Problem Drinking Research Articles

Do Addictive Behaviors Differ by Region? Comparison of Drinking and Gambling Problems among College Students in South Korea and Hawai‘i

Addiction is a global social issue that poses significant crisis to individuals and their families’health and social aspects. The characteristics of addiction can vary depending on the region, culture, and context. Addictive behaviors such as drinking and gambling are associated with various psychosocial factors. We examined whether and how psychosocial factors (i.e., ego-resiliency, family cohesion, and social support) affect addictive behaviors, specifically drinking and gambling problems, by comparing the occurrences of both problems and related factors between college students in South Korea and Hawai‘i. We collected data from college students in South Korea (n= 503) and Hawai‘i (n= 217). Our findings showed that respondents from the Korean sample were more involved in drinking and gambling problems. In addition, we found that region was a factor associated with problem drinking and that there was a significant effect of social support on problem gambling. In conclusion, we discussed our key findings in-depth and suggested strategies to prevent and intervene early in addictive behaviors among college students.

Social media addiction as a mediator of the associations between fear of COVID-19, mental health symptoms, and problematic alcohol use.

Fear of COVID-19 is a risk factor for anxiety and depressive symptoms. During the COVID-19 pandemic, drinking to cope with psychological distress has been proposed as a key mechanism leading to problematic drinking. The goal of this study was to test social media addiction as a mediator linking fear of COVID-19 to mental health symptoms and problematic alcohol use. In between April 6 and July 2 of 2022, 250 participants completed an online survey as part of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Alcohol Study. Path analyses were conducted to test the mediational pathways. Using the polythetic classification scheme, 13.2% (n = 33) of participants were classified as having social media addiction. Compared with participants without social media addiction, participants with social media addiction spent significantly more time on social media platforms and on digital communications with a family member or friend. They also reported greater fear of COVID-19, higher anxiety symptoms, and higher depressive symptoms. Path analyses indicated that social media addiction mediated the associations of fear of COVID-19 with anxiety and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, there were indirect pathways linking fear of COVID-19 to problematic alcohol use through higher social media addiction and higher anxiety and depressive symptoms. Social media addiction may be a maladaptive coping mechanism that individuals with high fear of COVID-19 utilized to deal with uncertainty and perceived risks during the pandemic. Findings underscore the need to examine cognitions related to fear of COVID-19 and address excessive social media use in the context of mental health and alcohol interventions.

A longitudinal test of problematic alcohol use and binge eating among college women: The moderating role of shame

Problematic alcohol use and binge eating frequently co-occur. High levels of negative affect, negative urgency, and/or shame may increase the likelihood that problematic alcohol use and binge eating co-occur over time. ObjectiveExamine 1) the temporal relationship between problematic alcohol use and binge eating among college women, who are at high risk for both, and 2) the additive and moderating effects of shared, emotion-based risk factors in models involving both problematic alcohol use and binge eating. MethodIn n = 302 college women assessed at two time points across 8 months, we used hierarchical linear regression to invstigate our objectives. ResultsBaseline problematic alcohol use and baseline shame independently predicted increases in follow-up binge eating, controlling for baseline binge eating. In addition, the interaction between problematic alcohol use and shame accounted for further variance in subsequent binge eating (the influence of baseline problematic alcohol use on follow-up binge eating was stronger at higher levels of baseline shame). The reciprocal relationship was not significant: baseline binge eating did not predict follow-up problematic alcohol use independently or in conjunction with risk factors. Neither negative affect nor negative urgency showed predictive effects beyond prior behavior and shame. Results support 1) problematic alcohol use as a prospective risk factor for binge eating, 2) shame as an additive predictor of binge eating, and 3) shame as a positive moderator of binge eating prediction from problem drinking. ConclusionAddressing shame and problematic alcohol use may be warranted in binge eating interventions for college women.

Neighborhood disadvantage has an indirect effect on problem drinking through increased psychological distress.

