitigate youth alcohol use initiation, by enhancing parental self-efficacy and positive parenting, are discussed.
Navigating the Modern Landscape of Social Media: Ethical Considerations for Research With Adolescents and Young Adults
Engagement on social media among adolescents and young adults is almost universal. Social media platforms represent an optimal research tool to examine risk behaviors that may not be visible offline. Despite this, the limited consensus on social media ethics across institutions and internal review boards, and the rapidly evolving features on each platform has made it difficult to develop study protocols, navigate and adapt to platform changes, and predict ethical issues that may arise in the context of research. This paper discusses ethical considerations specific to conducting social media research within this developmental period.
Dr. Trucco presented to mental health counselors and trainees on January 8th on how to build community partnerships to support adolescent vaping cessation. Dr. Trucco also showcased the new BReATHE Study to engage Citrus Health in their ongoing focus groups....
ReACH Lab alumna, Brigitte Madan, recently graduated with her Masters in Clinical Psychology from Baylor University. Congratulations, Brigitte! We are so proud of all of your accomplishments....
