Adult Alcohol Research Articles

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer, Questioning and Transgender, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Gender Questioning Adult Alcohol Use Outcomes Associated with State Alcohol-Related Laws During the Coronavirus Pandemic in the United States.

Purpose: We assessed how COVID-19-related alcohol sales policies influenced alcohol use behaviors during the pandemic for U.S. adults of diverse sexual (lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, questioning [LGBQ]) and gender identities (transgender, nonbinary, genderqueer, and gender questioning [T/NB/GQ]). Methods: Time-specific, state-level, restaurant, bar, and off-premise alcohol policy data were collected from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism-sponsored Alcohol Policy Information System and merged with the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey data. Treatments included bar, restaurant, and delivery alcohol sales policies. Outcomes included past 30-day drinking frequency, quantity, and heavy episodic drinking (HED). We fitted negative binomial regression models for all outcomes, clustered standard errors by state and used sample weights. We also controlled for seasonality, state Alcohol Policy Scale scores, pre-/postpandemic time period, and included demographic control variables in our cross-sectional analyses. Results: The sample included 10,505 adults identifying as LGBQ and 809 as T/NB/GQ from 32 states. Restaurant and bar closures were associated with less alcohol use for LGBQ respondents. Outdoor-only policies at bars were also associated with significantly less quantity of use and HED for T/NB/GQ adults in the sample. Off-premise home delivery was associated with greater quantity of use for LGBQ respondents and less frequency for T/NB/GQ respondents. Conclusion: The COVID-19-related alcohol sales policy changes offer an opportunity to better understand alcohol policy and availability's influence on drinking behaviors among sexual and gender-diverse populations in the United States.

Causal associations of alcohol with ECG-derived cardiovascular phenotypes in chinese adults

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Heavy alcohol consumption is associated with increased risk of stroke, but its role, especially moderate drinking, in other types of cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains inconclusive. Understanding how alcohol intake affects cardiac traits measured by electrocardiogram (ECG) can improve our understanding of the relationships between alcohol intake and risk of different types of CVD. Purpose This study aims to assess the causal associations of alcohol and ECG-derived cardiovascular phenotypes in Chinese adults, where two genetic variants which alter alcohol metabolism and greatly affect alcohol intake can be used in a Mendelian randomisation approach. Methods The prospective China Kadoorie Biobank recruited 512,715 adults from ten diverse regions in China between 2004-2008 and recorded baseline alcohol use and other characteristics. 151,035 participants were genotyped for two genetic variants that affected alcohol metabolism (ALDH2-rs671 and ADH1B-rs1229984), and 25,041 participants had ECG measurements taken at the 2013-2014 resurvey, broadly defined into phenotypes (ischaemia, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), arrhythmia) and continuous traits. Self-reported alcohol intake (conventional analysis) and genotype-predicted alcohol intake (genetic analysis) were related to the odds of ECG-derived cardiovascular phenotypes and the mean values of ECG continuous traits using multivariable logistic and linear regression models respectively. Results Among men, 35.0% drank alcohol regularly. There was a J-shaped association between ECG-defined ischaemia with self-reported alcohol intake, with a clear dose-response among current drinkers (OR 1.56, 95%CI 1.25-1.94 per 280g/week increase in alcohol intake (Figure 1)). However, there was no clear causal association in genetic analysis (1.02, 0.82-1.27 per 280g/week (Table 1)). There were no associations between alcohol intake and LVH or arrhythmia in conventional or genetic analysis. Among women, only 2.3% drank alcohol regularly, and there were no clear associations between alcohol intake and ECG measurements and derived phenotypes in either the conventional or genetic analyses. Genotype-predicted alcohol intake was associated with smaller P, QRS, and T-axis, and longer QRS and QTc duration in men, and marginally associated with ventricular rate in women. Conclusion This study found no clear causal associations of alcohol with ECG-derived cardiovascular phenotypes and continuous traits, and no evidence of a cardioprotective effect of moderate drinking on myocardial ischaemia.

