Student Alcohol Use Research Articles

Second-hand harms of alcohol use in urban Chinese university students: A study from Hong Kong

Abstract Background Although second-harms alcohol harms, harms caused by the drinking of others, may contribute significantly to the public health burden of alcohol, these harms are an understudied area of public health research. This study aims to examine second-hand alcohol harms in among urban Chinese university students residing on campus who are were previously identified as a high risk group for alcohol misuse. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among hostel residents in two Hong Kong universities (n = 1455) using self-administered, anonymous surveys. We examined the prevalance and the factors associated with second-hand alcohol harms this population using multivariable regression analysis. Results Approximately 2/3 of the university residents experienced at least one second-hand drinking harm in the past year while 1/5 experienced 4 or more harms. The harms reported were: 1) inconveniences/disturbances (46.2%), psychological distress/anxiety/depression (32.9%), home arguments (28.3%), conflicts/arguments/insults in public (25.3%), worsened productivity/academics (22.2%), property damage/monetary loss (13.2%), accidents/injury/assault (11.7%) and having to deal with authorities/law enforcement (11.5%). Only 9.1% reported these harms to authorities. Participation in drinking games (OR = 1.44), having drinking roomates (OR = 1.37) or drinking romantic partner (OR = 1.89) were independently associated with likelihood of second-hand alcohol harms (p < 0.05). Conclusions Although southern China is a low alcohol consumption region, there is a high prevalence of second-hand alcohol harms among university dorm residents. Universities in the region should rectify the near absence of alcohol-related topics in university health promotion. Key messages Harms from the drinking of others is a commonplace but underappreciated phenomenon among university campus residents. University health promotion in the region should include alcohol harms reduction topics.

Longitudinal changes in alcohol use and binge-drinking among young-adult college students: Analyses of predictors across system levels

BackgroundLongitudinal research regarding young-adult college student alcohol use behaviors is needed to identify risk factors and inform interventions, particularly with regard to binge-drinking. MethodsData from 3,418 US college students (aged 18–25) in a two-year, six-wave panel study (64.6% female, 63.4% White) were used to examine alcohol use and binge-drinking trajectories, as well as predictors of differing trajectories across individual (sociodemographics, depressive symptoms, ADHD symptoms, early-onset substance use), interpersonal (adverse childhood events, social support, parental substance use), and community factors (college type, rural/urban). ResultsBaseline alcohol use was associated with being White, higher parental education, early-onset use of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana, greater social support, parental alcohol use, attending private institutions, and rurality (p’s < 0.01). Greater alcohol use over time was predicted by being White and attending private institutions (p’s < 0.01). Multivariable regression indicated that predictors of binge-drinking at any assessment included older age, sexual minority, greater ADHD symptoms, early-onset substance use, parental alcohol use, attending private institutions, and rurality (p’s < 0.01). GMM indicated 4 binge-drinking trajectory classes: Dabblers (89.94% of the sample), Slow decelerators (7.35%), Accelerators (1.86%), and Fast decelerators (0.84%). Fast and Slow decelerators were older; Dabblers and Fast decelerators were more likely female; Accelerators reported more depressive symptoms; Dabblers were less likely early-onset substance users; and those from rural settings were more likely Slow decelerators vs. Dabblers (p’s < 0.05). ConclusionsIntervention efforts should be informed by data regarding those most likely to drink, binge-drink, and escalate use (e.g., Whites, men, early-onset users, parental use, private college students, rural).

Smoking behaviours and other substance use among Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian secondary students, 2017.