Neighborhood disadvantage has been documented as a risk factor for problem drinking. The specific aim of this investigation is to test a model of neighborhood disadvantage, psychological distress, and problem drinking in a demographically and socioeconomically diverse sample. A sample of 618 adults (21-65-year-olds; Mage = 30.80, SD = 9.81; 58% female) who reported drinking alcohol at least once in the past 6 months, completed an online questionnaire with questions about psychological distress (depression, stress, social isolation) and problem drinking (drinking problems, drinking to cope, binge drinking) twice over the course of 6 months. Their data were merged with the American Community Survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau to form an index of neighborhood disadvantage (median income, % residents with less than high school education, % living in poverty, % receiving income assistance). A structural equation modeling analysis showed that neighborhood disadvantage was associated with increases in psychological distress during the T1-T2 interval. Psychological distress was also positively associated with problem drinking at both T1 and T2. There was an indirect effect of neighborhood disadvantage on problem drinking through increased psychological distress. However, there was no direct effect of neighborhood disadvantage on problem drinking in this sample. Increased psychological distress may be a key mechanism that links living in disadvantaged neighborhoods and problem drinking. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

1 Associations Between Alcohol-Related Problems, Neuropsychological Measures, and Financial Exploitation Vulnerability in a Low-Drinking Sample of Cognitively Unimpaired Older Adults

Objective:In recent years, rates of alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorder have steadily increased among adults age 60 and older. Large studies have demonstrated that moderate-to-heavy alcohol consumption (>7 drinks per week) is a risk factor for developing various types of dementias. The effects of alcohol-related problems on cognition are less clear, and are particularly understudied in older adults. Similarly, while there is an established link between worse cognition and financial exploitation vulnerability in older adults, no studies have examined relationships between alcohol-related problems and financial exploitation in this population. The current study therefore explores whether alcohol-related problems are associated with neuropsychological performance and financial exploitation vulnerability in a sample of older adults.Participants and Methods:Participants were a community sample of cognitively unimpaired adults over the age of 50 (N = 55, Age M(SD) = 69.1(6.2), 74.5% female, Years of education M(SD) = 16.8(2.3)). Interested individuals were excluded if they reported current or past substance use disorders. Participants completed a laboratory visit that included a neuropsychological assessment. Measures included the NIH Cognition toolbox, CVLT-II, Digit Span, Trails A/B, Benson Complex Figure Recall, and Verbal Fluency: Phonemic and Semantic, from the Alzheimer’s Disease Centers’ Uniform Data Set (UDS) version 3. Participants completed the CAGE Alcohol Abuse Screening Tool and the Short Michigan Alcohol Screener Test - Geriatric Version (SMAST) to assess alcohol-related problems. Both measures are used as clinical screening tools to measure likelihood of a substance use disorder and produce a summary score (0-4 for CAGE, 010 for SMAST) tabulating symptoms of alcohol-related problems. Participants also completed the Perceived Financial Vulnerability Scale (PFVS) to assess financial exploitation vulnerability. As a significant number of participants reported no drinking and therefore no alcohol-related problems, negative binomial regressions were used to test associations between neuropsychological measures, financial exploitation vulnerability, and alcohol-related problems.Results:After covarying for age and sex, SMAST was negatively associated with NIH toolbox total cognition (B(SE) = -.14(.07), p<.05) and marginally negatively associated with fluid cognition (B(SE) = -.07(.04), p=.06). Neither SMAST nor CAGE scores were significantly associated with performance on any other neuropsychological test (ps = .13-.99). SMAST was positively associated with financial exploitation vulnerability (B(SE) = .31(.16), p = .05); this effect remained significant after covarying for NIH total composite score in a secondary analysis.Conclusions:In a community sample of cognitively unimpaired, low-drinking adults over the age of 50, more alcohol-related problems were associated with worse NIH toolbox cognition scores. Similarly, more alcohol-related problems were associated with greater financial exploitation vulnerability, and this relationship was not driven by worse cognition. These results suggest that even low amounts of drinking and alcohol-related problems may be associated with cognition and financial exploitation vulnerability in cognitively unimpaired older adults. This study also corroborates the use of the SMAST over the CAGE in older adult populations that may be more sensitive to cognitive changes.