Associations of state and trait empathy with daily alcohol use.

A growing literature documents associations between lower trait empathy and heavier alcohol use and more alcohol problems in adolescent and young adult samples. Prior work linking empathy and alcohol use/problems in these populations has thus far focused on trait rather than state empathy, and researchers often do not differentiate between cognitive and affective empathy. Further, no prior studies have examined associations between daily fluctuations in state empathy and alcohol use. The goal of the current study is to advance knowledge about the associations between state (vs. trait) and cognitive (vs. affective) empathy and alcohol use. Adult alcohol drinkers (n=492; Mage=22.89, SD=5.53; 53.70% female) participated in ecological momentary assessment studies for 7 to 10 days (day n=4683). Multilevel hurdle models were used to investigate associations between day-level state empathy and daily alcohol use at the within-person level, and associations between individual differences in trait empathy and alcohol use across days at the between-person level. Higher day-level state affective empathy was not associated with the likelihood of drinking on a particular day, but it was significantly associated with a greater number of drinks consumed on alcohol-consuming days, with the latter associations remaining after controlling for day-level positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA). No associations were found for day-level state cognitive empathy, or trait affective or cognitive empathy. On drinking days, when individuals reported more affective empathy than is typical for them, they were more likely to consume a greater number of alcoholic drinks, results that remained when controlling for levels of PA and NA. Daily shifts in affective empathy may be important to consider in efforts to understand alcohol use.

Why do adults drink alcohol? Development and validation of a Drinking Motives Questionnaire for adults.

The Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised (DMQ-R; Cooper, 1994) is frequently used to assess adult drinking motives despite being designed for younger drinkers. This study aimed to develop and validate a Drinking Motives Questionnaire for Adults (DMQ-A). A convenience sample of 1,617 adults (25-65-year-olds; Mage = 51.4, SD = 10.8; 67% female) and 145 young-adults (18-24-year-olds; Mage = 20.8, SD = 2.0; 72% female) who reported drinking at least monthly were asked how often they consumed alcohol due to 53 drinking motives. Using item endorsement and exploratory factor analysis on half of the split sample of adults, 20 items were selected for the DMQ-A. The DMQ-A was found to have social, coping, confidence, taste, and enhancement dimensions. The DMQ-R conformity dimension was replaced by one of drinking for confidence and a novel drinking for taste dimension was identified. The second half of the split sample was used to demonstrate the DMQ-A's adequate model fit (CFI = 0.93), good internal consistency (α = .81-.90) and 6-month test-retest reliability (r = .65-.74), correlation with corresponding DMQ-R dimensions (r = .90-.96), and better model fit for adults than young-adults (ΔCFI = .03). The DMQ-A also demonstrated higher endorsement for each of its dimensions and better model fit than the DMQ-R among adults (ΔCFI = .05). Like the DMQ-R, DMQ-A coping and enhancement dimensions correlated with alcohol consumption and harmful drinking (r = .19-.42). The DMQ-A is a promising tool for future research or clinical application involving adult alcohol use. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Negative and positive allosteric modulators of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor regulates the ability of adolescent binge alcohol exposure to enhance adult alcohol consumption.