Smoking is a major cause of preventable illness for Indigenous peoples. As most regular smoking is established during adolescence when other substances are often first used, effective tobacco prevention requires an understanding of the patterns of related substance use for Indigenous youth. We reviewed smoking among Indigenous students through cross-sectional analyses of the 2017 Australian Secondary Students' Alcohol and Drug survey and compared findings to non-Indigenous participants. We used logistic regression to evaluate differences in prevalence of tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use, and how smoking and other substance use were related. Past month smoking was strongly associated with alcohol and cannabis use for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. The association between tobacco and cannabis use did not differ by Indigenous status, but the tobacco and alcohol use association was weaker for Indigenous students (P = 0.004). However, the prevalence of tobacco [odds ratio (OR) 1.91 (95% confidence interval; CI 1.55, 2.36)], alcohol [OR 1.44 (1.25, 1.66)] and cannabis [OR 1.97 (1.56, 2.48)] use in the past month was significantly higher in Indigenous than non-Indigenous students. Even within the most socially advantaged sub-group, Indigenous students were more likely to smoke than non-Indigenous students [OR 3.37 (2.23, 5.09)]. Cannabis and alcohol use are important predictors of smoking for all students. Tobacco policies and community programs must address common determinants of tobacco and other substance use, including resilience and social influence skills as well as broader family and community factors that may be different for Indigenous students.

Guilt and expressive writing for reducing alcohol use in college students: Study protocol for a randomized control trial

The current proposed study aims to evaluate expressive writing as a novel intervention for reducing problematic drinking among college students. College students are at increased risk for alcohol misuse compared to other adults, and the development of efficacious intervention approaches is an urgent priority. The vast majority of individually focused brief interventions targeting college drinking have focused on personalized feedback approaches and recent innovations have largely been limited to refinements of this paradigm, which require large-scale assessment and intricate programming for implementation. The present research proposes expressive writing as a novel alternative, which has been used extensively in other domains but not as an alcohol intervention strategy. We propose a theoretically-based approach that incorporates expression of the self-conscious emotion of guilt and the written analogue of change talk as proposed mechanisms of intervention efficacy. We will also examine individual differences in guilt-proneness as a moderator of intervention efficacy. Heavy drinking college students (N = 600) will be randomly assigned to one of six expressive writing conditions based on a 2 (alcohol vs. distress) × 2 (guilt vs. no guilt) + 1 (control writing) + 1 (personalized feedback) design. Participation in the study involves completion of a screening assessment, a baseline assessment, three in-lab intervention sessions, post-intervention assessments, and follow-up assessments one-month, three-months, six months, and twelve-months later. If effective, this novel intervention approach would not require any pre-assessment or programming of personalized feedback, and would serve as a more easily disseminable alternative to existing approaches.

A sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) protocol for empirically developing an adaptive preventive intervention for college student drinking reduction

College student alcohol use and associated negative consequences are clear public health problems with consequences including damage to self, others, and institutions. This paper describes the protocol of a research study designed to answer a number of important questions in the development of an adaptive preventive intervention (API) to reduce high-risk drinking among first-year college students. The API is designed to educate students and to motivate heavy-drinking college students to engage in existing resources to support reducing high-risk alcohol use, by leveraging technology-based intervention modalities. The primary outcome is a reduction in binge drinking, with secondary outcomes of reducing negative alcohol-related consequences and increasing health services utilization. Adaptive preventive interventions have the potential to reduce the acute and long-term negative health consequences of young adult alcohol use.

Systematic review of universal family prevention programs: Analysis in terms of efficacy, retention and adherence.

Adherence is an important aspect of the effectiveness of family interventions for universal drug prevention. Some approaches suggest adherence assessments should be improved because they are partial and do not take into account all dimensions. The objective of the study is to analyze adherence and retention measures used in family intervention programs for the prevention of substance use in young people aged 10-14 years. To this end, the literature was reviewed on universal programs which have obtained good preventive results. The information sources consulted are: PubMed, PsycINFO (EBSCO), PsycArticles (EBSCO), Social Work abstracts (EBSCO), CINAHL (EBSCO) SocIndex (EBSCO), Scopus, Academic Search Premier (EBSCO), SCIC-ISOC, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, ERIC, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Project Cork, Researchgate, and consultation with experts. The search results show 21 studies belonging to 6 family programs: Strengthening Families Program 10-14, Parents Who Care, Family Check-Up, Linking Lives Health, Prevention of Alcohol use in Students, and Örebro Prevention Program. The studies analyzed provide little information on the different elements involved in adherence. Retention and differential attribution are the data that appear most frequently, while other aspects such as active participation do not appear in the studies. The results are discussed and recommendations are made to improve the evaluation of adherence and retention in family prevention programs.

Alcohol Use Among Today's College Students

AbstractThis chapter presents research on student alcohol use for both undergraduate and graduate/professional students.