Adverse childhood experiences and age-trajectories of depressive symptoms in older adults from China

Abstract Background Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have profound lifelong consequences. Less is known about their impact on outcomes in late life, such as psychological distress in older adults. Moreover, there is a paucity of evidence on associations of ACEs with age-trajectories in depressive symptoms, especially with distinct patterns of trajectories. We investigated associations between ACEs and trajectories of depressive symptoms at mid-to-older ages in a Chinese population sample. Methods We used the longitudinal data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (13846 participants ≥45y). Depressive symptoms were measured by CES-D10 (Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) at four waves (2011-18). A range of ACEs (<17y) were retrospectively reported by participants. Growth Mixture Models were used to identify distinct age-trajectories of depressive symptoms and their associations with ACEs. Results We identified two trajectory groups: (1) persistent high (men 14%; women 19.2%) and (2) low/normal levels of depressive symptoms. Several ACE measures were associated with increased risk of having persistent high levels of depressive symptoms (mid-to-older ages) after adjusting for other ACEs, sex, childhood SES (financial status, parental education, occupation), adult SES (education, financial status, urban/rural residence), health behaviors and limitations in daily activities. For example, adjusted OR was 1.35 (95% CI:1.17,1.55) for physical abuse (28.2%), 1.38(1.19,1.59) for domestic violence (24.3%), 1.48(1.23,1.78) for parental drinking, drug or mental health problems (9.4%), 1.59(1.38,1.84) for those had a bedridden parent (18.7%). Conclusions ACEs have a long lasting effect on trajectories of depressive symptoms in older adults, independent of childhood SES and adult factors, highlighting the need to act early to reduce the long lasting impact on mental health in later life. Key messages • Adverse childhood experiences are associated with persistent high levels of depressive symptoms from mid-to-older ages. • Associations are independent of childhood SES and adult factors.

“Vertical drinking” in the night-time economy: alcohol licencing and proxies for “uncivilised” drinking bodies

ABSTRACT ‘Vertical drinking’ is a longstanding concept in alcohol licencing decision-making and the literature on night-time leisure. As the term implies, it concerns drinking alcohol standing up. The proposition is simple: establishments where people stand to drink are associated with less desirable clientele, more drunkenness and a greater likelihood of crime and disorder. Existing research has explored how the concept of ‘Vertical drinking’ – known historically as ‘perpendicular drinking’ – can form part of heavily classed distinctions between ‘civilised’ and ‘uncivilised’ drinking practices. By examining 40 licencing hearings in England under the Licencing Act 2003, this paper demonstrates how vertical drinking serves as a: (i) proxy for ‘uncivilised’ drinking establishments, (ii) a proxy for problematic (working class) drinking bodies, and (iii) how the legal tool of the licence targets problematic drinkers by shaping the establishment in which they drink. Assumptions about problematic drinking bodies – this ‘vertical drinker’ – inform the regulatory distinction between ‘civilised’ and ‘uncivilised’ establishments.

Building a healthy lifestyle: the role of emotional intelligence among Italian university students

Given the numerous evidence demonstrating the influence of emotions in engaging risky behaviors, it seems inevitable to consider new approaches that promote healthy lifestyles. This study examines the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and unhealthy lifestyles among undergraduate university students in Southern Italy, since a correlation between EI and harmful health behaviors has been postulated. The present cross-sectional study was conducted among over 18-year-old university students using an online, anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. Socio-demographic characteristics, tobacco use, nicotine dependence, alcohol consumption, and skipping breakfast were investigated. Nearly a third of the sample were current smokers (30.9%). Problematic drinking was shown in 9.9% of the students. Almost one-fourth (23.1%) reported breakfast skipping ≥ 3 days a week. Emotional clarity and total EI scores were significantly lower in current smokers with moderate/high nicotine dependence. Problematic drinking revealed lower emotional clarity and total EI scores. Breakfast skippers showed lower emotional attention and total EI scores. The interconnectedness of unhealthy behaviors and the potential for one behavior to lead to or predict another were also shown. The study findings provide useful insights to develop evidence-based strategies to empower the young adults to choose a health-promoting lifestyle. The figures suggest that emotional learning interventions could support this goal.