Rationale and Objectives: Ethanol acts directly on the α7 Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7). Adolescent-binge alcohol exposure (ABAE) produces deleterious consequences during adulthood, and data indicate that the α7 receptor regulates these damaging events. Administration of an α7 Negative Allosteric Modulator (NAM) or the cholinesterase inhibitor galantamine can prophylactically prevent adult consequences of ABAE. The goals of the experiments were to determine the effects of co-administration of ethanol and a α7 agonist in the mesolimbic dopamine system and to determine if administration of an α7 NAM or positive allosteric modulator (PAM) modulates the enhancement of adult alcohol drinking produced by ABAE. Methods: In adult rats, ethanol and the α7 agonist AR-R17779 (AR) were microinjected into the posterior ventral tegmental area (VTA), and dopamine levels were measured in the nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh). In adolescence, rats were treated with the α7 NAM SB-277011-A (SB) or PNU-120596 (PAM) 2 h before administration of EtOH (ABAE). Ethanol consumption (acquisition, maintenance, and relapse) during adulthood was characterized. Results: Ethanol and AR co-administered into the posterior VTA stimulated dopamine release in the AcbSh in a synergistic manner. The increase in alcohol consumption during the acquisition and relapse drinking during adulthood following ABAE was prevented by administration of SB, or enhanced by administration of PNU, prior to EtOH exposure during adolescence. Discussion: Ethanol acts on the α7 receptor, and the α7 receptor regulates the critical effects of ethanol in the brain. The data replicate the findings that cholinergic agents (α7 NAMs) can act prophylactically to reduce the alterations in adult alcohol consumption following ABAE.

Alexithymia and Alcohol Use: Evaluating the Role of Interoceptive Sensibility with the Revised Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness

Alexithymia has been linked to risky or problematic alcohol use, with a common interpretation invoking deficient emotion regulation and use of alcohol to cope with distress. An alternative explanation positing a general deficit of interoception in alexithymia suggested that poor awareness of internal cues of overconsumption may promote excessive drinking. The present study assessed predictions based on these hypotheses in 337 young adult alcohol users recruited online. Participants completed validated questionnaire indices of alcohol use, alexithymia, emotion regulation, interoceptive sensibility, and sensitivity to reward and punishment. Alcohol use was positively correlated with alexithymia and reward sensitivity, and negatively correlated with emotion regulation as expected, but was uncorrelated with interoceptive sensibility. Alexithymia was not significantly correlated with most dimensions of interoceptive sensibility but was highly negatively correlated with emotion regulation. Hierarchical regression controlling for demographic variables indicated that alexithymia, emotion regulation, sex, and sensitivity to reward and punishment were significant predictors of alcohol use levels. Bootstrapped mediation test controlling for all other variables indicated mediation of the association between alexithymia and alcohol use by deficient emotion regulation but not interoceptive sensibility. Results supported the emotion regulation deficit interpretation of the association of alexithymia with alcohol use. Limitations concerning interoception measurement, online samples, self-report measures, cross-sectional designs, and collection of data during the COVID-19 pandemic are discussed. Future research could follow up on these findings by testing interoceptive accuracy in addition to interoceptive sensibility in relation to alexithymia and alcohol use.

COVID-19 Stress (Traumatic Symptoms, Compulsive Checking, Xenophobia, and Danger & Contamination) and Alcohol Use Uniquely Explain State Alcohol Cravings.

Stressful events may lead to the consumption of alcohol as a self-medicating and coping strategy. The self-medication hypothesis and addiction loop model served as the theoretical frameworks to understand how various COVID-19 pandemic stressors serve as risks for alcohol usage and state alcohol cravings. The study hypothesized that higher COVID-19 stressors (past month) would predict higher alcohol use (past month), and both were hypothesized to uniquely explain stronger alcohol cravings (state). Adult alcohol users (N = 366) participated in this cross-sectional study. Respondents completed measures of the COVID Stress Scales (socioeconomic, xenophobia, traumatic symptoms, compulsive checking, and danger & contamination), drink frequency and drink quantity, and state alcohol cravings (Alcohol Urge Questionnaire and Desires for Alcohol Questionnaire). Results from a structural equation model involving latent factors determined that higher pandemic stress explained greater alcohol use, and both factors uniquely contributed to stronger state alcohol cravings. A structural equation model premised on specific measures revealed that higher xenophobia stress, higher traumatic symptoms stress, higher compulsive checking stress, and lower danger & contamination stress uniquely predicted drink quantity, but not drink frequency. Furthermore, greater drink quantity and drink frequency independently predicted stronger state alcohol cravings. The findings recognize that pandemic stressors operate as cue-induced triggers for alcohol use and cravings. The COVID-19 stressors identified in this study could be targeted in interventions based on the addiction loop model designed to mitigate the effects of stress cues on alcohol use and present cravings for alcohol.