Optimal assessment of protective behavioral strategies among college drinkers: An item response theory analysis.

College student alcohol use and related consequences continue to warrant significant concern. Extant research demonstrates protective behavioral strategies (PBS; self-regulatory strategies that can be employed before, during, or after drinking to prevent intoxication or negative consequences) have promise for preventative interventions. Variations in conceptualization and measurement of the construct limit generalization of PBS research. To advance generalization of PBS research, there is a need for a brief, comprehensive, content valid, PBS measure that demonstrates equivalence in measurement across demographically diverse college students. The present study aimed to develop a psychometrically robust measure of PBS using item response theory (IRT) to address measurement and methodological issues including identifying optimal response anchors and items that represent the full range of the PBS construct for use with college men and women from different racial backgrounds. Participants were 503 college students enrolled in a midsized university in the Southern United States. IRT and differential item functioning (DIF) analyses of 68 PBS items extracted from 6 existing PBS measures resulted in a 20-item instrument, the Protective Drinking Practices Scale, with items that functioned equivalently for White and Black/African American college men and women. The measure also demonstrated good internal and external validity. Widespread use of this measure will help enhance the comparability of findings in PBS research, allowing for more targeted and impactful research on PBS as a mechanism of change. Suggestions for future research are provided. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Religiousness and acculturation as moderators of the association linking acculturative stress to levels of hazardous alcohol use in college students.

Religiousness and acculturation as moderators of the association linking acculturative stress to levels of hazardous alcohol use in college students.

Longitudinal Associations Between Perceptions of Peer Group Drinking Norms and Students' Alcohol Use Frequency Within College Sport Teams.

Students' alcohol use behaviors are shaped by the attitudes and behaviors of others, especially the peers within students' proximal social groups. Explaining the association between perceived drinking norms and alcohol use, researchers propose contradicting pathways that focus on conformity (i.e., social norms predict alcohol use) and projection (i.e., alcohol use predicts perceived norms). The current study examined the extent to which conformity and projection processes were evident in the association between college student alcohol use and the perceived alcohol use norms for students' club sport teams. The sample comprised 1,054 college students (61% female) nested in 35 intact same-sex club sport teams. On 3 separate occasions during a single school year (3-month lag), participants reported drinking frequency and perceptions of descriptive and injunctive group drinking norms. We employed random intercepts cross-lagged panel modeling to estimate prospective within-person associations separately from stable trait-like between-person associations. Descriptive and injunctive group drinking norms were both positively related to students' alcohol use frequency at the between-person level. Individuals nevertheless demonstrated variability at the within-person level. Results revealed a strong contemporaneous association between descriptive norms and alcohol use frequency within each timepoint, but no prospective associations. Models including perceptions of injunctive drinking norms demonstrated similar contemporaneous associations with alcohol use frequency, but also identified significant prospective associations signifying conformity. Findings align with previous research reporting a strong and positive association between student's self-reported alcohol use and subjective peer alcohol use norms. After disentangling within- and between-person effects to probe for conformity and projection processes, the current findings are somewhat contrary to previous research that has reported reciprocal relationships between social norms and alcohol use behavior. Further investigation of the potential conformity and projection mechanisms of social norms is critical to advance norm-based strategies to reduce harm.

Adolescent Behavioral Characteristics Mediate Familial Effects on Alcohol Use and Problems in College-Bound Students.

Background:Studies suggest a broad spectrum of behaviors associated with drinking. Consequently, it is unclear whether patterns of familial risk for psychopathology are directly or indirectly related to patterns of alcohol use and problems in late adolescence or mediated by behavioral characteristics, such as temperament, mood.Objectives:We examined direct and indirect effects of perceived family history of psychopathology on pre-collegiate alcohol use and problems via the Transmissible Liability Index (TLI).Methods:Participants (N = 302; 29.6% male) provided self-report data on age of onset of drinking, past 90-day frequency of alcohol use and problems (AUP), family history of internalizing and alcohol and illicit substance use, and TLI.Results:Approximately 21% of participants reported having at least one relative with a history of regular and/or problematic alcohol use, compared to 12% for illicit substance use, and −55% for internalizing problems. Higher TLI scores were associated with increased family history of substance use, alcohol use, and internalizing problems, as well as earlier age of onset of drinking. Family history of internalizing problems was the most robust indicator of AUP (β = 0.20 [95% CI = 0.04-0.36], P = .01). Path analyses suggested that the individual-level behaviors that comprise TLI mediate the effects of family history on age of initiation and regular alcohol consumption.Conclusions:Family history of internalizing, drinking, and illicit substance use reflect generalized risk for a broad set of behaviors associated with risk for alcohol initiation and use during the transition from high school to college.

