Adult Alcohol Abuse Research Articles

Adolescent alcohol exposure modifies adult anxiety-like behavior and amygdala sensitivity to alcohol in rats: Increased c-Fos activity and sex-dependent microRNA-182 expression

Adolescent binge alcohol drinking is a serious health concern contributing to adult alcohol abuse often associated with anxiety disorders. We have used adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) administration as a model of binge drinking in rats in order to explore its long-term effect on the basolateral amygdala (BLA) responsiveness to alcohol and anxiety-like behavior. AIE increased the number of BLA c-Fos positive cells in adult Wistar rats and anxiety-like behavior assessed by the open field test (OFT). Additionally, in adult female rats receiving AIE BLA over expression of miR-182 was found. Therefore, our results indicate that alcohol consumption during adolescence can lead to enduring changes in anxiety-like behavior and BLA susceptibility to alcohol that may be mediated by sex-dependent epigenetic changes. These results contribute to understanding the mechanisms involved in the development of alcohol use disorders (AUD) and anxiety-related disorders.

Association between history of interparental violence and alcohol abuse among reproductive-age women: Evidence from the Peruvian Demographic and Health Survey.

Exposure to domestic violence by triggering repetitive distress and fear can affect neurodevelopmental and mental health in the short and long term. This, in turn, has been linked to an increased risk of substance abuse, such as alcohol abuse in adulthood. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between exposure to violence from the father toward the mother and alcohol abuse in Peruvian women. Cross-sectional study. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the Peruvian Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES) of 2019. A total of 19,980 reproductive-aged women (15-49 years old) were surveyed using the Health Questionnaire during 2019. The dependent variable of the study was alcohol abuse, collected through self-report, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria. Intimate partner violence (IPV; violence perpetrated by the father against the mother) was considered as the exposure variable. To assess the association of interest, we only considered observations with complete data and used binary logistic regression models, calculating crude odds ratios and adjusted odds ratios (aOR). For the multivariable model, we adjusted for confounding variables (age, marital status, education level, wealth index, ethnicity, residence, current smoker, depression, and IPV). We analyzed a final sample of 9953 women. The prevalence of interparental violence and alcohol abuse was 41.3% and 1.5%, respectively. We found that interparental violence was associated with higher odds of alcohol abuse (aOR: 2.10; 95% CI: 1.03-4.28) after adjusting for age, marital status, education level, wealth level, ethnicity, area of residence, current smoking, depression, and IPV. We identified that women of reproductive age who have been exposed to interparental violence were at higher odds of experiencing alcohol abuse issues.

Evidence of subgroup differences in meta-analyses evaluating medications for alcohol use disorder: An umbrella review.

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating medications for alcohol use disorder (AUD) often examine heterogeneity of treatment effects through subgroup analyses that contrast effect estimates in groups of patients across individual demographic, clinical, and study design-related characteristics. However, these analyses are often not prespecified or adequately powered, highlighting the potential role of subgroup analyses in meta-analysis. Here, we conducted an umbrella review (i.e., a systematic review of meta-analyses) to determine the range and characteristics of reported subgroup analyses in meta-analyses of AUD medications. We searched PubMed to identify meta-analyses of RCTs evaluating medications for the management of AUD, alcohol abuse, or alcohol dependence in adults. We sought studies that measured drinking-related outcomes; quality of life, function, and rates of mortality; adverse events; and dropout. We considered meta-analyses that reported the results from formal subgroup analyses (comparing the summary effects across subgroup levels); summary effect estimates stratified across subgroup levels; and meta-regression, regression, or correlation-based subgroup analyses. We analyzed nine meta-analyses that included 61 formal subgroup analyses (median = 6 per meta-analysis), of which 33 (54%) were based on baseline participant-level and 28 (46%) were based on trial-level characteristics. Of the 58 subgroup analyses with either a p-value from a subgroup test or a statement by the authors that the subgroup analyses were not statistically significant, eight (14%) were statistically significant at the p < 0.05 level. Twelve meta-analyses reported the results of 102 meta-regression analyses, of which 25 (25%) identified statistically significant predictors of the relevant outcome of interest; nine (9%) were based on baseline participant-level and 93 (91%) were based on trial characteristics. Subgroup analyses across meta-analyses of AUD medications often focus on study-level characteristics, which may not be as clinically informative as subgroup analyses based on participant-level characteristics. Opportunities exist for future meta-analyses to standardize their subgroup methodology, focus on more clinically informative participant-level characteristics, and use predictive approaches to account for multiple relevant variables.

