Binge Frequency Research Articles

Binge Drinking and Cannabis Use among Transgender and Gender-Diverse Young Adults in Michigan.

Substance use rates are higher among transgender and gender-diverse people than cisgender people. Rates of substance use are also higher among young adults compared with other age groups. However, little research examines substance use among transgender and gender-diverse young adults. This study examines factors associated with binge drinking and cannabis use among transgender and gender-diverse young adults in Michigan. Participants (N = 78; ages 18-25) completed an online survey that included demographics and substance use and related characteristics. Race, stimulant misuse, and sedative misuse were associated with more frequent binge drinking. Older age and past-year pain reliever misuse were associated with less frequent cannabis use. Past-year stimulant use and using cannabis alone were associated with more frequent cannabis use. These findings suggest that additional marginalized identities may increase the risk for maladaptive substance use. Future research should examine substance use behaviors and correlates to inform interventions among this population.

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Alcohol Use among Black College Students: Examining the Mediating Roles of Depression and Coping Drinking Motives

Background: Over the past two decades, research has linked adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to adult health-risk behaviors such as excessive alcohol use. Yet, few have investigated health-risk behaviors among Black college students. Research suggests that Black college students are at lower risk for hazardous drinking patterns, yet ACEs appear to alter the drinking patterns of Black students. Other studies have also shown depressive symptoms and coping-motivated drinking to predict greater alcohol consumption for this ethnic group. Objective: The current study investigated the relationship between ACEs and hazardous patterns of drinking, including frequency of alcohol use, binge, and heavy drinking episodes, using a sample of 282 Black students attending a historically black college/university (HBCU). Results: Depressive symptoms and coping drinking motives were tested as serial mediators between ACEs and the three drinking patterns. Results revealed a significant indirect effect of ACEs on the frequency of alcohol use, binge, and heavy drinking episodes, through depressive symptoms and coping drinking motives. Depressive symptoms also independently mediated the relationship between ACEs and heavy drinking episodes. Conclusion: The finding suggested that drinking perhaps serves as a maladaptive coping strategy to address underlying early life stress and depression for Black students.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Eating Disorders Among Female Students at Jazan University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Survey Study.

Concerns about the incidence of eating disorders (EDs) among university students are spreading throughout the world. In Saudi Arabia, little is known about the prevalence and associated factors of EDs among female university students. Thus, this study investigated the prevalence, common types, and potential associated factors of EDs among female students of Jazan University. Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted between August 31, 2020, and November 2, 2020. The snowball technique was used to recruit female students via anelectronic surveydistributed in Arabic. The survey collected information about demographic characteristics, and SCOFF (Sick, Control, One, Fat, Food) and Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) scales. Cronbach's alpha for the SCOFF and EAT-26 scales was calculated to be 0.78 and 0.58, respectively, in this study. A total of 566 female students participated in the survey, with a mean age of 22.12 ± 2.93 years. The results showed that 47.9% of participants were at risk for EDs based onSCOFF scores, while 26.5% were at risk based on EAT-26 scores. The most common types of EDs werebulimia nervosaand binge eating disorder. Furthermore, the study identified severalsociodemographic characteristics, including year of study (p = 0.042),college type (p = 0.004), body weight (p = 0.001), and BMI (p = 0.001), that are significantly associated with EDs. However, no significant relationships were observed betweenmarital status (p = 0.103), age (p = 0.147), and height (p = 0.509) with SCOFF scores. Some students reported frequent binge eating, purging, or laxative/diet pill misuse. The study revealed a moderate to high prevalence of risk for EDs amongfemale university studentsinJazan, Saudi Arabia, associated with higher study years, college majors, and body weight and BMI. Dangerous ED behaviors reported by some students signal an urgent need for resources to identify and support those suffering from these disorders. Targeted interventions and services may help address this critical issue on campuses and support vulnerable students in need. Continued research and public health action are needed to curb the spread of these disorders.

Ethanol exacerbates pulmonary complications after burn injury in mice, regardless of frequency of ethanol exposures