Situational context and motives of alcohol use among graduate student drinkers

Extensive research has examined alcohol use context and motives among undergraduates, but less is known about where, when, and why graduate students drink. The current study aimed to describe the motives and situational context of graduate student alcohol use, identify demographic and program characteristics associated with alcohol use motives and context, and assess how alcohol use motives and context are associated with alcohol use behavior. A sample of master’s and doctoral-level students who drank during the past month (n = 2091; 63% female) completed an online survey. An exploratory factor analysis yielded two situational context factors: drinking in social situations (e.g., with friends, at a bar) and non-social situations (e.g., alone, at home). Graduate students most frequently endorsed social and enhancement drinking motives. Results of multivariate linear regression models showed that age, sex, race/ethnicity, and international student, marital, parental, and employment status were all associated with motives and context. Drinking for enhancement and drinking to cope were the motives most strongly associated with increased alcohol quantity and frequency, respectively. Drinking in social contexts was positively associated with alcohol quantity and frequency, and drinking in non-social contexts was positively associated with alcohol use frequency but inversely related to alcohol quantity. Graduate students who drink for enhancement reasons and in social situations might be at increased risk for higher quantity alcohol use, or graduate students who drink for coping reasons and in non-social situations might be at increased risk for more frequent alcohol use. Future longitudinal research is needed to explore whether drinking in certain contexts and with certain motivations is predictive of alcohol problems during and after graduate school.

The relation between ADHD symptoms, perceived stress and binge drinking in college students

Binge drinking is a major public health problem associated with various negative short-term and long-term clinical and social outcomes. If there is evidence to suggest a relationship between ADHD and alcohol use in college students, no study has investigated the role of ADHD symptomatology in binge drinking. Thus, this research was designed to explore the relative contributions of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms to binge drinking in a sample of French college students while controlling for effects of perceived stress. Participants (N = 7011; mean age = 20.9; 74.9% of females) completed self-report surveys assessing ADHD symptoms, perceived stress, sociodemographic characteristics, and binge drinking frequency. Multinomial logistic regression revealed significant associations between higher levels of ADHD symptoms in general, but not perceived stress, and increasing frequency of binge drinking. Moreover, higher levels of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms were independently associated with greater frequency of binge drinking. The association was stronger between high rates of binge drinking and inattention than for hyperactivity/impulsivity. These findings, which remained statistically significant after adjusting for a range of potential confounders (including perceived stress), suggest that the presence of ADHD symptoms may be an important factor related to binge drinking.

Risk factors for hazardous drinking in university students from South Africa and Belgium

Abstract Background Previous studies have associated certain risk factors with hazardous drinking in students. However, big cultural and geographical differences exist regarding alcohol use. In this study, we compare the alcohol use and hazardous drinking in Belgian (BE) and South African (SA) university students. Methods An online survey assessing alcohol use among university students in South Africa (University of KwaZulu-Natal) and Belgium (University of Antwerp) was conducted, using the shortened version of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT-C). For male students a cut-off point of 5 was used for hazardous drinking and for female students a score of 4. In total, 499 students were included in the study (250 BE and 249 SA students). A comparative analysis between both universities was performed for men and women separately with a Pearson chi-square test or Mann-Whitney U test. Furthermore, the association between hazardous drinking and several exposure variables was explored using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results A significant higher amount of male (94.8%) as well as female (92.4%) BE students drank alcohol in the last year compared to the male (66.2%) and female (67.8%) SA students (p &amp;lt; 0.001). Additionally, a significant higher amount of BE students were hazardous drinkers, compared to the SA students (p &amp;lt; 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that male BE students were approximately five times more likely to be hazardous drinkers than male SA students (OR = 5.057, 95% CI 1.378-18.556; p = 0.015). Female BE students were over twice more likely to be hazardous drinkers than female SA students (OR = 2.371, 95% CI 0.846-6.644; p = 0.099). Conclusions BE students drink significantly more alcohol and a significant higher proportion of BE students were hazardous drinkers compared to SA students. Qualitative research in both groups has been conducted to get more insight into the reasons of these differences and will also be presented at the Conference. Key messages When studying alcohol use (disorders) in university students, it is of utmost importance to take into account the socio-cultural context. After finding quantitatively assessed differences in alcohol use (disorder) across different socio-cultural settings, it is evenly important to find out about the reasons why.