Differential impacts of perceived social support on alcohol and cannabis use in young adults: lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdowns provided a unique opportunity to examine how changes in the social environment impact mental health and wellbeing. We addressed this issue by assessing how perceived social support across COVID-19 restrictions alters alcohol and cannabis use in emerging adults, a population vulnerable to adverse outcomes of substance use. Four hundred sixty-three young adults in Canada and the United States completed online questionnaires for three retrospective timepoints: Pre-Covid, Lockdown and Eased Restrictions. Sociodemographic factors, perceived social support, and substance use were assessed. Overall, alcohol use decreased while cannabis use increased during Lockdown. Interestingly, social support negatively predicted alcohol use and positively predicted cannabis use during Lockdown. These findings suggest a difference in motives underlying alcohol and cannabis use in emerging adults. Importantly, these changes were not sustained when restrictions eased, suggesting that emerging adults exhibit resiliency to the impacts of COVID-19 restrictions on substance use.

Adolescent predictors of psychiatric disorders in adulthood: The role of emotional distress and problem drinking in emerging adulthood.

The current study evaluated risk factors in adolescence on problem drinking and emotional distress in late adolescence and emerging adulthood, and meeting criteria for diagnosed disorders in adulthood. The study included 501 parents and their adolescent who participated from middle adolescence to adulthood. Risk factors in middle adolescence (age 18) included parent alcohol use, adolescent alcohol use, and parent and adolescent emotional distress. In late adolescence (age 18), binge drinking and emotional distress were assessed, and in emerging adulthood (age 25), alcohol problems and emotional distress were examined. Meeting criteria for substance use, behavioral, affective, or anxiety disorders were examined between the ages of 26 and 31. Results showed parent alcohol use predicted substance use disorder through late adolescent binge drinking and emerging adulthood alcohol problems. Behavioral disorders were indirectly predicted by adolescent and emerging adult emotional distress. Affective disorders were indirectly predicted by parent emotional distress through adolescent emotional distress. Finally, anxiety disorders were predicted by parent alcohol use via adolescent drinking; parent emotional distress via adolescent emotional distress, and through adolescent alcohol use and emotional distress. Results provided support for the intergenerational transmission of problem drinking and emotional distress on meeting criteria for diagnosed psychiatric disorders in adulthood.

Trends in Young Adult Alcohol and Cannabis Use Through the First 1.5 Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic From a Community Cohort Sample.

There has been concern regarding increased substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among young adults, but much of this concern stemmed from cross-sectional or short-term data collected early in the pandemic. This study followed a young adult community cohort throughout the first 1.5 years of the pandemic to examine longer-term trends/trajectories in alcohol and cannabis use behaviors. Beginning before the COVID-19 pandemic (January 2020), 656 young adults completed up to eight surveys on substance use and other behaviors, which extended through August 2021. Multilevel spline growth models estimated changes in alcohol/cannabis use in three segments: (a) from pre-pandemic to April 2020, (b) from April 2020 to September/October 2020, and (c) from September/October 2020 to July/August 2021. Abstainers were removed from the analyses, yielding subsamples for alcohol models (n = 545; M age = 25.6 years; 59.8% female) and cannabis models (n = 303; M age = 25.6; 61.4% female). Drinking frequency initially increased (3% per month), decreased in the second segment (4% per month), and plateaued in the final segment. Drinking quantity significantly decreased in all three segments: 4% per month in segment one, 3% per month in segment two, and 1% per month in the final segment. Cannabis frequency and quantity showed no significant changes across the first two segments, then significantly decreased in the final segment (3% and 6% per month, respectively). The significant changes for cannabis frequency/quantity were moderated by age, such that older participants had steeper decreases in the final segment. Findings highlight that young adult alcohol and cannabis use generally declined across the first 1.5 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, contrary to widespread concerns.