Drinking with awareness: mindfulness moderates the relationship between drinking and alcohol-related problems

ABSTRACT Introduction Alcohol use is associated with alcohol-related problems (ARP) with the potential to negatively impact various domains of functioning. Dispositional mindfulness has been shown to act as a protective factor against both alcohol use and ARP. In the current study, we examined the moderating impact of dispositional mindfulness on the relationship between alcohol use and ARP. Methods Participants (N = 410) were a diverse sample of United States adults. Participants were recruited from a Qualtrics (Provo, UT) participant panel. Results Results suggest that the dispositional mindfulness facet, Acting with Awareness, moderates the relationship between alcohol use and ARP. Conclusions Our findings suggest that greater awareness of internal experiences mitigates the impact of alcohol use on external behaviors. Therefore, dispositional mindfulness may mitigate the impact of alcohol use on ARP through strengthened awareness, whereby acting more thoughtfully and purposefully (as opposed to on “autopilot”) may reduce ARP, even when an individual has consumed alcohol, and especially when consuming at an increasing rate. Future studies should examine whether interventions targeting Acting with Awareness may prove effective in reducing ARP in the general population.

The Associations Between Drinking Motives and Alcohol-Related Consequences in Graduate Students from Universities in the United States.

Many college students "mature out" of heavy drinking when they graduate. Yet, those who go onto graduate education report engaging in problematic drinking patterns. Drinking motives are one factor that uniquely predicts problematic drinking patterns in college students. Evidence suggests that these unique associations also generalize to individuals' post-college, specifically between drinking motives and specific alcohol-related consequences. However, no research to date has examined the association between drinking motives and alcohol-related consequences in graduate students. The current study aimed to examine the unique associations between drinking motives, and drinks per week and specific alcohol-related consequences. Participants included 330 graduate students from various universities in the United States, recruited through social media. The majority of participants were White (71.3%), 54.9% female identifying, with a mean age of 26. Results revealed that conformity motives were positively associated with drinks per week, self-control consequences, self-care consequences, risky consequences, academic/occupational consequences, and blackout consequences. Social motives were negatively associated with interpersonal consequences and academic/occupational consequences. Enhancement motives were negatively associated with drinks per week, and positively associated with academic/occupational consequences. However, coping motivation was not associated with any of the outcomes. These findings highlight the need to further understand how drinking motives influence specific types of alcohol-related consequences as these associations change post-college. Results can be used to better inform future prevention and interventions for this population.

Theoretical and experimental investigation of double slope solar still with channel integration: Energy, exergy and water quality analysis

The present work focuses on the influencing factors for the performance enrichment of solar still, which serves as one of the sources of cleaner production of freshwater in a hot environment. This enrichment in yield has been achieved through channel attachments and optimized water depth. The different positions of interior and exterior temperatures are measured and compared with/without the channel attachment of the solar still. The results reveal that the water yield from the double slope is found more with channel attachments in the solar still at the minimum water depth of 1 cm. The different month yield rates are compared with and without channel attachment. Furthermore, the theoretical exergy analysis has been conducted for various components of double slope solar still and compared with experimental findings. The yield rates for 1 cm basin water depths in March, April, and May are as follows: for the modified system - theoretical rates of 2.490, 2.760, and 2.900 L m−2 and experimental rates of 2.285, 2.530, and 2.770 L m−2; for the base system - theoretical rates of 2.090, 2.200, and 2.475 L m−2 and experimental rates of 1.920, 2.110, and 2.270 L m−2. In comparison to the basic system, the modified DSSS yield rate increased from 6.66% to 22.02%, and the exergy efficiency of the DSSS with and without a channel attachment are 8.42% and 4.14%, respectively. The present method can be adopted to solve the drinking water shortage problem at hot environments.

L’Assommoir and Zola’s Nuanced Vision of Nineteenth-Century Alcoholism

This article examines depictions of problem drinking in Emile Zola’s 1877 L’Assommoir, situating the novel within contemporaneous writings about alcoholism. While criticism has long found in Zola’s novel the ruinous effects of hereditary degeneration, I propose that L’Assommoir also illuminates the flaws in nineteenth-century French medical thinking about alcoholism. One curious point about L’Assommoir is that this most famous work of French literature to deal with alcoholic drinking never uses the word alcoholism or alcoholic. Underneath that very elision, though, is a surprising amount of clarity and modern nuance about the realities of the disease. In the context of a contemporaneous French medical discourse that argued for the feasibility of moderation in drinking, that overwhelmingly counted wine as part of the solution, and that underscored the damning role of heredity, this novel is clear about the variance among constitutions, even among people in the same demographic and with similar family histories. It indicates that individual compulsion, not solely choice, and not solely heredity, drives the problem drinker. It also indicates that an alcoholic compulsion can be nourished through wine. In this manner, Zola was more aligned with the modern disease model of alcoholism than the prevailing French wisdom of his time.