Mexican descent college student risky sexual behaviors and alcohol use: The role of general and cultural based coping with discrimination

Objective This study investigates cultural and general coping strategies as potential protective or risk factors to risky sexual behaviors (RSBs) and alcohol use in the face of discrimination for Mexican descent college students. Participants: Data collection was conducted from September 2016 to May 2017 and included 796 Mexican descent emerging adults. Methods: Linear regressions were conducted to test main and interaction effects of discrimination, and general and cultural coping strategies on RSBs and alcohol use issues. Results: Higher discrimination experiences were not associated with RSBs or alcohol use issues. Only ethnicity-based coping was found to be a significant moderator to the relationships between discrimination and the outcome variables of RSBs and alcohol use issues. Conclusions: This study has implications for the way mental health clinicians explore the intersection of ethnic identity and coping as a means of understanding the relationship among discrimination, RSBs, and alcohol use issues.

ADHD Symptoms and Sex Moderate the Relation Between Protective Behavioral Strategies and Alcohol Use Among Treatment-Mandated College Students

College students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder are likely to engage in alcohol use and experience alcohol-related problems. Use of protective behavioral strategies is related to fewer alcohol-related consequences. However, this association has not been sufficiently examined in relation to attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, which could alter the likelihood of utilizing protective behavioral strategies. This study examined whether attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms moderate the relationship between protective behavioral strategies and alcohol use, and whether this differs by sex. Participants were 125 treatment-mandated college students (58.6% male; M age = 19.50 years) who completed measures of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, protective behavioral strategies, and past-2-week drinking. There was a significant 3-way interaction such that drinking was highest when protective behavioral strategy use was low and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms were high, but only for women. There was also a significant protective behavioral strategy by inattention interaction, as students with high inattention and low protective behavioral strategy use consumed the most drinks. Interventions to enhance use of protective behavioral strategies may effectively decrease alcohol use for college students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, particularly women.

An Examination of Parental Permissiveness of Alcohol Use and Monitoring, and Their Association with Emerging Adult Drinking Outcomes Across College.

Studies have shown that parents have a significant influence on emerging adult college students' drinking during the first year of college. Limited research has been conducted to address the question of whether parenting later in college continues to matter in a similar manner. The current study utilized a prospective design to identify associations between parental permissiveness toward alcohol use and monitoring behaviors and student drinking outcomes during the first and fourth years of college. Participants (N=1,429) at 3 large public universities completed surveys during the fall semesters of their first (T1) and fourth years (T2) (84.3% retention). The study employed a saturated autoregressive cross-lag model to examine associations between parental permissiveness of college student alcohol use, parental monitoring, student drinking, and consequences at T1 and T2, controlling for peer norms, sex, and campus. Examination of the association between parenting and student drinking outcomes revealed: (i) parental permissiveness was positively associated with drinking at T1 and again at T2; (ii) parental permissiveness had indirect effects on consequences via the effects on drinking at both times. Specifically, a 1-unit increase in parental permissiveness at T1 resulted in students experiencing 4 to 5 more consequences as a result of their drinking; (iii) parental permissiveness was not directly associated with monitoring at T1 or T2; and (iv) parental monitoring was significantly associated with drinking at T1 but not T2. The findings provide evidence for the continued importance of parenting in the fourth year of college and parents expressing low permissiveness toward student drinking may be beneficial to reducing risky drinking even as students turn 21.

Problematic alcohol use and depression in secondary school students in Miri, Malaysia.

