College-aged Drinkers Research Articles

The use of MMPI-3 scales to assess personality-based vulnerabilities for alcohol use and problems.

Impulsivity and excitement seeking are distinctly associated with alcohol use and related problems in emerging adulthood. Specifically, impulsivity is associated with alcohol problems, while excitement seeking is associated with quantity and frequency of alcohol use (Finn, 2002; Gunn et al., 2013). Given how critical these traits are to alcohol use disorder, such that they play central roles in prominent theories such as Finn's (2002) cognitive motivational theory (CMT), we examined how impulsivity, excitement seeking, and related constructs were captured by an instrument used in clinical practice, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2020a, 2020b). In a sample of 401 college students, we investigated MMPI-3 scales representing the CMT constructs-impulsivity/novelty seeking, excitement seeking, and low harm avoidance-by examining correlations between MMPI-3 Specific Problem scales and theoretically relevant criterion measures. Then, we used these scales to predict alcohol-related outcomes. Impulsivity (IMP), Social Avoidance (SAV), and Anxiety-Related Experiences (ARX) scales captured the core CMT constructs that are said to reflect personality-based vulnerabilities to alcohol-related problems. Further, Impulsivity and Social Avoidance scales incremented the Substance Abuse (SUB) scale in predicting risky drinking outcomes (alcohol problems and quantity and frequency of use). Overall, results support the use of select MMPI-3 scales in providing a nuanced assessment of personality-based vulnerabilities in college-aged drinkers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Sexually dimorphic brain volume interaction in college-aged binge drinkers.

BackgroundBinge consumption of alcohol is a major societal problem associated with important cognitive, physiological and neurotoxic consequences. Converging evidence highlights the need to assess binge drinking (BD) and its effects on the developing brain while taking into account gender differences. Here, we compared the brain volumetric differences between genders in college-aged binge drinkers and healthy volunteers.MethodT1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images of 30 binge drinkers (18 males) and 46 matched healthy volunteers (23 males) were examined using voxel-based morphometry. The anatomical scans were covaried with Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores. Whole brain voxel-wise group comparisons were performed using a cluster extent threshold correction.ResultsSeveral large clusters qualified with group-by-gender interactions were observed in prefrontal, striatal and medial temporal areas, whereby BD females had more volume than non-BD females, while males showed the inverse pattern of decreased volume in BD males and increased volume in non-BD males. AUDIT scores negatively correlated with volume in the right superior frontal cortex and precentral gyrus.ConclusionsThese findings dovetail with previous studies reporting that a state effect of BD in college-aged drinkers and the severity of alcohol use are associated with volumetric alterations in the cortical and subcortical areas of the brain. Our study indicates that these widespread volumetric changes vary differentially by gender, suggesting either sexual dimorphic endophenotypic risk factors, or differential neurotoxic sensitivities for males and females.

Negative affect intensity influences drinking to cope through facets of emotion dysregulation

Of all the motives for drinking, drinking to cope is the strongest predictor of problematic alcohol use, particularly for adolescent and college-age drinkers, with limited work assessing predictors of drinking to cope for community adult samples. At least for young adults, drinking to cope is associated with heightened negative affect and may serve as a substitute for more adaptive emotion regulation strategies. The current study tested an indirect relationship between negative affect intensity, or the propensity to experience strong negative affect, and drinking to cope via difficulties in emotion regulation, using a multiple mediator model. The model was tested using bootstrapping estimates of indirect effects in a combined sample of 566 college students (Mage=19.75%, 40.8% women) and 104 non-college student adults (Mage=35.40%, 36.5% women). Results revealed that negative affect intensity indirectly predicted drinking to cope through lack of emotional clarity and limited emotional strategies, with no moderation by sample. Results indicate that problems in clearly identifying specific emotional experiences appear to be important in predicting drinking to cope for people who experience intense negative emotions, suggesting that treatment and prevention efforts focused on teaching emotional clarity and/or learning multiple regulation strategies may be important in reducing coping-motivated drinking.