Associations of Psychological Distress and Alcohol Use Patterns Among Older Adults of Sexual Minority Status and Heterosexual Peers.

There is limited research investigating sexual-orientation-related differences in older adults and their relationship with alcohol use. The purpose of this study was to determine if sexual minority status moderates the relationship between psychological distress and alcohol drinking patterns. This study was a secondary analysis of data from the 2017-2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Health outcomes among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) older adults (N = 462) aged 50 years or older were compared with heterosexual (N = 16,856) peers using univariate analyses and logistic regressions. Interaction terms evaluated the influence of sexual orientation on psychological distress and alcohol consumption. Sexual orientation was a predictor of alcohol use in the past year, past month, and at any time (p < .001) but was not a predictor of alcohol dependence or misuse, binge drinking, or heavy drinking. Heterosexual older adults were less likely to consume alcohol than those who identified as LGB. Respondents not reporting psychological distress were less likely to engage in problematic drinking. However, there was no evidence that sexual minority status moderates the relationship between psychological distress and alcohol use. Limited evidence supports higher rates of alcohol use and alcohol-related problems among sexual minority persons than heterosexuals. Prediction models for alcohol use were not improved by using sexual orientation and psychological distress as interaction terms. Future research should examine the underlying causes of impaired health in the older LGB population. Those findings should be used to research methods of preventing and minimizing alcohol misuse.

Psychologic Welfare and Burnout of Medical Students after COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown in Poland

Abstract Objectives: In this study, we intended to examine the psychological welfare, burnout, and stress-related coping mechanisms of medical students at the Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland. Under the hypothesis that depressive symptoms and screening for problem alcohol drinking would predict the risk of burnout, we intended to study the relationship between selected variables (e.g., demographic and socioeconomic) and burnout risk and the effects of abandonment of social isolation restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Methods: Medical students completed an online survey assessing general mental health and stress coping mechanisms. We used copies of the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9); Cut-down, Annoyed, Guilty, and Eye-opener (CAGE) questionnaire; and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), to quantify depressive symptoms, screen for problematic alcohol drinking, and assess the risk of burnout. Results: The mean total OLBI score ± standard deviation was 44.6 ± 7.3 (N = 700), with 91.1% of participants scoring ≥ 35 points. Female students had significantly higher total and exhaustion domain OLBI scores than their male counterparts (p &lt; 0.05). About 76% of all respondents reported high levels of studies-related stress and 44% of survey participants agreed/strongly agreed that they considered dropping out of university courses due to the stress. The suicidal/self-harm ideations were found in 33.6% of students. Most students (64.4%) were screened positively for moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms, and 19% of them for risky alcohol use. Students with OLBI scores ≥ 35 achieved notably higher PHQ-9 and CAGE results. The results of multivariate regression analysis showed that PHQ-9 (p &lt; 0.05) and CAGE (p &lt; 0.05) questionnaire significantly predicted the OLBI score. Conclusion: Medical students are a vulnerable group at risk of developing mental health problems. A great number of survey participants screened positively for the presence of depressive symptoms, risky alcohol use, and burnout. The PHQ-9, and CAGE results, was significant predictor of OLBI outcomes. The improvement of COVID-19 pandemic-related social isolation restrictions did not produce a marked improvement in somatic/mental health-related quantifiers as compared to the time of strict social restrictions.