Alcohol consumption in the under-aged is one of the main concerns regarding Malaysian adolescents. There is no previous study on problematic alcohol use (PAU) in adolescents in Sarawak. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of PAU, its associated variables and its relationship with depression. This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 327 secondary school students completed the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test and Children's Depression Inventory, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Binary and multivariable logistic regression were used to examine the relationship between the different variables. A total of 42.2% of adolescents had PAU. Urban adolescents had a higher prevalence compared with rural adolescents (OR, 1.612; 95% CI: 1.036-2.508 P=0.034). Female adolescents (56.8%) and Bumiputera Sarawak adolescents (76.8%) comprised a large proportion of the respondents with PAU. Cultural norm (78.3%) and curiosity (68.1%) were the two main reasons for PAU. Only family history of alcohol use (OR, 2.273; 95% CI: 1.013-5.107; P=0.047), ever consumed alcohol (OR, 57.585; 95% CI: 21.885-151.525; P<0.001) and ever consumed beer (OR, 2.564; 95% CI: 1.032-6.372; P=0.043) were significantly associated with PAU. The prevalence of depression was 21.4%. A significant relationship between PAU and depression was seen (OR, 2.557; 95% CI: 1.479-4.420; P=0.001). There is a high prevalence of PAU in adolescents in Miri, Malaysia. More effort is needed to implement policies for this vulnerable group, with collaboration between agencies to ensure their mental and physical wellbeing and prevent a negative impact later. Clinicians should be more vigilant in detecting depression in adolescents with PAU to enable early intervention.

Gender Differences in Any-Source Caffeine and Energy Drink Use and Associated Adverse Health Behaviors.

Background: The majority of college students report caffeine use with many using caffeine daily. Energy drink (ED) use, in particular, is common among college students, and numerous studies link these heavily caffeinated drinks to a variety of adverse consequences including substance use and risky behaviors. However, little is known about correlations between any-source caffeine use and other substance use and problems. The purpose of this study was to evaluate patterns of caffeine use and examine the relationships between caffeine, in general, and EDs specifically, and adverse health behaviors in college students. Methods: We used data from a longitudinal study of alcohol use and health-related outcomes to assess caffeine, alcohol, nonprescription drug, and tobacco use and symptoms of alcohol dependence in 1958 freshmen from a mid-Atlantic university during Fall 2012. We compared adverse health behaviors between caffeine users and nonusers and ED users and nonusers. Data were evaluated separately in men and women. Results: While women reported significantly more caffeine use than men, men reported more ED use. EDs, regardless of frequency of use, were associated with all adverse health behaviors, but only in female students. Similarly, daily any-source caffeine use was significantly associated with alcohol, nonprescription drug, and tobacco use in female students, but in men, the association was less robust. Conclusions: This research shows that caffeine use is prevalent among college students, and, in female students, is associated with alcohol, nonprescription drug, and tobacco use and alcohol dependence symptoms. Interventions aimed at promoting healthy behaviors may be especially useful in this population.

Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and problematic alcohol use in college students: The moderating role of alcohol protective behavioral strategies and gender.

The present study evaluated the moderating role of alcohol protective behavioral strategy subtypes (alcohol PBS; serious harm reduction, manner of drinking, limiting/stopping drinking) and gender on the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and alcohol-related negative consequences. Participants were 2,138 traditional college students (i.e., age between 18 and 25 years old) recruited from 10 universities in the United States who reported drinking in the past month. All participants reported their gender and completed measures of PTSD symptoms, alcohol PBS use, alcohol consumption, and alcohol-related negative consequences through an online survey. Experiencing greater PTSD symptoms was associated with increased alcohol-related negative consequences and all alcohol PBS subtypes were independently associated with fewer alcohol-related negative consequences. Gender had a moderating effect such that the relationship between manner of drinking and alcohol-related negative consequences was weaker among men. Further, we found significant three-way interactions such that the associations between PTSD symptoms and alcohol-related negative consequences were weaker at higher levels of serious harm reduction and limiting/stopping drinking, but only among women. Although alcohol PBS appear beneficial for all college student drinkers, these findings highlight the additional protective value of certain alcohol PBS for college women experiencing PTSD symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).