College Student Drinking Research Articles

Marijuana use is associated with alcohol use and consequences across the first 2 years of college.

College entry is associated with marijuana initiation, and co-use of alcohol and marijuana is associated with problematic outcomes, including alcohol-related consequences. The present study explored if: (a) use of marijuana on a given day would be associated with greater alcohol use within the same day; (b) use of marijuana within a given week would be associated with increased alcohol-related consequences in that same week; and (c) the association between marijuana use and alcohol consumption and consequences varies across time or by precollege level of problematic alcohol use. Participants (N = 488 college student drinkers, 59% female) completed assessments of marijuana use, alcohol use, and alcohol consequences across 2 years. Analyses revealed: (a) daily marijuana use predicted greater number of daily drinks and estimated breath alcohol concentration; (b) weekly marijuana use predicted more weekly positive and negative alcohol consequences; (c) the effect of daily marijuana use on alcohol use strengthened over time, while the effect of weekly marijuana use on positive alcohol consequences reduced over time; and (d) precollege level of problematic alcohol use moderated the association between daily marijuana and alcohol use and weekly marijuana use and negative consequences. This study provides the first longitudinal evidence of the association between marijuana use and greater alcohol use and consequences in college students. Future research examining event-level measurement of alcohol and marijuana co-use is important for the prevention of alcohol-related consequences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Narcissism and devaluing others: An exploration of impaired control over drinking as a mediating mechanism of alcohol-related problems

Devaluing or diminishing the worth of others is how many individuals destroy their relationships, such as by drinking beyond limits at inappropriate times and letting others down. Impaired control over drinking (IC) reflects consuming alcohol beyond predetermined limits. This investigation sought to determine whether facets of vulnerable narcissism (e.g., entitlement-rage, hiding-the-self, contingent-self-esteem, and devaluing) or narcissistic grandiosity (e.g. grandiose-fantasy, self-sacrificing-for-self-enhancement, and exploitativeness) were directly related to IC and indirectly related to drinking outcomes. We examined a path model of 759 university student drinkers. Our results show that while grandiose-fantasy (i.e., desire for special recognition) was negatively linked to IC, devaluing was positively linked to IC. In addition, men scored higher on exploitativeness (i.e., interpersonally manipulative for personal gain) than women. We conducted mediational analysis with asymmetric confidence intervals and a bias-corrected bootstrap technique. Mediational tests showed that higher levels of grandiose-fantasy were indirectly related to fewer alcohol-related problems through less IC and less heavy-episodic drinking. In contrast, higher levels of devaluing were indirectly related to more alcohol-related problems through more IC and heavy-episodic-drinking. Our results suggest that targeting thought processes in which people with Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) are actively devaluing others may be a good target for therapeutic intervention.

Tackling binge drinking in university students: a European public health challenge.

Tackling binge drinking in university students: a European public health challenge.

Tackling binge drinking in university students: a European public health challenge.

Tackling binge drinking in university students: a European public health challenge.

Depressive symptoms as predictors of alcohol problem domains and reinforcement among heavy drinking college students.

Heavy drinking among college students in the United States is common and results in a wide range of problems. Symptoms of depression are also common among college students and may exacerbate problems associated with heavy drinking, but to date most studies have been cross sectional and relied on an aggregate measure of alcohol problems. Further, depressive symptoms may also predict other elements of risk among heavy drinkers, including greater experience of substance-related reinforcement, and diminished experience of substance-free reinforcement. The current study examines depressive symptoms as a prospective predictor of changes in alcohol problem domains and reward variables in a sample of heavy drinking college students. Heavy drinking college students (N = 138) completed a survey assessing depressive symptoms, alcohol problems, and reinforcement at baseline and after a 12-month follow-up period. Multiple regressions examined the utility of depressive symptoms (DASS-21) in predicting alcohol problems, substance-related reinforcement, and substance-free reinforcement at the 12-month follow-up after controlling for baseline drinking level and the baseline level of the relevant outcome variable. Baseline depressive symptoms predicted 12-month alcohol problems related to impaired control (i.e., drinking more than planned), self-perception, and self-care. Depressive symptoms also predicted lower 12-month substance-free, but not substance-related, reinforcement. Finally, change in depressive symptoms was associated with total alcohol problems, impaired control, self-perception, self-care, academic/occupational, and physiological dependence problems at 12-month follow-up. Heavy drinkers with depressive symptoms may benefit from interventions targeting alcohol problems that also increase access to and engagement in rewarding alternative activities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Relationships between early alcohol experiences, drinker self-schema, and drinking and smoking in college students