Burn injuries are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and lungs are the most common organ to fail. Interestingly, patients with alcohol intoxication at the time of burn have worse clinical outcomes, including pulmonary complications. Using a clinically relevant murine model, we have previously reported that episodic ethanol exposure before burn exacerbated lung inflammation. Specifically, intoxicated burned mice had worsened pulmonary responses, including increased leukocyte infiltration and heightened levels of CXCL1 and IL-6. Herein, we examined whether a single binge ethanol exposure before scald burn injury yields similar pulmonary responses. C57BL/6 male mice were given ethanol (1.2 g/kg) 30 min before a 15 % total body surface area burn. These mice were compared to a second cohort given episodic ethanol binge for a total of 6 days (3 days ethanol, 4 days rest, 3 days ethanol) prior to burn injury. 24 h after burn, histopathological examination of lungs were performed. In addition, survival, and levels of infiltrating leukocytes, CXCL1, and IL-6 were quantified. Episodic and single ethanol exposure before burn decreased survival compared to burn only mice and sham vehicle mice, respectively (p < 0.05). However, no difference in survival was observed between burned mice with single and episodic ethanol binge. Examination of H&E-stained lung sections revealed that regardless of ethanol binge frequency, intoxication prior to burn worsened pulmonary inflammation, evidenced by elevated granulocyte accumulation and congestion, relative to burned mice without any ethanol exposure. Levels of infiltrating granulocyte in the lungs were significantly higher in burned mice with both episodic and single ethanol intoxication, compared to burn injury only (p < 0.05). In addition, there was no difference in the granulocyte count between single and ethanol binge mice with burn injury. Neutrophil chemoattractant CXCL1 levels in the lung were similarly increased following single and episodic ethanol exposure prior to burn compared to burn alone (22-fold and 26-fold respectively, p < 0.05). Lastly, we assessed pulmonary IL-6, which revealed that irrespective of frequency, ethanol exposure combined with burn injury raised pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 in the lungs relative to burn mice. Again, we did not find any difference in the amount of IL-6 in lungs of burned mice with single and episodic ethanol intoxication. Taken altogether, these data demonstrate that both single and episodic exposure to ethanol prior to burn injury similarly worsens pulmonary inflammation. These results suggest that ethanol-induced exacerbation of the pulmonary responses to burn injury is due to presence of ethanol at the time of injury rather than longer-term effects of ethanol exposure.

Socioeconomic Characteristics, Lifestyle Behaviors, and Health Conditions Among Males of Reproductive Age With and Without Disabilities, NHANES 2013-2018.

Health status during the reproductive years influences fecundity, fertility, and the future health of males and their offspring. There remains a dearth of literature examining men's preconception health, especially among high-risk populations, such as those with disabilities. The objective of this study was to examine indicators of preconception health, including chronic medical conditions, lifestyle behaviors, and health care utilization, among males of reproductive age with and without disabilities in the United States. Data were from 3,702 males of reproductive age (18-44 years) who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 2013-2018. Approximately 14% of males reported having at least one disability related to vision, hearing, cognition, mobility, self-care, or independent living. Among all men, suboptimal preconception health indicators were prevalent including poor or fair self-rated health; low education and household income status; lack of health insurance and no recent utilization of health care and dental care; cigarette smoking; frequent alcohol consumption and binge drinking; marijuana and illegal drug use; obesity; low fruit and vegetable intake and no multi-vitamin use; low physical activity; short sleep durations; depressive symptoms; and hypertension and asthma. Compared to males with no disabilities, males with any disabilities were more likely to have suboptimal preconception health indicators. Strategies to promote and improve sexual health, preconception care, and family planning services among all men are needed. For males with disabilities, specifically, further investigation of their specific health needs related to sex, reproduction, family planning, and fatherhood, as well as interactions with health care providers, is required.

Cannabis and Alcohol Use by U.S. Young Adults, 2008–2019: Changes in Prevalence After Recreational Cannabis Legalization

Young adults' cannabis and alcohol use patterns have changed after state recreational cannabis legalization according to studies based on college samples but not nationally representative samples. Associations between recreational cannabis legalization and changes in cannabis and alcohol use outcomes among young adults were examined, including differences by college enrollment and minor status (ages 18-20 vs 21-23 years). Repeated cross-sectional data (2008-2019) were collected from college-eligible participants aged 18-23 years in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Self-reported past-month cannabis use and frequent use (≥20 days) and a proxy for past-year DSM-5 cannabis use disorder were primary outcomes; past-month frequent alcohol use and binge drinking were secondary outcomes. Multilevel logistic regression models quantified changes in outcome prevalence from the study years before to after recreational cannabis legalization, adjusting for secular trends. Analyses were conducted on March 22, 2022. Prevalence increased from before to after recreational cannabis legalization for past-month cannabis use (from 21% to 25%) and past-year proxy cannabis use disorder (from 11% to 13%); the increases were statistically significant [adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) = 1.20 (1.08-1.32) and 1.14 (1.003-1.30), respectively]. Increases were detected for young adults who were not in college and who were aged 21-23 years. Recreational cannabis legalization impacts were not detected for secondary outcomes. Some young adults appear sensitive to state recreational cannabis legalization, including in terms of cannabis use disorder risk. Additional prevention efforts should be directed to young adults who are not in college and timed to occur before age 21 years.