Emotional Processing and Maltreatment During Childhood as Factors of Vulnerability to Alcohol Abuse in Young Adults

AbstractDifferent studies suggest a strong association between childhood abuse and alcohol use disorders (AUDs). The modulation of the startle response has been used to assess emotional processing in AUDs. The main objective of the study was to investigate the startle reflex responses to different stimuli in young adults with varying types of childhood abuse in comparison with a control group according to their current alcohol consumption and the presence of a parent with alcohol dependence or not. A clinical sample of 606 adolescents, divided into five groups: no abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse, were assessed on their pattern of alcohol consumption and their family history of alcoholism. The proportion of participants with at least one alcohol-dependent parent was higher in all types of abuse. The proportion of heavy drinkers and alcohol-dependent participants was higher in the groups with physical neglect and sexual abuse. Heavy drinkers and alcohol dependents showed a lower startle reflex response to emotional pictures, especially alcohol-related ones. Adolescents exposed to physical and sexual abuse during childhood showed a mitigated startle response to appetitive and alcohol-related pictures. The results of this exploratory study reveal that childhood maltreatment modulates emotional processing to alcohol-related stimuli during adolescence. The evaluation of these patients’ startle response could be considered a prognostic biomarker for establishing personalized preventive strategies during the adolescent stage to avoid, to a large extent, future problems derived from alcohol consumption.

The Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Alcohol Abuse and Drunkorexia Behaviors in Young Adults.

The COVID-19 outbreak negatively affected young adults' psychological well-being, increasing their stress levels and symptoms of anxiety and depression, and potentially triggering health-risk behaviors. The present study was aimed at investigating the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on alcohol abuse and drunkorexia behaviors among young adults living in Italy. Participants were 370 emerging adults (63% women, 37% men; Mage = 21.00, SDage = 2.96, range: 18-30) who were recruited through an online survey between November 2021 and March 2022. Participants completed measures of alcohol abuse, drunkorexia behaviors, negative life experiences, and post-traumatic symptoms related to the COVID-19 outbreak. The results showed that the emotional impact and negative life experiences associated with the pandemic predicted both alcohol abuse and drunkorexia behaviors, albeit in different ways. Specifically, the number of negative life experiences during the pandemic and the tendency to avoid COVID-19-related negative thoughts positively predicted alcohol abuse; and the presence of intrusive thoughts associated with the pandemic significantly predicted the frequency of drunkorexia behaviors. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.

Alcohol abuse in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in primary health care: a cross-sectional study.

This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze alcohol abuse in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in primary health care. Household data were collected from March to October 2018 in the Family Health Strategy in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo through face-to-face interviews with a form application. The pattern of alcohol consumption was estimated with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-C. A total of 338 older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus participated, and 19.2% (95%CI 15.0-23.4) engaged in alcohol abuse. Among them, we observed a higher frequency of males (63.1%), aged 60 to 64 years (35.4%), economic class C (49.2%), 1-4 schooling years (53.8%), and multimorbidity (92.3%). There was a negative association between alcohol abuse and drug therapy adherence (PR = 0.55; 95%CI 0.36-0.86). The frequency of alcohol abuse and non-adherence to drug treatment among those with a high consumption pattern is troubling since it can lead to diabetes complications. Therefore, we underscore the importance of multidimensional elderly care and health education in primary care.

