Effects of Direct and Vicarious Discrimination on Alcohol and Cannabis Cravings: Virtual Reality Experiment

项目总结/摘要 酒精和大麻是美国滥用最多的精神活性物质，特别是在 年轻人（18至25岁）。非洲裔美国人使用大麻的比例高于白人，他们也 更有可能被诊断为大麻使用障碍和酒精使用障碍比白人。种族主义和 歧视是非洲裔美国人吸毒的潜在关键社会决定因素， 研究表明，直接的人际歧视对非洲裔美国年轻人的负面影响 成年人了研究还将种族歧视的经历与酒精和大麻的使用及其共同作用联系起来。 使用，但这种联系几乎完全基于使用回顾性研究的相关性研究结果， 报告的直接人际歧视经历。人们缺乏对下列因素影响的认识： 替代歧视-一种比直接歧视更常见的种族主义形式。那里 也很少有研究种族主义和歧视对吸毒影响的实验性研究， 有必要进行研究，以帮助确定种族主义和歧视经历之间的因果关系， 物质使用。拟议研究的主要目标是检查直接和间接的影响， 对酒精和大麻使用和共同使用的种族歧视。其他目标是评估间接 通过压力、反刍和应对动机解释这种联系的途径，并评估缓冲作用。 种族主义的作用。我们提出了一个新颖的组间实验，使用虚拟现实来暴露 非裔美国男性和女性（N = 456，18-25岁）不同的歧视经历。使用 经过验证的，半结构化的脚本在实验模拟，虚拟现实具有独特的优势， 使研究参与者沉浸在现实的环境和人际交流中，以促进生态 和研究结果的内部效度。实验条件将包括直接歧视，替代 歧视和非种族主义的日常麻烦。我们将评估参与者的急性压力和应对动机， 在真实的时间内使用酒精或大麻，或两者兼而有之，并评估他们的愤怒沉思以及酒精和大麻的使用情况 以及实验室程序后24和48小时的共同使用状态。将追求三个具体目标：（1） 确定直接和间接种族歧视对酒精和大麻使用的因果影响， （2）通过急性压力确定将歧视经历与酒精和大麻使用联系起来的途径， 愤怒反刍，随后的应对动机，（3）描绘种族私人的保护作用， 关于直接歧视和替代歧视对急性压力的影响。此应用程序与以下应用程序紧密结合 NIDA的种族平等倡议和对多物质使用的资助优先权，以及NIH的UNITE倡议。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Alcohol and cannabis are the most misused psychoactive substances in the United States, particularly among young adults (aged 18 to 25 years). African Americans use cannabis at higher rates than Whites, and they also are more likely to be diagnosed with cannabis use disorder and alcohol use disorder than Whites. Racism and discrimination are potentially key social determinants of African American drug use, and a substantial body of research has shown the negative impact of direct, interpersonal discrimination on African American young adults. Studies have also linked racial discrimination experiences to alcohol and cannabis use and their co- use, but this link is almost exclusively based on findings from correlational studies that use retrospective reports of direct interpersonal experiences with discrimination. There is a lack of knowledge on the effects of vicarious discrimination—a form of racism that is more commonly experienced than direct discrimination. There also have been few experimental studies examining effects racism and discrimination on drug use; such research is necessary to help establish a causal link between experiences of racism and discrimination and substance use. The main objective of the proposed research is to examine effects of both direct and vicarious racial discrimination on alcohol and cannabis use and co-use. Other objectives are to evaluate indirect pathways explaining this link by way of stress, rumination, and coping motives, and to evaluate the buffering role of racial private regard. We propose a novel between-group experiment that uses virtual reality to expose African American males and females (N = 456, 18-25 years) to different discrimination experiences. Using validated, semi-structured scripts in experimental simulations, virtual reality has the unique advantages of immersing research participants in realistic environments and interpersonal exchanges to promote ecological and internal validity of the findings. Experimental conditions will include direct discrimination, vicarious discrimination, and non-racism daily hassles. We will assess participants’ acute stress and coping motives to use alcohol or cannabis, or both, in real time, and assess their anger rumination and alcohol and cannabis use and co-use status 24 and 48 hours following the lab procedures. Three specific aims will be pursued: (1) determine the causal effects of direct and vicarious racial discrimination on alcohol and cannabis use and co- use, (2) identify pathways linking discrimination experiences to alcohol and cannabis use via acute stress and anger rumination, and subsequently coping motives, and (3) delineate the protective role of racial private regard on the effects of direct and vicarious discrimination on acute stress. This application aligns closely with NIDA’s Racial Equity Initiative and funding priority on polysubstance use, and NIH’s UNITE Initiative.