Effectiveness of Non-Pharmacological Interventions among Problem Drinkers in Korea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: This study aimed to identify trends in domestic research and conduct a meta-analysis of studies investigating the effects of non-pharmacological interventions targeting domestic problem drinkers. The objectives were to synthesize and analyze the results of these studies, while evaluating potential bias and estimating effect size.Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we searched five domestic databases (RISS, KISS, DBpia, KoreaMed, and Science ON) for journals and theses published until July 2022. Researchers independently assessed study quality using Cochrane RoB 2 or ROBINS-I.Results: Of the 307 studies extracted, 12 were included in systematic review. The meta-analysis included 11 studies on problem drinking and 8 on alcohol abstinence self-efficacy. Random effects models were used for analysis, given the heterogeneity among the studies. Non-pharmacological interventions effectively reduced problem drinking (g=−1.22, 95% CI: −1.69 to −0.75, p＜.001) and enhanced alcohol abstinence self-efficacy (g=1.16, 95% CI: 0.54 to 1.79, p＜.001).Conclusions: Non-pharmacological intervention programs targeting problem drinkers effectively reduced problem drinking and enhanced alcohol abstinence self-efficacy. This study provides valuable evidence for developing and implementing such programs for problem drinkers.

Barriers to seeking treatment for alcohol use disorders among males in a tertiary care center in South India – a cross-sectional study

Background There are limited studies on barriers to seeking treatment for Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD) among males in tertiary care centers in India and abroad. Identification of these factors can aid in addressing the barriers to seeking treatment for AUD in low-and-middle-income countries. Objective To investigate the barriers to seeking treatment for AUD among males in a tertiary care center in South India. Methods The study design was cross-sectional. We employed a semi-structured interview proforma, Barriers Questionnaire (Alcohol), and assessed the age of onset of initiation of alcohol, problem drinking, and AUD. Results The majority (73.3%) belonged to Low-Barrier group. Individual items such as “Denial of Alcoholism”, “avoid others counseling”, “don’t like to talk in groups”, “Worried about what others will think for taking help or made fun of by others”, “Self or Family embarrassed of taking treatment”, “cannot afford treatment due to various reasons”, “Fear of losing job”, “Fear of losing friends” and “Fear of seeing people” were significantly higher in High-Barrier group. Conclusions Our study has helped to identify some of the important impediments. Psychoeducation and reducing the stereotypes related to the treatment of AUD can increase trust in the treatment process, resulting in greater help-seeking, early intervention, and improved quality of life.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the relationship between youth drinking, self-posting of alcohol use and other social media engagement (2012-21).

Social networking sites (SNS) are interactive internet-based social platforms that facilitate information sharing. A growing body of literature on exposure to, and self-posting of, alcohol-related content on SNS has examined the relationship between SNS use and alcohol consumption in young people. This study aims to synthesise the literature exploring the relationship between exposure (i.e. viewing or listening of alcohol-related media) and self-posting (i.e. uploading images or text of alcohol content) of alcohol-related media on SNS on alcohol consumption. A pre-registered systematic review was conducted in June 2022 within PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO and Web of Science. Original prospective and cross-sectional studies assessing youth and young adults (≤ 24 years of age) that measured exposure to alcohol-related media or posting of alcohol-related content on SNS and self-reported alcohol consumption outcomes were included. Meta-analyses were conducted on comparable methodologies. Thirty studies were included (n = 19,386). Meta-analyses of cross-sectional studies showed both greater exposure (five studies; pooled β = 0.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.23, 0.44, i2 = 27.7%) and self-posting of alcohol-related content (six studies; pooled β = 0.57, 95%CI = 0.25,0.88, i2 = 97.8%) was associated with greater alcohol consumption. Meta-analyses of three prospective studies also identified that greater exposure predicted greater future alcohol consumption (three studies; pooled β = 0.13, 95%CI = 0.11,0.15, i2 = 0.0%). Narrative analyses of studies that could not be meta-analysed due to incompatible methodologies were also conducted. Most studies (all four prospective, one of two cross-sectional) identified positive associations between exposure to alcohol-related content and greater average consumption. Most studies (three of four prospective, four of six cross-sectional) reported a positive association between of alcohol-related self-posting and greater average alcohol consumption. Both exposure to, and self-posting of, alcohol-related content on social networking sites are positively associated with current average consumption, problem drinking, and drinking frequency.

