YorkSpace
YorkSpace is York University's Institutional Repository. It supports York University's Senate Policy on Open Access by providing York community members with a place to preserve their research online in an institutional context.
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- Previously Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES)
- The Global Labour Research Centre (GLRC) engages in the study of work, employment and labour in the context of a constantly changing global economy.
- Lives Outside the Lines: a Symposium in Honour of Marlene Kadar
- Used only for SWORD Deposit by Adminstrator
- Welcome to WILAA, a gathering place for materials related to research projects that explore work-integrated learning and disability-related accessibility and accommodations.
Recent Submissions
Affective dimensions of academic librarians’ experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic: experiences and lessons learned for information literacy
(Emerald Publishing Limited, 2024-06-04) Bury, Sophie
Purpose
This article explores the affective dimensions of academic librarians’ experiences during the forced pivot to emergency remote teaching because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
Through semi-structured interviews with librarians at 18 university libraries in Ontario, Canada, the researcher prompted study participants to reflect on how their work and that of other librarians in their organization changed during the period of focus, including the main challenges and opportunities experienced for information literacy instruction.
Findings
This study finds evidence of stress and anxiety among academic librarians teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic, including lack of confidence and skills with eLearning and work-life balance challenges. At the same time, the data show strengths and successes fueled by resilience, collaboration and a growing culture of care, which in many cases, resulted in strong expressions of pride by interviewees on what was achieved during this global health crisis.
Originality/value
This study is one of few adopting a qualitative research methodology to explore the affective dimensions of academic librarians’ experience of information literacy instruction during the Covid-19 pandemic. Its implications are instructive for future pedagogical approaches and workplace culture among information literacy teams, including communication, collaboration, flexibility and leadership support.
Executive functions and behavioral economic demand for cannabis among young adults: Indirect associations with cannabis consumption and cannabis use disorder
(American Psychological Association, 2024) Coelho, Sophie; Hendershot, Christian; Ashton, Elizabeth; Ruocco, Anthony; Quilty, Lena C.; Tyndale, Rachel; Wardell, Jeffrey
Behavioral economic demand for cannabis is robustly associated with cannabis consumption and cannabis use disorder (CUD). However, few studies have examined the processes underlying individual differences in the relative valuation of cannabis (i.e., demand). This study examined associations between executive functions and cannabis demand among young adults who use cannabis. We also examined indirect associations of executive functions with cannabis consumption and CUD symptoms through cannabis demand. Young adults (N = 113; 58.4% female; mean age 22 years) completed a Marijuana Purchase Task. Participants also completed cognitive tasks assessing executive functions (set shifting, inhibitory control, working memory) and semistructured interviews assessing past 90-day cannabis consumption (number of grams used) and number of CUD symptoms. Poorer inhibitory control was significantly associated with greater Omax (peak expenditure on cannabis) and greater intensity (cannabis consumption at zero cost). Poorer working memory was significantly associated with lower elasticity (sensitivity of consumption to escalating cost). Lower inhibitory control was indirectly associated with greater cannabis consumption and CUD symptoms through greater Omax and intensity, and poorer working memory was indirectly associated with greater cannabis consumption and CUD symptoms through reduced elasticity. This study provides novel evidence that executive functions are associated with individual differences in cannabis demand. Moreover, these results suggest that cannabis demand could be a mechanism linking poorer executive functioning with heavier cannabis use and CUD, which should be confirmed in future longitudinal studies.
Impact Statement
This study found that young adults who performed more poorly on cognitive tasks assessing working memory and inhibitory control had higher behavioral economic demand for cannabis. Further, poorer cognitive performance was indirectly associated with increased cannabis consumption and symptoms of cannabis use disorder through greater cannabis demand. Results suggest that cannabis demand may be an important mechanism linking certain cognitive deficits with cannabis use among young adults.
Screening for cannabis use disorder among young adults: Sensitivity, specificity, and item-level performance of the Cannabis Use Disorders Identification Test – Revised
(Elsevier Ltd., 2023-09-15) Coelho, Sophie; Hendershot, Christian; Quilty, Lena C.; Wardell, Jeffrey
The Cannabis Use Disorders Identification Test Revised (CUDIT-R) is a widely used screening tool. However, its utility in screening for cannabis use disorder (CUD) among young adults requires further investigation. The current study evaluated the accuracy of the CUDIT-R in distinguishing between young adults with and without CUD. We also examined the individual item properties of the CUDIT-R in this sample. A community sample of young adults (N = 153, ages 19–26 years) who reported at least one lifetime period of regular cannabis use (i.e., twice or more per month for at least six months) completed the CUDIT-R and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5) Substance Use Module. The CUDIT-R showed good accuracy in distinguishing between young adults with and without CUD as determined by the SCID-5 (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.84). A cut-point of nine yielded 87.80 % sensitivity and 70.42 % specificity, with positive and negative predictive values of 77.42 % and 83.33 %, respectively. Item response theory analyses revealed that CUDIT-R items assessing impaired control, failure to meet expectations, time devoted to use, and memory and concentration problems displayed high discrimination and were relatively difficult, whereas items assessing frequency of use and attempts to reduce use showed moderate discrimination and relatively low difficulty. Items assessing hours high and use with potential for physical hazard displayed poor discrimination. The CUDIT-R appears to validly distinguish between young adults with and without CUD and may be useful in screening for CUD in this high-risk population. Further research considering individual item properties is needed to refine the CUDIT-R for use among young adults.