Consumo abusivo de álcool em idosos com diabetes mellitus tipo 2 da atenção primária à saúde: um estudo transversal

Abstract This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze alcohol abuse in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in primary health care. Household data were collected from March to October 2018 in the Family Health Strategy in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo through face-to-face interviews with a form application. The pattern of alcohol consumption was estimated with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-C. A total of 338 older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus participated, and 19.2% (95%CI 15.0-23.4) engaged in alcohol abuse. Among them, we observed a higher frequency of males (63.1%), aged 60 to 64 years (35.4%), economic class C (49.2%), 1-4 schooling years (53.8%), and multimorbidity (92.3%). There was a negative association between alcohol abuse and drug therapy adherence (PR = 0.55; 95%CI 0.36-0.86). The frequency of alcohol abuse and non-adherence to drug treatment among those with a high consumption pattern is troubling since it can lead to diabetes complications. Therefore, we underscore the importance of multidimensional elderly care and health education in primary care.

The Role of Melanocortin Plasticity in Pain-Related Outcomes After Alcohol Exposure.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on the rates and dangers of alcohol misuse in adults and adolescents in the US and globally. Alcohol exposure during adolescence causes persistent molecular, cellular, and behavioral changes that increase the risk of alcohol use disorder (AUD) into adulthood. It is established that alcohol abuse in adulthood increases the likelihood of pain hypersensitivity and the genesis of chronic pain, and humans report drinking alcohol to relieve pain symptoms. However, the longitudinal effects of alcohol exposure on pain and the underlying CNS signaling that mediates it are understudied. Specific brain regions mediate pain effects, alcohol effects, and pain-alcohol interactions, and neural signaling in those brain regions is modulated by neuropeptides. The CNS melanocortin system is sensitive to alcohol and modulates pain sensitivity, but this system is understudied in the context of pain-alcohol interactions. In this review, we focus on the role of melanocortin signaling in brain regions sensitive to alcohol and pain, in particular the amygdala. We also discuss interactions of melanocortins with other peptide systems, including the opioid system, as potential mediators of pain-alcohol interactions. Therapeutic strategies that target the melanocortin system may mitigate the negative consequences of alcohol misuse during adolescence and/or adulthood, including effects on pain-related outcomes.

A Study of Criminal Manifestation and Characteristics of Elderly Mental Illness

Objective: As the population of the elderly increases, the prevalence of dementia and other mental diseases of the elderly is also increasing. Dementia is a typical elderly mental illness. Some people with dementia may cause a crime due to symptoms of mental behavior. The purpose of this study is to examine the characteristics of criminal behavior of various elderly mental patients. Methods: From January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2019, the court selected 65 years of age or older from among the criminal psychiatric appraisal cases commissioned by the court. A total of 205 medical records and mental assessments were reviewed retrospectively. All records were prepared through psychiatric interviews, clinical psychological examinations, and other examinations, and the information compiled was viewed in several aspects, including demographic factors, crime characteristics, and psychiatric opinions, at the level of technical analysis. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in the judgment of criminal liability according to the degree of cognitive impairment (p<0.001) in the elderly mentally ill, and a significant difference in criminal behavior depending on the type of mental illness (p<0.001). Conclusion: Not only dementia but also other elderly mental illnesses are related to violent crime. In particular, paranoid symptoms and alcohol abuse in older adults’ mental illness are related to the type of criminal behavior. In an aging society, appropriate therapeutic intervention is needed to prevent criminal behavior of the elderly mentally ill.

Parent-child Relationships and Sexual Minority Youth: Implications for Adult Alcohol Abuse.