The impact of social isolation and loneliness on resilient older adults with remitted depressive disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: two case studies

AuthorsCatherine Gonzalez M.D. and Nancy Donovan M.D. IntroductionSocial Isolation and loneliness (SI/L) representing objective and subjective deficits in social relationships and interactions, are important factors affecting the mental health of older adults. They are also major risk factors for cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease, and premature mortality. During the COVID-19 pandemic, instituted measures such as social distancing, stay-at-home regulations, public closures, and activity limitations, increased social isolation and loneliness for many. It is important for clinicians to recognize how SI/L contributed to worsening psychiatric symptoms during the acute pandemic, the extent to which they still persist and their potential long lasting sequelae. Method/CaseThese case presentations will highlight the impact of SI/L in two elderly patients receiving psychiatric care in an academic outpatient geriatric psychiatry clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic.The first case is a 75-year-old man with history of depression following the death of his wife who was euthymic and stable on a low dose of an SSRI since 2017. Between 2017-2020, he was active, well-functioning, attended religious services weekly, engaged in group grief counseling at his temple, took university extension classes, and visited regularly with family and friends. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social restriction measures, he lost all in person connections (counseling, classes, services), and stopped seeing others out of fear of infection and increasing depression. As restrictions eased, many of his former activities returned, albeit virtually but he has been struggling to reconnect, continuing to experience SI/L and depression. Symptoms have only partially improved with CBT and supportive therapy.The second case is a 77-year-old woman with a history of major depression since adulthood, well controlled on low dose SSRI and as needed sleep medication. In the fall of 2019, she had a brief recurrence of depressive symptoms in context of adult son's alcohol abuse and his need to live with her. Symptoms improved as she was active in her church, had many friends and had future trips plans to complete as part of her ‘bucket list’. In spring/summer 2020, depression relapsed as she felt isolated and unsupported during the pandemic and being a witness to son's ETOH and mental health problems without a clear treatment plan/next step. Throughout the last two years, she has been grieving the loss of her ‘pre-covid life’ and the realization that she might not complete her ‘bucket-list’ items. Furthermore, her physical health has been worsening, which has been difficult for her overall well-being. ResultsThese cases highlight the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular its negative impact on geriatric mental health via worsening of SI/L. Even after multiple pandemic surges, vaccines and new treatments, the effects of isolation and social distancing have long lasting effects. In these two cases, high functioning and resilient older adult patients were negatively impacted by isolating public health measures during the pandemic. Recovery, while slow, has been based on re-establishing the quality and quantity of social relationships, re-engagement in meaningful activities and coming to terms with the unique stresses and losses during the pandemic.

Adolescents' perceptions of alcohol portrayals in the media and their impact on cognitions and behaviors.

Exposure to alcohol in the media is pervasive and may influence adolescents' perceptions and use of alcohol. The purpose of this study was to better understand how adolescents perceive alcohol-related content in both entertainment and social media, with a focus on the valence of portrayals (i.e., positive, negative) and impacts on cognitions and behaviors. Participants were 40 high school students (60% female). Nine focus groups were conducted via videoconferencing, stratified by grade (9th/10th, 11th/12th) and gender. Transcripts were analyzed via template-style thematic analyses to identify themes. Six themes were developed, including (a) some portrayals of alcohol may increase likelihood of using alcohol, (b) some portrayals of alcohol in the media can discourage drinking, (c) sometimes truly negative consequences of alcohol are portrayed positively or downplayed, (d) media portrayals of alcohol are perceived to be based in reality but are at times exaggerated, (e) adolescent and adult alcohol use is portrayed differently in entertainment media, and (f) the extent to which adolescents are influenced by the media may depend on their preexisting attitudes, beliefs, and education. Adolescents have awareness of media portrayals of alcohol, both positive and negative, and their associated impacts. Findings highlight the need for much more work to understand the conditions under which, and for whom, exposure to different types of positive portrayals of alcohol in the media translate into positive expectancies about alcohol or drinking motives. Such work may ultimately inform intervention targets to reduce early initiation and/or risky drinking among adolescents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Development of Brief Alcohol and Cannabis Motives Measures: Psychometric Evaluation Using Expert Feedback and Longitudinal Methods.