Demographic, Mental Health, and Substance Use Correlates of Self-Described Medicinal Use, Recreational Use, and Non-Use of Hallucinogenic Drugs
(2024-09-17) Coelho, Sophie; Kim, Hyoun; Keough, Matthew; Dawson, Samantha J.; Tabri, Nassim; Hodgins, David; Shead, N. Will; Wardell, Jeffrey
There is growing public interest in the use of hallucinogens to manage mental health symptoms (i.e., medicinal hallucinogen use). Yet, limited research has examined the correlates of hallucinogen use for self-described medicinal purposes––an important gap given that self-medication may confer increased risk for harm. Accordingly, this study examined the demographic, mental health, and substance use correlates of medicinal hallucinogen use relative to no hallucinogen use and to exclusively recreational hallucinogen use. Adults reporting no hallucinogen use (n=4837), medicinal hallucinogen use (n=110), and exclusively recreational hallucinogen use (n=240) were recruited from within Canada via Prolific and from six Canadian universities. Participants completed an online questionnaire assessing demographic characteristics, mental health, hallucinogen use, and other substance use. Logistic regression analyses showed that greater depression severity; more frequent use of alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine; and using several illegal and prescription drugs were associated with an increased likelihood of medicinal hallucinogen use relative to no hallucinogen use. Greater depression severity was also associated with an increased likelihood of medicinal hallucinogen use relative to exclusively recreational hallucinogen use. Further, participants who used hallucinogens for medicinal reasons reported more frequent hallucinogen use relative to those who used hallucinogens for exclusively recreational reasons. Results suggest that poorer mental health and greater use of other substances differentiate people who use hallucinogens for medicinal reasons from people who do not use hallucinogens or who use hallucinogens for exclusively recreational reasons. Further, medicinal hallucinogen use, relative to exclusively recreational hallucinogen use, is associated with using hallucinogens more frequently. Findings may inform targeted prevention and harm reduction interventions for hallucinogen use.
Descriptive norms for simultaneous cannabis and alcohol use predict simultaneous use patterns assessed via daily surveys
(American Psychological Association, 2025-05) Coelho, Sophie; Hendershot, Christian; O'Connor, Roisin; Cunningham, John Alastair; Wardell, Jeffrey
Objective: Simultaneous cannabis and alcohol use is common, but few studies have examined normative perceptions of simultaneous use. This study examined unique associations of baseline descriptive norms for simultaneous use (i.e., perceptions about others’ simultaneous use) with simultaneous use behaviors assessed via daily surveys.
Method: Young adults reporting frequent simultaneous use (N = 150) completed baseline measures of descriptive norms for the frequency of simultaneous use and the amounts of cannabis and alcohol consumed during typical simultaneous use occasions. Further, participants completed measures of descriptive norms for the frequency and quantity of cannabis and alcohol use in general (not limited to simultaneous use). Norms were assessed referencing both peer and friend groups. Following this assessment, participants completed 21 daily smartphone surveys assessing cannabis and alcohol use each day. Simultaneous use was operationalized as same-day use of cannabis and alcohol.
Results: Multilevel models revealed that, controlling for descriptive norms for cannabis and alcohol use in general, perceiving more frequent simultaneous use among friends (but not peers) was significantly associated with a greater tendency to engage in simultaneous use relative to cannabis-only use across days. Further, perceiving heavier cannabis and alcohol consumption during simultaneous use occasions among friends (but not peers) was significantly associated with greater quantities of cannabis and alcohol consumed, respectively, across simultaneous use days.
Conclusions: Descriptive norms for simultaneous use contribute uniquely to simultaneous use behavior, over and above norms for cannabis use and alcohol use in general. Findings may inform norms-based interventions for young adults who engage in simultaneous use.
Impact Statement
This study found that perceptions of others’ simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use behaviors predicted one’s own simultaneous use behaviors over and above perceptions of others’ broader alcohol and cannabis use behavior (i.e., not limited to simultaneous use). Specifically, perceptions of friends’ (but not peers’) frequency of simultaneous use and quantities of alcohol and cannabis consumed during simultaneous use occasions predicted one’s own frequency of simultaneous use and quantities of each substance consumed simultaneously, respectively. Results suggest that normative perceptions that are specific to simultaneous use contribute uniquely to simultaneous use patterns and should be examined in future research as potential targets of harm reduction interventions for simultaneous use among young adults.