Sexual minority (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and same-sex attracted) youth and adults report elevated rates of alcohol use and abuse relative to their heterosexual peers; these differences are strongest for sexual minority girls and women. Although preliminary evidence suggests that unsupportive parenting and maladaptive parent-child relationship qualities are associated with concurrent substance use among sexual minority youth, questions remain about the long-term implications of these early familial experiences on drinking behaviors among sexual minority youth and adults. Nationally-representative prospective data (n = 14,800; 53.1% female; Wave 1 Mean age = 15.61; Wave 4 Mean age = 28.51) were used to test the longitudinal association between parent-child relationships and parental autonomy granting between the ages of 13-18, and sexual-orientation-related disparities in alcohol abuse during adulthood. The findings showed that adolescent same-sex attraction was associated with alcohol abuse during adulthood for sexual minority women and that deficits in parent-child relationship quality statistically mediated this association. No sexual orientation differences in alcohol abuse were found among men. The findings suggest that the quality of relationships with parents in early adolescence has long-lasting impact on sexual minority women's vulnerability for alcohol abuse. Early interventions that bolster supportive parent-child relationship qualities may have enduring consequences for sexual minority women's alcohol use across the life course.

Prevalence and co-occurrence of modifiable risk factors in adults and older people.

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE To estimate the co-occurrence of the major risk factors for chronic diseases in adults (18-59 years old) and older people (≥ 60 years old) living in Brazilian state capitals and the Federal District.METHODS Cross-sectional study with population-based data from 35,448 adults and 18,726 older people collected in the Sistema de Vigilância de Fatores de Risco e Proteção para Doenças Crônicas por Inquérito Telefônico (System of Surveillance of Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey – Vigitel) in 2015. The prevalence of each of the five risk factors (smoking, overweight, physical inactivity, alcohol and unhealthy diet) was estimated, as well as their co-occurrence for the different possible combinations, according to socioeconomic and health self-assessment variables. The independent associations were verified via multinomial logistic regression to obtain the estimates of the odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals.RESULTS At least two risk factors were present in 38.5% of the adults and 37.0% of the older participants. The male adults and older participants who did not have private health insurance and classified their health as average or poor/very poor were more likely to have two or more concurrent risk behaviors. The greater chance of co-occurrence of smoking and alcohol abuse in adults (adjusted OR = 3.52) and older people (adjusted OR = 2.94) stands out.CONCLUSIONS The subgroups with increased risk of developing multiple unhealthy behaviors and the most prevalent behaviors were identified. These findings are expected to contribute to the better targeting of health promotion and preventive care. It is worth noting that, for the adoption of healthy lifestyle habits, macro-social and inter-sectoral policies are more effective.

Relación entre las normas de género y el consumo de alcohol: una revisión sistemática

There are different profiles of alcohol consumption for men and women, and different courses and prognoses associated with problems caused by alcohol abuse. There is evidence of these differences by sex, but research on their links to differences associated with gender dimensions is scarcer. In order to know what has been researched on the subject, this article reviews the literature regarding the relationship between conformity with gender norms and alcohol use and/or abuse in adults. A systematic review was conducted using the electronic databases of PubMed, PsycINFO and ScienceDirect. Twenty-four articles published in English or Spanish were included and analysed. The main findings were: 1) conformity to norms associated with traditional masculine role (dominance, womanising, aggressiveness, risk behaviours) is related to greater alcohol use; 2) conformity to norms associated with traditional feminine role (interest in home life and family care) is related with lower alcohol use. These findings provide evidence of the relationship between dimensions associated with gender and drinking. It is considered that the possibilities of modifying beliefs and gender patterns linked to risk behaviours is an aspect to be taken into account in the field of prevention, with the development of gender measures a necessary task to further deepen the study of these relationships.

Role of MCP-1 and CCR2 in alcohol neurotoxicity.

Alcohol abuse causes profound damage to both the developing brain and the adult brain. Prenatal exposure to alcohol results in a wide range of deficits known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Alcohol abuse in adults is associated with brain shrinkage, memory and attention deficits, communication disorders and physical disabilities. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2) is one of the key chemokines that regulate the recruitment and activation of monocytes and microglia. Both MCP-1 and its receptor C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2) expressed in the brain are involved in various neuroinflammatory disorders, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the role of MCP-1/CCR2 in alcohol-induced brain damage is unclear. Recent evidence indicates that alcohol exposure increased the activity of MCP-1/CCR2 in both mature and developing central nervous systems (CNS). MCP-1/CCR2 signaling in the brain was involved in alcohol drinking behavior. MCP-1/CCR2 inhibition alleviated alcohol neurotoxicity by reducing microglia activation/neuroinflammation in the developing brain and spinal cord. In this review, we discussed the role of MCP-1/CCR2 signaling in alcohol-induced neuroinflammation and brain damage. We also discussed the signaling cascades that are involved in the activation of MCP-1/CCR2 in response to alcohol exposure.