Influence from friends to drink more or drink less: A cross-national comparison

Drinking habits are socially patterned and social networks influence individuals' drinking behaviors. Previous studies have focused primarily upon the influence from family members to drink less. Those studies that have focused upon peer influence have been largely confined to social norms among adolescent and college-age drinkers. By contrast, based in adult populations, this article examines exhortations from friends not only to reduce alcohol consumption but also to increase it. Survey data in 15 countries that participate in the Gender, Alcohol and Culture: An International Study project (GENACIS) were used to test whether there were country and gender differences concerning the influence to drink less or to drink more by friends and examine if this was affected by the drinking behavior. The findings revealed that those influenced to drink less had more heavy episodic drinking (HED) occasions than those who did not report such influence. By contrast, influence to drink more, originating mainly from same-sex friends, may be more the result of social situations that encourage all drinkers, regardless of their frequency of HED occasions. At the country level, influence to drink less for both sexes decreased with the proportion of drinkers in a country. Similarly, influence to drink less for both sexes also decreased in countries where gender roles were more egalitarian. Thus, in countries where alcohol use is more widespread and fewer differences are observed between male and female gender role expectations, fewer people were influenced to drink less. These findings have implications for social and behavioral strategies designed to reduce alcohol-related harm across a wide range of cultures.

Influence of Alcohol Use on Neural Response to Go/No-Go Task in College Drinkers

Impaired inhibition of prepotent motor response may represent an important risk factor for alcoholism. Alcohol use may also increase impulsive behavior, including impaired response inhibition. Little is known about the brain function underlying response inhibition among college-age drinkers based on their drinking patterns, despite college-age drinkers demonstrating high rates of alcohol-use disorders. Our major objective was to compare behavior and associated brain activity measured with fMRI during a response-inhibition task in matched heavy- and light-alcohol-drinking college students. Participants were light (N=36) and heavy (N=56) drinkers, aged 18-20 years. We characterized blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) responses, while participants performed an fMRI Go/No-Go task to quantify inhibitory behavior and brain activity. Behaviorally, group performance differences were observed for Go correct-hit and No-Go false-alarm reaction times with increased reaction times in heavy compared with light drinkers. During fMRI No-Go correct rejections, light drinkers exhibited greater BOLD response than did heavy drinkers in left supplementary motor area (SMA), bilateral parietal lobule, right hippocampus, bilateral middle frontal gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus, and cingulate gyrus/anterior cingulate cortex (Brodmann area 24). Group differences in Go/No-Go-related regional activations correlated with alcohol- and impulsivity-related measures. These findings suggest that heavy alcohol drinkers may have dysfunction in brain regions underlying attention and response inhibition, leading to diminished abilities to suppress prepotent responding. The extent to which these tendencies relate to impulsive decision-making and behaviors in real-life settings and may guide intervention development warrants additional investigation.

Influence of Alcohol Use and Family History of Alcoholism on Neural Response to Alcohol Cues in College Drinkers