Decreasing alcohol use among young adults presenting for service in the U.S. Air Force: An epidemiological surveillance study

ABSTRACT U.S. surveys demonstrate recent decreases in the prevalence of alcohol use and binge drinking among young adults. The current study aims to determine whether similar trends are evident in a similarly aged cohort of service members in the US Air Force to inform ongoing prevention efforts. Participants were 103,240 Air Force personnel in entry-level training between 2016 and 2019. Participants anonymously completed the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test) regarding their pre-service drinking. Logistic regression analyses and the Cochran-Armitage test were conducted to measure population trends over the study duration with stratification by age (<21 vs. ≥21) and evaluation of specific alcohol behaviors. Between 2016 and 2019, the proportion of young service members endorsing any alcohol use significantly decreased for both the <21 group (i.e. from 38.9% to 32.6%) and the ≥21 group (i.e. from 80.6% to 77.5%). Among those who endorsed drinking, a decrease over time in binge use was also observed from 46.6% to 37.8% for the <21 group and from 34.2% to 27.5% for the ≥21 group. Responses to other specific alcohol risk items and total AUDIT scores also demonstrated decreases. Binge use and risky drinking remained disproportionately common among those under the legal drinking age. It is encouraging to observe a shift toward abstinence and decreased binge use among this population of young military recruits. However, given the risk for many adverse health and legal consequences in this population, more work is needed to prevent problematic drinking, especially among those under the legal drinking age.

Brain structural covariance network features are robust markers of early heavy alcohol use.

Recently, we demonstrated that a distinct pattern of structural covariance networks (SCN) from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived measurements of brain cortical thickness characterized young adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and predicted current and future problematic drinking in adolescents relative to controls. Here, we establish the robustness and value of SCN for identifying heavy alcohol users in three additional independent studies. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies using data from the Pediatric Imaging, Neurocognition and Genetics (PING) study (n = 400, age range = 14-22 years), the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) (n = 272, age range = 17-22 years) and the Human Connectome Project (HCP) (n = 375, age range = 22-37 years). Cases were defined based on heavy alcohol use patterns or former alcohol use disorder (AUD) diagnoses: 50, 68 and 61 cases were identified. Controls had none or low alcohol use or absence of AUD: 350, 204 and 314 controls were selected. Graph theory metrics of segregation and integration were used to summarize SCN. Mirroring our prior findings, and across the three data sets, cases had a lower clustering coefficient [area under the curve (AUC) = -0.029, P = 0.002], lower modularity (AUC = -0.14, P = 0.004), lower average shortest path length (AUC = -0.078, P = 0.017) and higher global efficiency (AUC = 0.007, P = 0.010). Local efficiency differences were marginal (AUC = -0.017, P = 0.052). That is, cases exhibited lower network segregation and higher integration, suggesting that adjacent nodes (i.e. brain regions) were less similar in thickness whereas spatially distant nodes were more similar. Structural covariance network (SCN) differences in the brain appear to constitute an early marker of heavy alcohol use in three new data sets and, more generally, demonstrate the utility of SCN-derived metrics to detect brain-related psychopathology.

Effects of clustering and timing of early life stress exposure on mood problems, ADHD symptoms, and problematic drinking

ObjectiveExposure to early life stress (ELS) may lead to long-term health consequences. The Early Life Stress Questionnaire (ELSQ) is a retrospective measure of multiple ELS and their timing. Latent class analysis (LCA) has not been applied to the ELSQ and questions regarding timing are rarely explored. This study examined the effects of clustering and timing of ELS exposure on internalizing and externalizing symptoms. MethodData from 1095 participants in the NIAAA Natural History Protocol were analyzed. LCA was conducted on 18 ELS items. Regression and correlational analyses examined associations of latent classes with sociodemographic variables and clinical outcomes. ResultsLCA revealed three classes: Class 1: Minimal ELS (54.2%), Class 2: Moderate ELS (33.2%), and Class 3: Multiple and High ELS (12.6%). Black/African American participants were more likely to be in Class 2, and participants with low household income were more likely to be in Classes 2 and 3. Family history of problematic alcohol use and individual alcohol use disorder diagnosis were linked to Classes with higher ELS exposure. Compared with Class 1, Class 2 reported higher anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, ADHD symptoms, and problematic drinking, and Class 3 reported the highest levels across all these outcomes. Regarding timing, earlier exposure to ELS (e.g., sustained family conflict and witnessed domestic violence) was associated with higher psychopathological symptoms. ConclusionsThe ELSQ can effectively capture clustering and timing of exposure to multiple ELS. Greater and earlier exposure to ELS were positively associated with internalizing and externalizing symptoms, underscoring the need for early and well-timed intervention.