ABSTRACTBackground: Drinking and smoking commonly co-occur in undergraduate students. Although an identity as a drinker is a known predictor of alcohol use and alcohol problems, and early evidence suggests that it also predicts smoking, the role of these behaviors in the development of an identity as a drinker is unknown. In this study, the authors conceptualized a drinker identity as an enduring memory structure referred to as a self-schema and conducted a preliminary investigation of the relationships between early drinking experiences, drinker self-schema, and alcohol and tobacco use in undergraduate students. Methods: Three-hundred thirty undergraduates who reported current alcohol and tobacco use were recruited for an online survey study. Frequency of alcohol and tobacco use in the past 30 days, drinker self-schema, and early experiences with alcohol were measured. Results: Structural equation modeling showed that parental alcohol problems were associated with early onset of drinking. Early onset of drinking and high school friends' drinking were associated with more alcohol use and alcohol-related problems in high school. Alcohol problems during high school were associated with high drinker self-schema scores, which were associated with high frequency of alcohol and tobacco use during college. The indirect effects through the drinker self-schema were significant. Conclusions: Although cross-sectional, this preliminary examination supports theoretical predictions that early alcohol experiences may contribute to development of the drinker self-schema, which, as expected, was positively associated with alcohol and tobacco use in college. Longitudinal studies that track the unfolding of drinking behavior and the contextual factors that are associated with it in the development of the drinker self-schema are essential to confirming the theoretical model. If supported, implications for intervention at different developmental stages to prevent early onset of drinking, limit adolescent alcohol use, and modify the development of a drinker self-schema may mitigate undergraduate drinking and smoking.

Relationship of Thickness of Carotid Artery according to Smoking and Drinking in University Students

Relationship of Thickness of Carotid Artery according to Smoking and Drinking in University Students

The Ultimate Cliffhanger: Campaign Strategies and Extreme Drinking Rituals for Turning 21

This qualitative study examined the drinking ritual of 21st birthday celebrations among college student binge drinkers to gain insights that can lead to more effective campaign strategies. Through depth interviews, a pattern of intense peer pressure emerged, not only for the person turning 21, who is expected to be the “drunkest,” but for friends, who make the night risk free by giving the birthday person a “free pass.” Because each plays a role in a ritual that celebrates the “ultimate cliffhanger,” campaign strategies aimed solely at the person turning 21 are not sufficient to change behavior. The pros and cons of alternate approaches are explored.

How do college students subjectively evaluate “blackouts”?

Blackouts (i.e., alcohol induced memory impairment) are common among college student drinkers, and they are associated with several additional harms. However, alcohol consequences are not perceived universally as negative by the students who experience them, and little is known regarding students' specific thoughts and feelings about blackouts. We conducted a series of single-gender focus groups (8 groups; 5–8 per group; n = 50, 56% female) with college student drinkers. Questions focused on: (a) their subjective evaluations of blackouts and (b) factors influencing those evaluations (i.e., what determines whether a blackout is perceived as a negative/neutral/positive experience). Verbatim transcripts were content analyzed using applied thematic analysis with NVivo software. Evaluations of blackouts were primarily negative, with some notable positive, neutral and mixed reactions. Influences on blackout evaluations included those demonstrated as influential on broader alcohol consequences in prior work (e.g., normative perceptions, social context). However, some contextual influences on evaluations that may be specific to blackouts included pre-blackout events, the objective severity (extent/length) of memory loss, what participants later learned had happened during the blackout, and whether or not they had expected to blackout. Findings provide insight into why some students are not necessarily concerned with blackout experiences.