Heavy drinkers show altered functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) response to alcohol cues. Little is known about alcohol cue reactivity among college age drinkers, who show the greatest rates of alcohol use disorders. Family history of alcoholism (family history positive [FHP]) is a risk factor for problematic drinking, but the impact on alcohol cue reactivity is unclear. We investigated the influence of heavy drinking and family history of alcoholism on alcohol cue-related fMRI response among college students. Participants were 19 family history negative (FHN) light drinkers, 11 FHP light drinkers, 25 FHN heavy drinkers, and 10 FHP heavy drinkers, aged 18 to 21. During fMRI scanning, participants viewed alcohol images, nonalcohol beverage images, and degraded control images, with each beverage image presented twice. We characterized blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) contrast for alcohol versus nonalcohol images and examined BOLD response to repeated alcohol images to understand exposure effects. Heavy drinkers exhibited greater BOLD response than light drinkers in posterior visual association regions, anterior cingulate, medial frontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and dorsal striatum, and hyperactivation to repeated alcohol images in temporo-parietal, frontal, and insular regions (clusters > 8,127 μl, p < 0.05). FHP individuals showed increased activation to repeated alcohol images in temporo-parietal regions, fusiform, and hippocampus. There were no interactions between family history and drinking group. Our results parallel findings of hyperactivation to alcohol cues among heavy drinkers in regions subserving visual attention, memory, motivation, and habit. Heavy drinkers demonstrated heightened activation to repeated alcohol images, which could influence continued drinking. Family history of alcoholism was associated with greater response to repeated alcohol images in regions underlying visual attention, recognition, and encoding, which could suggest aspects of alcohol cue reactivity that are independent of personal drinking. Heavy drinking and family history of alcoholism may have differential impacts on neural circuitry involved in cue reactivity.

Predictors of partying prior to bar attendance and subsequent BrAC

Pre-drinking (e.g., pre-gaming, pre-loading) occurs frequently among young adult and college-aged drinkers and is associated with increased intoxication as well as alcohol-related problems. The purpose of the following study was to examine pre-drinking behaviors in situ, and to test whether drinking intentions mediate the relationship between heavy episodic drinking history and pre-drinking behaviors. We randomly selected a sample of 1040 young adults bar patrons at 32 bars in a major metropolitan city in Southern California and asked participants to complete an interview concerning drinking behavior as well as provide a breath sample used to measure breath alcohol concentration. We used multilevel path analysis to test two meditational models. Results showed drinking intentions mediated the relationship between heavy episodic drinking history and pre-drinking behavior as well as the relationship between heavy episodic drinking history and level of pre-drinking intoxication. Gender did not moderate these meditational relationships suggesting similar pre-drinking behaviors for both men and women. Potential methods to prevent pre-drinking behaviors in this population of young people are discussed.

Predictors of Alcohol Abuse in College Age Drinkers: The Role of Family History

Predictors of Alcohol Abuse in College Age Drinkers: The Role of Family History

Editor's Introduction: Theoretical Approaches to Communication Campaigns

Editor's Introduction: Theoretical Approaches to Communication Campaigns

Relationship between self-control and alcohol consumption patterns and problems of college students.

The relationship between self-control strategies, alcohol-related problems and the quantity and frequency of alcohol use was examined. Analyses of data from 410 university students who completed the Student Alcohol Questionnaire and the Self-Control Questionnaire indicated that both internal and external self-control strategies were significantly correlated with alcohol-related problems and alcohol consumption variables. Self-control strategies were also found to be applied differentially across drinking patterns and problem status. It was concluded that college students naturally attempt to control their alcohol consumption or the unwanted consequences related to drinking. Further research is needed to detail the self-change attempts of college-aged drinkers.

Accuracy of drinkers' recall of alcohol consumption in a field setting.

In a previous field study of how feedback on intoxication might affect an individual's decision to drive, it was found that a small sample of people were quite accurate in their recall of alcohol consumption. The accurate estimation of alcohol consumption clearly is of potential value in driving while intoxicated (DWI) prevention programs. However, because the finding of accurate recall is inconsistent with other reports in the literature, it was decided to replicate the testing with a larger sample. Randomly selected patrons leaving taverns and bars were asked to participate in a study, and individuals agreed to answer a consumption questionnaire and have their blood alcohol level (BAL) measured. Results indicated that subjects were very accurate in their estimates of consumption when self-reports were compared with Breathalyzer readings (r = .70, p less than .01). An additional trend of some interest was that men were apparently more accurate in their estimates of consumption than women even though they generally had higher BALs. The present study replicates and extends the earlier findings concerning the ability of college-age drinkers to estimate alcohol consumption in field settings accurately.