Association between alcohol abuse, childhood adverse events and suicide

Background: Negative life events present a risk for suicidal behaviour. The occurrence of suicidal behaviour also depends on type of negative life events, time of their appearance and the support person has in their environment, and can be part of a process triggered by a stressful event. the aim of the study was to investigate adverse childhood events, parental alcoholism and alcohol abuse in association with suicidal behaviour of suicide victims.Methods: A case-control study was conducted involving 90 individuals from Slovenian population who committed suicide and 90 age-sex matched controls drawn from the living population. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews with key informants by the principles of psychological autopsy.Results: Alcohol abuse was reported more ofen for suicide victims than for controls. The same was true for severe deprivation in childhood and alcoholism of one or both parents. Differences between groups in separation from one or both parents, death of one or both parents, reported parental divorce in childhood or sexual abuse in childhood were not observed.Conclusions: We should conclude that negative events in childhood and alcohol abuse in adulthood of suicide victims could be related to suicidal behaviour in population with higher suicide rate. When planning measures for the prevention of suicidal behaviour, adverse events in childhood and alcohol abuse should not be neglected to plan measures to prevent such events accordingly and to raise awareness about the dangers of alcohol abuse for suicidal behaviour.

Schémas précoces inadaptés et dimensions de la personnalité chez des adolescents consommateurs abusifs d’alcool

