S12 * THE ROLE OF PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALCOHOL USE AND RELATED PROBLEMS IN YOUNG ADULTHOOD

Abstract

# S12.1 SOCIAL ROLE TRANSITIONS AND YOUNG ADULT ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA USE {#article-title-2} The transition to young adulthood is a period in which individuals are at greatest risk for alcohol and marijuana use and associated consequences (Arnett, 2005; Slutske, 2005). The present study explores the Transitions Overload Model (Schulenberg & Maggs, 2002) which suggests that multiple, co-occurring role transitions may lead to increased perceived stress and role overload, which may lead to increased health risks, such as alcohol and marijuana use. Undergraduate college students (N = 1802, 56.6% female, mean age = 20.21 years) from the Northwest US completed an online survey and reported: (1) the number of times in the past year started new committed relationships, moved/changed living situations, and started a new job; (2) perceived role overload and stress; and (3) past month alcohol and past 60 day marijuana use. Results indicate 35.9% had at least one new relationship, 72.0% moved at least once, and 50.4% started at least one new job in the last year. Total number of transitions ranged from 0 -12 (12.6% no changes, 50.3% 1-2 transitions, and 37.1% 3+ transitions). Bivariately, having greater numbers of transitions in these three life domains was positively associated to current ratings of perceived role overload, perceived stress, as well as alcohol and marijuana use. Interestingly, role overload and perceived stress were negatively associated with alcohol and marijuana use. Role overload and perceived stress did not mediate the relationships between number of transitions and alcohol/marijuana use. The discussion focuses on the importance of understanding co-occurring role transitions to health risk behaviors. # S12.2 ALCOHOL USE OVER TIME IN AMERICAN AND SWEDISH YOUNG ADULTS: PATTERNS AND PREDICTORS {#article-title-3} Background. Alcohol use reaches its peak during young adulthood. Methods. Young adults (N = 3342; mean age = 17.7 (SD = 0.53; 56.6% female) were recruited from Sweden (n = 2171) and US (n = 1181) schools and assessed prospectively at 6- and 12-months following the baseline assessment. The Daily Drinking Questionnaire was used to assess changes in the quantity and frequency of alcohol use. Results. Latent Markov models were used to examine changes in alcohol use from baseline to the 12-month follow-up. The “low drinking class” (42.5% of the sample at baseline, 54.9% at 12-months) had, on average, <1 drink per peak drinking occasion, <1 drinking per typical drinking occasion, and <1 drinking day per week. The “moderate drinking class” (46.9% at baseline, 39.4% at 12-months) had, on average, 7 drinks per peak occasion, 5 drinks on a typical occasion, and drank on < 2 days per week. The “heavy drinking class” (10.6% at baseline, 5.6% at 12-months) had, on average, 17 drinks per peak occasion, 13 drinks on a typical occasion, and 2+ days per week. Country, gender, drinking motives, conducts problems, and impulsivity were all significant predictors of drinking. Swedish males and those with greater drinking motives, more conduct problems and greater impulsivity were most likely to be classified as the heaviest drinkers. Conclusions. Some young adults engage in extremely heavy drinking, which tended to decrease over a 12-month period. Swedish males and those with higher drinking motives, more conduct problems, and greater impulsivity were most at risk of heavy drinking. # S12.3 TWO PATHWAYS TO ALCOHOL: ESTABLISHING THE PROTOTYPE WILLINGNESS MODEL AMONG YOUNG ADULTS {#article-title-4} The Prototype Willingness (PW) model is a modified dual-processing model designed to improve the predictive value of existing health risk behavior theories. The PW model assumes that there are two pathways to health risk: a reasoned path that is mediated by behavioral intention and a social reaction path that is mediated by behavioral willingness. The present study will test and establish whether the PW Model has acceptable fit for young adults, ages 17–18, when applied to alcohol consumption. Young adults (N = 1,181) competed a web-based survey, which assessed attitudes, perceived vulnerability, injunctive norms, descriptive norms, prototypes, intention intentions to drink, willingness to drink, and alcohol consumption. Structural Equation Modeling was used to determine overall model fit. Fit indices suggested that the model fit the data well: NFI = .978 CFI = .982, RMSEA = .062. Findings indicated that the reasoned pathway was supported, such that attitudes and injunctive norms predicted intentions to use alcohol, which in turn predicted actual use. Results also supported the social pathway, such that descriptive norms, prototypes, and perceived vulnerability predicted behavioral willingness to use alcohol, which will in turn, predicted alcohol use. By establishing the fit of the PW model for alcohol use among young adults, these findings can help inform the development of theoretically sound brief interventions based on this model.