Alcohol and cannabis use motives are often studied as contributors to risky substance use patterns. While various measures for capturing such motives exist, most contain 20+ items, which render their inclusion in certain research designs (e.g., daily diary) or with certain populations (e.g., polysubstance users) unfeasible. We sought to generate and validate six-item measures of cannabis and alcohol motives from existing measures, the Marijuana Motives Measure (MMM) and the Modified Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised (MDMQ-R). In Study 1, items were generated, feedback from 33 content- domain experts was obtained, and item revisions were made. In Study 2, the finalized brief cannabis and alcohol motives measures, along with the MMM, MDMQ-R, and substance-related measures, were administered to 176 emerging adult cannabis and alcohol users (71.6% female) at two timepoints, two months apart. Participants were recruited through a participant pool. Study 1 experts indicated satisfactory ratings of face and content validity. Expert feedback was used to revise three items. Study 2 results suggest test-retest reliabilities for the single-item forms (r = .34 to .60) were similar to those obtained with full motives measures (r = .39 to .67). Validity was acceptable-to-excellent in that brief and full-length measures were significantly intercorrelated (r = .40 to .83). The brief and full-length measures had similar concurrent and predictive relationships for cannabis and alcohol quantity x frequency (coping- with-anxiety for cannabis and enhancement for alcohol) and problems (coping-with-depression), respectively. The brief measures represent psychometrically-sound measures of cannabis and alcohol use motives with substantially less participant burden than the MMM and MDMQ-R.

Evaluating substance use outcomes of recreational cannabis legalization using a unique co-twin control design

ABSTRACT Background: As more states pass recreational cannabis legalization (RCL), we must understand how RCL affects substance use. Objectives: The current study aims to examine the effect of RCL on lifetime and past-year use of cannabis, alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, frequency of cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco use, co-use of cannabis with alcohol and tobacco, and consequences from cannabis and alcohol use. Methods: We used a unique, co-twin control design of twin pairs who were discordant for living in a state with RCL between 2018 and 2021. The sample consisted of 3,830 adult twins (41% male), including 232 twin pairs discordant for RCL. Problems from alcohol and cannabis use were assessed via the Brief Marijuana Consequences Questionnaire and the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire. Results: Results indicated that the twin living in an RCL state was more likely to endorse past-year cannabis use (OR = 1.56, p = .009), greater number of cannabis use days in the past 6 months (β = 0.47, p = .019), but not more negative consequences from cannabis use (β = 0.21, p = .456) compared to their co-twin in a non-RCL state. There were no differences within-twin pairs in frequency of alcohol use (β=-0.05, p = .601), but the RCL twin reported fewer negative consequences from alcohol use (β=-0.29, p = .016) compared to their co-twin in a non-RCL state. We did not observe any other differences within-twin pairs on other outcomes. Conclusion: These results suggest that living in an RCL state is associated with greater cannabis frequency but not more negative consequences from cannabis use than living in a non-RCL state.

Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Alcohol and Other Drug Use Disorders: Is a One-Size-Fits-All Approach Appropriate?