Eating disorders and emotional dysregulation are associated with insufficient weight loss after bariatric surgery: a 1-year observational follow-up study

PurposeSubjects with obesity, especially those seeking bariatric surgery, exhibit high rates of mental disorders and marked psychopathological traits. The primary objective of this prospective, non-interventional study was to investigate whether the presence of different psychiatric disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptomatology and emotional dysregulation influenced weight loss at 1-year follow-up after surgery.MethodsSubjects consecutively referred for pre-surgical evaluation at the Obesity Center of Pisa University Hospital were recruited. Psychiatric diagnoses were made through the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and ADHD symptomatology was assessed with the Wender–Reimherr Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Scale (WRAADDS). Emotional dysregulation was investigated through the WRAADDS and self-report questionnaires. After surgery, weight and obesity-related comorbidities were monitored during follow-up.ResultsOf the 99 participants recruited, 76 underwent surgery and 65 could be reevaluated 1 year after surgery. Subjects with insufficient weight loss (excess body mass index loss ≤ 53%, n = 15) had more frequent lifetime binge eating disorder (BED) and BED-mood disorders comorbidity than subjects with favorable post-surgical outcome. Additionally, they scored higher on both physician-administered and self-report scales assessing emotional dysregulation, which represents a nuclear symptom of ADHD in adults. At the logistic regression analysis, older age, higher preoperative excess body mass index and greater affective instability were predictors of reduced weight loss at 1-year follow-up.ConclusionEmotional dysregulation seems to be associated with a worse outcome after bariatric surgery. Further studies with larger samples and longer follow-up are needed to confirm the influence of different psychiatric disorders and psychopathological traits on post-surgical outcome.Level of evidenceV, prospective descriptive study.

Examining the components and stability of negative affect in disordered eating frequency.

There is a limited understanding of the unique components of negative affect that are most important to disordered eating. Our study tested the contributions and stabilities of unique components of negative affect in the frequency of both binge eating and restricted eating. We examined if: (1) symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress share unique, concurrent associations with binge eating and restricted eating, respectively, and if (2) instability of depression, anxiety, and stress predict binge eating and restricted eating, respectively. 627 first year undergraduate students completed 7 assessments of these constructs across their first academic year. Generalised multilevel modelling was employed. Higher than average anxiety, but not depression or stress, was concurrently associated with restricted eating. No concurrent associations between negative affect and binge eating were found. Instability of depression, but not anxiety or stress, predicted both binge and restricted eating. Anxiety may be a more salient predictor of restricted eating than depression or stress. However, larger monthly changes in depression may confer risk for more frequent binge eating and restricted eating.

Positive affect dysregulation and its relation to binge eating size and frequency.

Negative affect is an established predictor of binge eating, yet less is known about positive affect. Low positive affect has been theorized to increase binge eating, but a better understanding is needed on the relationship between positive affect and binge eating frequency and size. Participants were 182 treatment-seeking adults (76% self-identified as female; 45% self-identified their race as Black and 40% as White; and 25% self-identified their ethnicity as Hispanic/Latino) with self-reported recurrent binge eating (≥12 binge episodes in the past 3 months). Participants completed the positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS) survey and the eating disorder examination to assess frequency of objective binge episodes (OBEs) and subjective binge episodes (SBEs) over the past 3 months. OBEs and SBEs also were combined to yield total binge episodes over the past 3 months. Independent t-tests and linear regression analyses were used to test associations between positive affect scores and binge episode size and frequencies, and to compare low versus higher positive affect on binge frequency. Additional exploratory models were conducted controlling for negative affect, identity characteristics, and socio-demographic variables. Lower positive affect was significantly associated with more frequent total binge episodes, but not OBEs and SBEs when assessed independently. Findings remained consistent when controlling for covariates and when comparing individuals with the lowest versus higher positive affect levels. Overall, results lend support to the theory that low positive affect is associated with binge eating. Increasing positive affect may be an important treatment consideration for those with recurrent binge eating.

State-specific alterations in the neural computations underlying inhibitory control in women remitted from bulimia nervosa.

The neurocomputational processes underlying bulimia nervosa and its primary symptoms, out-of-control overeating and purging, are poorly understood. Research suggests that the brains of healthy individuals form a dynamic internal model to predict whether control is needed in each moment. This study tested the hypothesis that this computational process of inhibitory control is abnormally affected by metabolic state (being fasted or fed) in bulimia nervosa. A Bayesian ideal observer model was fit to behavioral data acquired from 22 women remitted from bulimia nervosa and 20 group-matched controls who completed a stop-signal task during two counterbalanced functional MRI sessions, one after a 16 h fast and one after a meal. This model estimates participants' trial-by-trial updating of the probability of a stop signal based on their experienced trial history. Neural analyses focused on control-related Bayesian prediction errors, which quantify the direction and degree of "surprise" an individual experiences on any given trial. Regardless of group, metabolic state did not affect behavioral performance on the task. However, metabolic state modulated group differences in neural activation. In the fed state, women remitted from bulimia nervosa had attenuated prediction-error-dependent activation in the left dorsal caudate. This fed-state activation was lower among women with more frequent past binge eating and self-induced vomiting. When they are in a fed state, individuals with bulimia nervosa may not effectively process unexpected information needed to engage inhibitory control. This may explain the difficulties these individuals have stopping eating after it begins.

