Significance: Sensory and subjective effects contribute to consumer response toward electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). Evaluating the relative contributions of nicotine concentration, form (salt vs freebase), and carrier concentration (PG/VG ratio) is important to understanding why formulations may be more attractive. Methods: Participants were 78 adults (age ≥21) with no sensory deficits who used ENDS daily, randomized to one of two sub-studies. In Study A, 38 participants sampled tobacco-flavored e-liquids varying in PG/VG ratio (30/70, 60/40, 100/0) and nicotine concentration (0, 18, 36 mg/mL freebase). In Study B, 40 participants sampled e-liquids varying in nicotine form (salt, freebase) and concentration (0, 18, 36 mg/mL). Questionnaires assessed sensory and subjective effects. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models examined the effects of experimental factors on these ratings. Results: Nicotine concentration was strongly related to a wide array of sensory and subjective effects measures, generally following a dose-response pattern. PG/VG showed relationships with a subset of hedonic effects independent of nicotine. There were no significant differences observed for sensory or subjective measures between salt versus freebase nicotine. Conclusions: Nicotine concentration showed consistent associations with sensory response to e-liquids when delivered in the same device. Sensory and behavioral responses to different e-liquid compositions may help contextualize ENDS usage patterns, risk perceptions, and behaviors.

Theory suggests that social challenges, such as rejection sensitivity (i.e., a skewed perception and fear of rejection), may interact with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms to contribute to increased substance use among emerging adult college students. However, there are mixed findings regarding the association between rejection sensitivity and ADHD symptoms. The current study therefore examined the relations among ADHD symptoms, alcohol/cannabis use (and problems associated with use), and rejection sensitivity among college students.

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are common but often go undiagnosed in psychiatric settings, leading to poorer outcomes for patients. In Iran, there is limited research on the extent of this issue, making it essential to investigate and address diagnostic gaps in mental health care.

Background: Risky alcohol use among Chinese university students remains a public health concern. However, little is known about how personality traits and learned alcohol-related beliefs are associated with alcohol-related behaviors. This study examined associations of reward and punishment sensitivity, alcohol expectancies, and drinking refusal self-efficacy with drinking frequency, high-risk drinking, and self-protective behaviors. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among N = 800 university students in China. Separate path models were estimated, with each model corresponding to one alcohol expectancy dimension. Results: Across the six models, reward sensitivity was positively associated with all expectancy dimensions; punishment sensitivity was positively associated only with arousal and aggression expectancy. Expectancies showed few direct outcome associations but were consistently associated with lower context-specific refusal confidence. Lower refusal confidence showed domain-specific associations: social-pressure and opportunistic confidence with more frequent drinking, emotional-relief confidence with greater high-risk drinking, and social-pressure confidence with fewer self-protective behaviors. Peer alcohol use and social media exposure to peer drinking were positively associated with both drinking outcomes; male students reported fewer self-protective behaviors. Conclusions: These findings highlight alcohol-related beliefs and refusal confidence as potential intervention targets. Prevention programs may benefit from expectancy-focused, scenario-based refusal training addressing peer, social media, and gender-related influences.