An event-related potential study of spatial working memory in binge drinking college students.

This study used event-related potentials (ERPs) and a modified spatial 2-back task to investigate spatial working memory in binge drinking (BD) college students. Based on the Korean version of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT-K) and Alcohol Use Questionnaire (AUQ) scores, participants were assigned into BD (n = 25) and non-BD (n = 25) groups. The modified spatial 2-back task includes congruent, incongruent, and lure conditions and participants are required to respond as rapidly and accurately as possible to the congruent stimuli but not to the incongruent and lure stimuli. The BD and non-BD groups exhibited comparable performances on the spatial 2-back task but the BD group showed significantly larger P3 amplitudes than the non-BD group. Additionally, the non-BD group showed larger P3 amplitudes in response to the congruent stimuli compared to the incongruent and lure stimuli whereas the P3 amplitudes in the BD group did not differ significantly among the three conditions. These results indicate that the BD individuals exerted greater effort to maintain performance levels comparable to non-BD individuals and that they were less efficient in differentiating or allocating attentional resources between relevant and irrelevant information.

Tension reduction and affect regulation: An examination of mood indices on drinking and non-drinking days among university student drinkers.

Several theories posit problematic alcohol use develops through mechanisms of positive and negative reinforcement. However, the literature on these mechanisms remains inconsistent. This may be due to a number of issues including a failure to disaggregate negative mood or a failure to account for mood functioning (i.e., stability in mood). Alternatively, there may be differences in typical postdrinking/evening mood on drinking and nondrinking days, however, this has yet to be fully explored. We examined multiple indices of distinct mood states prior to and after typical drinking onset times on drinking and nondrinking days using ecological momentary assessment. College student drinkers (n = 102) carried personal data devices for 15 days. They reported on mood and alcohol use several times per day. Tonic positive mood was higher on drinking days than nondrinking days prior to typical drinking initiation. After typical drinking times, positive mood was higher on drinking days than nondrinking days. Similarly, negative moods (anxiety, stress, anger, and stress instability) indicated a pattern of lower levels relative to both predrinking mood on drinking days, and matched mood time-points on nondrinking days; though, not all of these differences were statistically different. Results suggest positive and negative reinforcing mechanisms may be at play-though the negative reinforcement effects may manifest through subjectively "better" mood on drinking versus nondrinking days. (PsycINFO Database Record

Identifying At-Risk College Student Drinkers With the AUDIT-US: A Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve Analysis.

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is the gold standard screening measure. Recently, there has been increasing call to update the measure to reflect harmful drinking standards in the United States. The purpose of this study was to use receiver operating characteristic curve analysis to evaluate the AUDIT and the United States version (AUDIT-US). Participants were 382 traditional age (M = 20.2, SD = 1.5) college students (68.7% female, 64.9% White) who had consumed alcohol at least once in the 30 days prior to participating. Although results provide evidence for the AUDIT and the AUDIT-US as valid screening tools, the Consumption subscale of the AUDIT-US performed the best in predicting at-risk college drinkers. The Consumption subscale of the AUDIT-US with a single cutoff score of four appears to be the optimal and most parsimonious method of identifying at-risk college drinkers.

Relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and binge drinking among college students in South Korea

This study determined cardiovascular risk among Korean college students with a history of binge drinking. Variables included alcohol consumption, cardiovascular risk factors (increased blood pressure, body mass index, lipid values) and markers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, fibrinogen), and 10-year Framingham risk scores. Korean college student binge drinkers had higher triglyceride levels and higher ratios of triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol than did abstainers. Average number of drinks on one occasion was correlated with higher body mass index, triglyceride level, ratio of triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and 10-year Framingham risk score. The findings indicate that binge drinking may be associated with premature cardiovascular disease risk.

Reasons for Utilizing Mental Health Services as Predictors of College Students' Alcohol Risk.