La présente étude vise à évaluer les schémas précoces inadaptés et les dimensions de la personnalité du modèle à cinq facteurs dans la consommation abusive d’alcool à l’adolescence. Pour mesurer les dimensions de la personnalité, nous avons utilisé le Big Five Inventory français (BFI-Fr), la version abrégée du questionnaire de Young (YSQ-S2) pour évaluer les schémas précoces inadaptés, ainsi que l’Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) pour la consommation d’alcool. Deux cents adolescents ayant préalablement complété ces questionnaires ont ensuite été répartis en trois groupes selon que leur consommation d’alcool était nulle (n = 33), occasionnelle (n = 78) ou abusive (n = 89). Les résultats montrent que les consommateurs abusifs obtiennent des scores significativement plus élevés que les consommateurs occasionnels et que les non-consommateurs sur le score global d’activation des schémas précoces inadaptés, ainsi que sur six schémas spécifiques (abandon, imperfection, vulnérabilité, contrôle émotionnel à outrance, grandeur, manque d’autocontrôle). Nos résultats montrent également des scores de Névrosisme significativement plus élevés chez les consommateurs abusifs, en comparaison aux consommateurs occasionnels et aux non-consommateurs. Les implications théoriques et pratiques de ces résultats sont discutées. Alcohol is the most widely consumed drug amongst adolescents and its misuse is a great public health concern. In France, regular alcohol consumption in this population has increased over the past decade (Spilka et al., 2015). This disturbing trend makes research on risk factors for alcohol misuse among adolescents particularly important. In the literature, early maladaptive schemas are considered as a possible risk factor in the onset and maintenance of psychopathology (Young, 1994; Ball, 1998). They are defined as broad pervasive patterns that are comprised of memories, emotions and cognitions regarding oneself and one's relationships with others, and are dysfunctional to a significant degree (Young et al., 2005). Theoretically, early maladaptive schemas begin to develop during early childhood from toxic experiences (Young, 1994). Although research has demonstrated that adult alcohol abusers report greater early maladaptive schema endorsement than a non-clinical comparison group (Decouvelaere et al., 2002; Roper et al., 2010), we are unaware of any research that has examined whether early maladaptive schemas are prevalent among adolescents alcohol abusers. Similarly, relationships between alcohol misuse and personality domains of the Five Factor Model (Costa and McCrae, 1992) have been widely examined in samples of adults (Kotov et al., 2010; Ruiz et al., 2008), yet only one study has raised this question among adolescents (Merenäkk et al., 2003). For these reasons, the present study aims to examine early maladaptive schemas and personality domains of the Five Factor Model in adolescent alcohol abusers. This research involved 286 adolescents recruited in high schools. Each participant completed five self-report questionnaires assessing (1) alcohol consumption [Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)], (2) cannabis consumption [Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)], (3) early maladaptive schemas [Young Schemas Questionnaire (YSQ-S2)], (4) personality domains [Big Five Inventory français (BFI-Fr)] and (5) depression [Beck Depression Inventory - Second Edition (BDI-II)]. Fifty-seven participants were excluded from this study due to the following criteria: suffering from depression (n = 13), excessive consumption of cannabis (n = 41) or use of a drug other than alcohol, tobacco or cannabis (n = 3). Twenty-nine adolescents were also excluded because their questionnaires were incomplete. Finally, 200 adolescents (124 boys and 76 girls) were divided into three groups according to their alcohol consumption: absent (n = 33), occasional (n = 78) or abuse (n = 89). An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted on early maladaptive schemas and personality domains with age as covariate to explore the relationship between these dimensions and alcohol consumption among adolescents. The results indicated that alcohol abusers are significantly different from occasional users and non-users by (a) a global hyperactivation of early maladaptive schemas, (b) a hyperactivation of six specific schemas (abandonment, defectiveness, vulnerability, emotional inhibition, grandiosity, insufficient selfcontrol) and (c) significantly higher scores of Neuroticism. The data is coherent with the literature suggesting that early maladaptive schema could be a risk factor for the initiation and maintenance of substance abuse (Ball, 1998, 2007). In addition, this study suggests that Young's schema theory might constitute a valuable framework to understand alcohol abuse in adolescence. The results also show that alcohol abusers present low emotional stability and difficulties in feeling positive emotions, which is consistent with earlier studies among young adults (Mezquita et al., 2010; Ruiz et al., 2003). However, more research is needed to further understand the relationship between early maladaptive schemas, personality and alcohol abuse in adolescence. This could confirm the relevance of therapeutic programs targeting early maladaptive schemas and personality traits in this population.

The Dysfunction of Emotional Expression as a Related Factor for Alcohol Misuse in Young Adolescents

ABSTRACTAmidst the research on the psycho-behavioral factors correlating with alcohol abuse, numerous studies have identified psychopathological disorders and alexithymic traits in adult alcohol abusers, but this relationship has yet to be studied in adolescents. To a sample of 1,466 students (mean age of 13.5 years) were administered three questionnaires to assess their alcohol consumption, any alexithymic traits, and any psycho-behavioral problems. There was an association between alcohol consumption and psycho-behavioral problems in the sample as a whole, but a statistically significant relationship between alcohol consumption and alexithymia only in the subsample of students attending middle school (sixth to eighth graders). Among these younger adolescents (11 to 13 years old), those with a higher score for alexithymia and psycho-behavioral problems had a significantly greater alcohol consumption than their peers without these psychological traits. Alexithymic traits, especially when associated with psycho-behavioral problems, constitute a risk factor for alcohol consumption in preadolescence.

The Bidirectional Associations Between Psychotic Experiences and DSM-IV Mental Disorders.

