What I’ve been working on

Authors: Jocelyn Mueller, Jennifer Attonito, Jamia Sapp, & Karina Villalba. 

Main Findings: Older women who substitute cannabis for prescription anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medications tend to have higher levels of depression and anxiety, with sleep difficulties and concurrent alcohol use as key predictors of substitution behavior, suggesting that cannabis is an alternative symptom management strategy despite potentially worsening mental health outcomes.

Authors: Jennifer Attonito, Jocelyn Mueller, & Karina Villalba 

Main Findings: Older women were less likely than younger women to substitute cannabis for alcohol, but among those who did, higher PTSD symptoms and sleep problems were key predictors of cannabis use, suggesting that older women may have specific therapeutic needs rather than general harm reduction.

Authors: Jennifer Attonito, Jocelyn Mueller, & Karina Villalba 

Main Findings: Higher AUD risk was more common among younger adults and those with greater depression and anxiety symptoms, ACE-Q scores, PTSD positivity, comorbid health conditions, and readiness to change. Cannabis was the most frequently reported alcohol-reduction strategy, with use predicted by high AUD severity, PTSD positivity, greater comorbidity, action-stage readiness, and higher ACE-Q scores, suggesting that substance substitution may reflect targeted therapeutic needs rather than general harm reduction.

Authors: Jocelyn Mueller, Sharon Wang, Mallory Sparks, Anita Daniel, Brian Calhoun, Isaac Rhew, Michelle Bedard-Gilligan, Kelly Davis, & Jessica Blayney.

Main Findings: Young women (18-24) who did not drink reported lower sexual communication satisfaction than frequent drinkers, though within relationships, non-drinkers reported higher satisfaction. This pattern suggests that heavy drinking may dampen the communication benefits of being partnered. Women with a sexual victimization history reported slightly lower satisfaction overall, but both groups showed higher sexual communication in relationships versus being single. This indicates that relationship status may positively influence sexual communication regardless of victimization history.

Authors: Jocelyn Mueller, Sydney Domagala, Tamara Wall, Christian Hopfer, Michael Stallings, & Jarrod Ellingson

Main Findings: Social support from romantic partners and family was linked to lower substance use. Social strain, particularly from romantic partners and friends, was also associated with higher alcohol and illicit use frequency. Strain from friends and family was associated with more alcohol and tobacco disorder symptoms. Sex moderated several of these relationships. Sex moderated the associations between romantic partner, friend, and total support to predict illicit SUD symptoms. Additionally, strain domains interacted with sex to predict illicit SUD symptoms. 

Preregistration: http://doi.org/10.17605/osf.io/ne6p9

Authors: Jocelyn Mueller, Jesse Hinckley, Connor McCabe, Christian Hopfer, Michael Stallings, Tamara Wall, & Jarrod Ellingson.

Main Findings: Among adolescents with alcohol use disorder and antisocial behavior, baseline alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms were linked to greater increases in depression, with important sex differences — AUD predicted more adolescent anxiety symptoms in females but less anxiety symptoms among males. Males with higher initial anxiety showed smaller increases in drinking over time.

Preprint: http://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/pc5ug_v1

Authors: Jessica Blayney, Jocelyn Mueller, Mia Thompson, Peony Chum, Laura Widman, & William George.

Main Findings: This discovery-phase study identified what teens with sexual victimization histories want and need from sexual health programming. Interventions should prioritize engaging delivery, realistic scenarios, and interactive content. Participants also emphasized the need for information that addresses barriers to STI testing and contraceptive access, increases consent knowledge, and reduces stigma around sexual health.

Authors: Katherine Walukevich-Dienst, Jocelyn Mueller, Jessica Blayney, Brian Calhoun, Urmi Pandya, Jessica Cavalli, Jaye Derrick, & Christine Lee

Main Findings:

Authors: Jessica Blayney, Mia Thompson, Jocelyn Mueller, Peony Chum, Laura Widman, & William George.

Main Findings: Adolescent girls are learning about dating and sex primarily through peers, online platforms, and mainstream media, often filling gaps left by formal sex education. Participants emphasized the importance of emotional and physical readiness, consent, pleasure, and understanding their own needs in romantic relationships. Integrating teens’ perspectives in intervention programs can increase engagement, address misinformation, and teach protective strategies and decision-making skills more effectively.