We provide an overview of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) efficacy for adult alcohol or other drug use disorders (AOD) and consider some key variations in application as well as contextual (ie, moderators) or mechanistic (ie, mediators) factors related to intervention outcomes. This work is a narrative overview of the review literature on CBT for AOD. Robust evidence suggests the efficacy of classical/traditional CBT compared to minimal and usual care control conditions. CBT combined with another evidence-based treatment such as Motivational Interviewing, Contingency Management, or pharmacotherapy is also efficacious compared to minimal and usual care control conditions, but no form of CBT consistently demonstrates efficacy compared to other empirically-supported modalities. CBT and integrative forms of CBT have potential for flexible application such as use in a digital format. Data on mechanisms of action, however, are quite limited and this is despite preliminary evidence that shows that CBT effect sizes on mechanistic outcomes (ie, secondary measures of psychosocial adjustment) are moderate and typically larger than those for AOD use. CBT for AOD is a well-established intervention with demonstrated efficacy, effect sizes are in the small-to-moderate range, and there is potential for tailoring given the modular format of the intervention. Future work should consider mechanisms of CBT efficacy and key conditions for dissemination and implementation with fidelity.

Assessing reasons for limiting heavy drinking among college students: development and preliminary analysis

ABSTRACT Background Existing measures of reasons for limiting alcohol use are over 30 years old or don’t distinguish between limiting drinking/abstinence and limiting heavy drinking. The present study describes the development and evaluation of the Reasons for Limiting Heavy Drinking (RFLHD), a 15-item measure assessing reasons to limit heavy drinking. Method Participants were 591 college students from two southern universities identifying primarily as White (68%) and female (82.3%) who completed the RFLHD, Protective Behavioral Strategies Survey-20, US-Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test Consumption scale, and the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire. Results Exploratory factor analyses supported a two-factor solution – Avoiding Consequences (i.e., limiting use to reduce alcohol related negative consequences) and – Personal and Other’s Values (i.e., limiting use in accordance with personal, or other people’s values, regarding alcohol consumption). Generally, the RFLHD was negatively correlated with measures of alcohol use measures and positively correlated with measures of alcohol harm reduction. Conclusion The RFLHD displayed promising preliminary psychometric properties in this study. Harm reduction interventions aimed at the behavioral component of alcohol use may benefit from using the RFLHD to examine cognitive motivations for limiting heavy drinking. Further investigation of the RFLHD is needed to advance the measure.

A Reexamination of Drinking Motives in Young Adults: The Development and Initial Validation of the Young Adult Alcohol Motives Scale.

This study reexamined the factor structure of drinking motives using 205 unique items from 18 drinking motives scales with the inclusion of social tension reduction motives, which have been largely neglected in the literature. A new scale was created and compared with the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised (DMQ-R) to predict alcohol use/problems. Young adults (N = 1,049) completed questionnaires assessing drinking motives and alcohol use/problems. A subset (N = 368) of participants completed a 6-month follow-up. Hierarchical factor analyses informed the creation of a four-factor (i.e., coping, social, enhancement, and social tension reduction) scale (i.e., the Young Adult Alcohol Motives Scale [YAAMS]). In general, the YAAMS performed similarly to the DMQ-R in predicting concurrent and prospective alcohol consumption (i.e., typical drinking quantity and frequency) and alcohol problems (i.e., Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test [AUDIT] and Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire [B-YAACQ] scores), but there were some notable differences, including that the novel social tension reduction scale of the YAAMS was particularly relevant in predicting drinking frequency in those with social anxiety. Results suggest that drinking motives can be described by multiple factor structures and predict alcohol-related outcomes.

Nudging Interventions on Alcohol and Tobacco Consumption in Adults: A Scoping Review of the Literature.