The authors examined college student drinkers' (N = 153) reasons for seeking counseling services and risk for alcohol problems. Students seeking help for impulse- or anger-related issues and depression were at heightened risk for alcohol problems. Only 10% of students sought alcohol-related help despite high rates of hazardous alcohol use (80%) and dependence (39%). Targeted screening and intervention in college counseling centers may enable providers to effectively identify and treat students in need of alcohol treatment.

Using latent transition analysis to compare effects of residency status on alcohol-related consequences during the first two years of college

The current study examined two research aims: (1) Identify latent statuses of college students who share common patterns of single or repeated experiences with distinct types of negative alcohol-related consequences during the first two years of college; and (2) Examine how changes in students' living arrangements were associated with transitions in the consequence statuses. Using a sample of college student drinkers (N = 1706), four latent statuses were identified that distinguished among distinct combinations of single and repeated experiences across the multiple consequence subtypes: No Consequences, Physical Non-Repeaters, Multiple Consequences, and Multiple Consequences Repeaters. Students who remained in on-campus living spaces were most likely to belong to lower-risk statuses at T1, and remain in those statuses at T2. We found that moving into Greek housing had strongest effects among students who started in the No Consequences status, while students who moved to off-campus housing were most likely to remain in the Multiple Consequences status. Given that students who moved out of on-campus residences were more likely to transition into high-risk statuses, interventions that target students who intend to move to off-campus or fraternity housing should be implemented during the first year of college.

Brief Motivational Intervention for Underage Young Adult Drinkers: Results from a Randomized Clinical Trial.

While there is a substantial literature on the efficacy of brief motivational intervention (BMI) for college student drinkers, research has focused less on young adults who do not attend a 4-year college, despite their elevated risk for excessive alcohol use and associated harmful consequences. This randomized controlled trial (NCT01546025) compared the efficacy of BMI to a time-matched attention control intervention (relaxation training [REL]) for reducing alcohol consumption and related negative consequences in an underage young adult sample. BMI was tailored to the developmental transition out of high school for young adults who were not immediately planning to enroll in a 4-year college. Non-treatment-seeking underage drinkers who reported past-month heavy drinking (N=167; ages 17 to 20; 42% female; 59% non-Hispanic White) were randomly assigned to receive a single session of BMI or REL. Outcomes were evaluated 6weeks and 3months postintervention via in-person assessments. Generalized estimating equationmodels provided strong support for the efficacy of BMI for reducing harmful drinking in these young adults. Compared to REL, and after controlling for baseline covariates including gender, those who received BMI subsequently reported significantly fewer average drinks per week, percent drinking days, percent heavy drinking days, lower peak and typical estimated blood alcohol concentration on drinking days, and fewer adverse consequences of drinking (all ps<0.05). These between-group effects did not weaken over the course of the 3-month follow-up period. These findings demonstrate an efficacious approach to tailoring BMI for non-college-attending young adults. Future research should replicate and extend these findings over a longer follow-up period.

Evaluating Behavioral Economic Models of Heavy Drinking Among College Students

Heavy drinking among college students is a significant public health concern that can lead to profound social and health consequences, including alcohol use disorder. Behavioral economics posits that low future orientation and high valuation of alcohol (alcohol demand) combined with deficits in alternative reinforcement increase the likelihood of alcohol misuse. Despite this, no study has examined the incremental utility of all 3 variables simultaneously in a comprehensive model. This study uses structural equationmodeling to test the associations between behavioral economic variables-alcohol demand (latent), future orientation (measured with a delay discounting task and the Consideration of Future Consequences [CFC] scale), and proportionate substance-related reinforcement-and alcohol consumption and problems among 393 heavy drinking college students. Two models are tested as follows: (i) an iteration of the reinforcer pathology model that includes an interaction between future orientation and alcohol demand; and (ii) an alternative model evaluating the interconnectedness of behavioral economic variables in predicting problematic alcohol use. The interaction effects in Model 1 were nonsignificant. Model 2 suggests that greater alcohol demand and proportionate substance-related reinforcement are associated with greater alcohol consumption and problems. Furthermore, CFC was associated with alcohol-related problems and lower proportionate substance-related reinforcement but was not significantly associated with alcohol consumption or alcohol demand. Finally, greater proportionate substance-related reinforcement was associated with greater alcohol demand. Our results support the validity of the behavioral economic reinforcer pathology model as applied to young adult heavy drinking.