While it is now recognized that psychotic experiences are associated with an increased risk of later mental disorders, we lack a detailed understanding of the reciprocal time-lagged relationships between first onsets of psychotic experiences and mental disorders. Using data from World Health Organization World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys, the authors assessed the bidirectional temporal associations between psychotic experiences and mental disorders. The WMH Surveys assessed lifetime prevalence and age at onset of psychotic experiences and 21 common DSM-IV mental disorders among 31,261 adult respondents from 18 countries. Discrete-time survival models were used to examine bivariate and multivariate associations between psychotic experiences and mental disorders. Temporally primary psychotic experiences were significantly associated with subsequent first onset of eight of the 21 mental disorders (major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, posttraumatic stress disorder, adult separation anxiety disorder, bulimia nervosa, and alcohol abuse), with odds ratios ranging from 1.3 (95% CI=1.2-1.5) for major depressive disorder to 2.0 (95% CI=1.5-2.6) for bipolar disorder. In contrast, 18 of 21 primary mental disorders were significantly associated with subsequent first onset of psychotic experiences, with odds ratios ranging from 1.5 (95% CI=1.0-2.1) for childhood separation anxiety disorder to 2.8 (95% CI=1.0-7.8) for anorexia nervosa. While temporally primary psychotic experiences are associated with an elevated risk of several subsequent mental disorders, these data show that most mental disorders are associated with an elevated risk of subsequent psychotic experiences. Further investigation of the underlying factors accounting for these time-order relationships may shed light on the etiology of psychotic experiences.

Adolescent binge-like alcohol alters sensitivity to acute alcohol effects on dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens of adult rats.

Rationale: Early onset of alcohol drinking has been associated with alcohol abuse in adulthood. The neurobiology of this phenomenon is unclear, but mesolimbic dopamine pathways, which are dynamic during adolescence, may play a role. We investigated the impact of adolescent binge-like alcohol on phasic dopaminergic neurotransmission during adulthood. Rats received intermittent intragastric ethanol, water, or nothing during adolescence. In adulthood, electrically evoked dopamine release and subsequent uptake were measured in the nucleus accumbens core at baseline and after acute challenge of ethanol or saline. Adolescent ethanol exposure did not alter basal measures of evoked dopamine release or uptake. Ethanol challenge dose-dependently decreased the amplitude of evoked dopamine release in rats by 30–50 % in control groups, as previously reported, but did not alter evoked release in ethanol-exposed animals. To address the mechanism by which ethanol altered dopamine signaling, the evoked signals were modeled to estimate dopamine efflux per impulse and the velocity of the dopamine transporter. Dopamine uptake was slower in all exposure groups after ethanol challenge compared to saline, while dopamine efflux per pulse of electrical stimulation was reduced by ethanol only in ethanol-naive rats. The results demonstrate that exposure to binge levels of ethanol during adolescence blunts the effect of ethanol challenge to reduce the amplitude of phasic dopamine release in adulthood. Large dopamine transients may result in more extracellular dopamine after alcohol challenge in adolescent-exposed rats and may be one mechanism by which alcohol is more reinforcing in people who initiated drinking at an early age.

Social, Contextual and Psychological Correlates of Alcohol and Illegal Drug Use by College and Non College Attending Youth

Adolescent and young adult alcohol and illegal drug use and abuse in the U.S. are public health and social problems of epidemic proportions. This study attempts to identify social, contextual and psychological correlates of levels of alcohol and illegal drug use for a local sample of college and non-college youth. Results from regression analyses indicated a significant influence of friends on level of alcohol and marijuana use and on illegal use of prescription and other drugs. Frequency of marijuana use was significantly associated with being male and frequently feeling depressed. In addition, attending a four-year college was positive and significantly related to higher levels of alcohol consumption. Implications for college and university and social policymakers and for future research are discussed.

Revisiting Baby Boomers and Alcohol Use: Emerging Treatment Trends

With the aging of the “Baby Boom” generation, it is anticipated that there will be a greater frequency of alcohol misuse among older adults. Clinicians often overlook signs of alcohol abuse in older adults or misdiagnose these problems. The purpose of this article is to examine some of the problems with alcohol use in older adults to further create awareness of the importance of appropriate strategies to reduce incidence. We consider the severity of alcohol abuse, factors that can aggravate alcohol use, and methods of implementing treatment in this population.