Background: The World Health Organization identified alcohol and tobacco consumption as the risk factors with a greater attributable burden and number of deaths related to non-communicable diseases. A promising technique aimed to modify behavioral risk factors by redesigning the elements influencing the choice of people is nudging. Methodology: A scoping review of the literature was performed to map the literature evidence investigating the use of nudging for tobacco and alcohol consumption prevention and/or control in adults. Results: A total of 20 studies were included. The identified nudging categories were increasing salience of information or incentives (IS), default choices (DF), and providing feedback (PF). Almost three-quarters of the studies implementing IS and half of those implementing PF reported a success. Three-quarters of the studies using IS in conjunction with other interventions reported a success whereas more than half of the those with IS alone reported a success. The PF strategy performed better in multi-component interventions targeting alcohol consumption. Only one DF mono-component study addressing alcohol consumption reported a success. Conclusions: To achieve a higher impact, nudging should be integrated into comprehensive prevention policy frameworks, with dedicated education sessions for health professionals. In conclusion, nudge strategies for tobacco and alcohol consumption prevention in adults show promising results. Further research is needed to investigate the use of nudge strategies in socio-economically diverse groups and in young populations.

Examining the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised Short Form among university students in Australia, NewZealand and Argentina.

The Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised Short Form (DMQ-R-SF) is widely used among alcohol researchers studying adolescents and young adults. The psychometric properties of the DMQ-R-SF have been examined among university students in many countries, but to our knowledge, not in Australia, New Zealand or Argentina. We sought to examine the reliability and endorsement of the items on the DMQ-R-SF, and test the associations between the DMQ-R-SF subscales and alcohol use, and negative alcohol consequences between university students from Australia, New Zealand and Argentina. University students (N=820) in Australia (n=315), New Zealand (n=265) and Argentina (n=240) completed a confidential online alcohol survey which included the DMQ-R-SF, the Daily Drinking Questionnaire and the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire. Using the alignment method, support for the four-factor model on the DMQ-R-SF emerged and the factor loadings for 11 of the 12 items were invariant across sites. Most items (8 out of 12) on the DMQ-R-SF were fully invariant across all sites, but some small differences in item reliability for one item, and endorsement for three items emerged between the sites. Across the three countries, coping motives were positively correlated with negative alcohol consequences. Enhancement motives were positively associated with both alcohol use and negative alcohol consequences among students from Australia and New Zealand. Most items on the DMQ-R-SF were comparably reliable among the university students sampled from Australia, New Zealand and Argentina. Our preliminary findings suggest that the DMQ-R-SF can be reliably used with university students from these countries.

Latent Classes of Perceived Addictiveness Predict Marijuana, Alcohol, and Tobacco Use in Youth and Young Adults

Background: Mass media substance use prevention efforts target addiction perceptions in young people. This study examined youth and young adults’ (YAs) perceived addictiveness across several substances and the associations between addiction perceptions and substance use. Methods: Data were collected in 2019 in an online cohort study of Vermonters aged 12–25. Latent class analyses grouped participants by perceived addictiveness of nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, electronic vapor products (EVPs), and opioids. Bivariate multinomial logistic and modified Poisson regression estimated associations between sociodemographics, substance use correlates, and subsequent use across latent classes. Results: Four latent classes captured addiction perceptions: high perceived addictiveness of EVPs, cigarettes, marijuana, and alcohol (Class 1: n = 317; 31.3%), low perceived addictiveness of marijuana, alcohol, and caffeine (Class 2: n = 151; 14.3%), low perceived addictiveness of marijuana (Class 3: n = 581; 46.5%), and low perceived addictiveness of nicotine, cigarettes, and EVPs (Class 4: n = 83; 7.9%). For each year increase in age, there was a 36% increased likelihood of being in Class 2 (vs. Class 1) and a 148% increased likelihood of belonging to Class 3 (vs. Class 1). Low perceived addictiveness classes were associated with ever and past 30-day marijuana and alcohol use and predicted past 30-day alcohol use at three-month follow-up. Membership in Classes 2 and 3 also predicted past 30-day marijuana use at Wave 3. Discussion: The strong association between age and latent classes defined by low perceived addictiveness suggests age group differences in addiction perceptions. Findings suggest that YAs may benefit from prevention messaging on addictiveness.