Associations among trauma, depression, and alcohol use profiles and treatment motivation and engagement in college students

ABSTRACTObjective: This study examined how profiles of alcohol use and symptoms of common mental health disorders (depression and posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD]) influenced the perceived need for and actual seeking of different types of treatment (for alcohol versus psychological distress) in college student drinkers. Participants: Undergraduate students (n = 164) were assessed between September 2009 and August 2015. Methods: We classified students into different symptom profiles using model-based clustering and compared these profiles on a variety of variables. Results: The cluster model yielded three profiles: Low Risk (n = 66), Concomitant (n = 35), and Heavy Drinking (n = 63). Students in these profiles significantly differed in alcohol consumption, alcohol-related cognitions and problems, and perceptions of need and prior engagement in treatment. Conclusion: A variety of strategies can be used to engage students experiencing heavy drinking and/or mental health problems into treatment on campus.

Excluded, then inebriated: A preliminary investigation into the role of ostracism on alcohol consumption

IntroductionOstracism has only recently been investigated as a relevant social stressor that might precede college student alcohol use. The present study continues initial efforts to examine the effects of ostracism on subsequent alcohol consumption in the laboratory. A 2 (sex: male, female) × 2 (condition: ostracism, control) between-subjects experimental design was conducted to examine the effects of these variables on alcohol consumption in the laboratory. MethodsSocial drinking college students (N = 40; 43% female) were randomly assigned to one of two social interaction tasks: either an in-person conversation from which the participant was excluded by two confederates, or independently rating neutrally valenced photographs alongside confederates. Participants then consumed a priming drink (targeted dose = 0.03 BrAC) before completing a mock taste test of up to 710 ml of light beer. Amount consumed (in ml) during the mock taste test served as the primary dependent variable. ResultsThe ostracism condition was effective at decreasing mood and psychological need variables (i.e., control, belonging) compared to the control condition. After removing from analyses those who identified the confederates as part of the study (n = 7; 3 control, 4 ostracism), results indicated that males consumed more beer than females, and that ostracized participants trended toward consuming more beer than control participants. ConclusionsFindings contribute important methodological additions to a burgeoning literature on the effects of ostracism on drinking, and suggest that ostracism may be a valuable addition to studies examining drinking to cope behaviors.

Accuracy of Estimated Blood Alcohol Concentration Norms From College Student Drinking Survey Data: Verification Using Matched Late-Night Breath Measurements

This study assesses the accuracy of estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC) from survey data in a college student sample using six computational methods from the literature. Corrections for heavy-drinker metabolic rate and preabsorptive error are added to the estimating formula. Late-night interception of 2,282 students returning to residence halls every night of the week was used in a double-blind breath test and survey about typical and current-evening alcohol use and body characteristics. Measured breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) was used to assess the accuracy of the computational models. The Seidl method yielded the best performance, with further reduction in error observed when a heavy-drinker metabolic rate correction was applied. In situations when an intercept occurred shortly after alcohol consumption, a correction for alcohol absorption kinetics further reduced error. Despite significant remaining error of estimates for a substantial minority of individuals, using the refined calculation of an eBAC permitted computation of low risk/low impairment (<.05 g/dl) and high risk/high impairment (≥.08 g/dl) prevalences that were virtually identical to the corresponding prevalences revealed using the data from the BrAC measurements. In late-night intercepts of college students, an eBAC can be calculated from survey data with only modest accuracy for individuals. This measure can quite accurately measure norms, however, with regard to actual BAC levels in circumstances in which students are returning from activities that might include heavy or high-risk drinking.