Emotional complexity under high stress: Do protective associations for risk behaviors persist even during a pandemic?

Risk behaviors like substance use and binge eating are often used to cope with negative emotions. Engagement in these behaviors has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Past research suggests that complex emotion conceptualizations captured as emotion differentiation (ability to discriminate between emotional states) and polarity (ability to integrate positive and negative features of emotional experience) may be protective. We examined associations of mean affect intensity, emotion differentiation, and emotion polarity with frequency of daily substance use and binge eating across 10 days in a demographically diverse sample of U.S. adults (N = 353) recruited between March 24 and April 9, 2020, when stay-at-home orders were initiated. Owing to the nested data structure and excessive zero values, analyses were conducted using multilevel zero-inflated negative binomial regression. Consistent with past research, negative affect was positively associated with frequency of substance use and binge eating. Importantly, results indicated that negative emotion differentiation was protective, predicting greater likelihood of not using substances and binge eating at all across the sampling period. These effects remained even after controlling for mean affect intensity, emotion polarity, and positive emotion differentiation. Neither positive emotion differentiation nor emotion polarity were significantly associated with either behavior. Our results suggest that greater complexity in conceptualization of negative emotions facilitates some protection against risk behaviors such as substance use and binge eating, even during periods of high environmental stress. These findings have important implications for optimizing interventions to reduce engagement in risk behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The impact of social media use on body image and disordered eating behaviors: Content matters more than duration of exposure

Social media use is rapidly expanding in terms of frequency, duration, and the diversity of platforms available. Given evidence for associations between social media use, body image disturbances, and disordered eating it is important to identify potentially harmful aspects of social media use that could serve as intervention targets. This study surveyed two demographically diverse undergraduate student cohorts in 2015 and 2022 to compare patterns in social media use, body image, and disordered eating behaviors between samples, including as a function of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to test the hypothesized moderating role of specific content consumed in the association between social media use and maladaptive outcomes. Participants in 2022 reported greater body image disturbances, more frequent vomiting and laxative use, and more time spent on a greater number of social media accounts, with significantly greater use of image-based platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube. Moderated regression analyses suggest that type of content consumed, but not the amount of time spent on social media or diversity of platforms utilized, is associated with body image disturbances and disordered eating behaviors after controlling for gender and body mass index. Specifically, exposure to weight loss content was associated with lower body appreciation, greater fears of negative appearance evaluation, and more frequent binge eating. Contrary to initial hypotheses, exposure to body positivity/neutrality content did not have protective effects. Findings suggest that interventions targeting negative consequences of social media use should focus on addressing content consumed, rather than time spent on social media platforms.

Associations of binge gaming (5 or more consecutive hours played) with gaming disorder and mental health in young men.

Video gaming is a popular activity among young people. Time spent with gaming was found to be only moderately associated with gaming disorder. However, patterns of binge gaming (playing more than 5 h consecutively) were rarely considered in research on gaming. This study explores how binge gaming frequency is related with gaming disorder and mental health. The sample came from the Cohort study on substance use risk factors (C-SURF) and comprised 5,358 young men aged 28.26 years (SD = 1.27). ANCOVA was conducted to estimate the association between binge gaming frequency (gaming at least 5 h consecutively) and gaming disorder (measured with the Game Addiction Scale) as well as indicators of mental health. A total of 33.3% of the sample engaged in binge gaming at least once in the previous year, and 6.1% at least weekly. Frequency of binge gaming was associated with gaming disorder score in a linear dose-response relationship (linear trend = 2.30 [2.14, 2.46]) even if adjusted for time spent gaming (linear trend = 1.24 [1.03, 1.45). More frequent binge gaming was associated with lower life satisfaction and sleep quality, and with more major depression and social anxiety disorder symptoms. Binge gaming patterns, especially daily or almost daily binge gaming, are important to consider with regard to gaming disorder and mental health. Asking about binge gaming may be a promising screening question for gaming related problems. Encouraging regular breaks from gaming may be a valuable prevention strategy to reduce negative outcomes of gaming.

Low Self-Esteem and Life Satisfaction as a Significant Risk Factor for Eating Disorders among Adolescents

Eating disorders are a problem that is becoming more and more common among younger and younger age groups. Many studies examine the risk factors for EDs, however, the treatment of these diseases is very complicated and requires dietary, psychological and medical intervention. 233 primary and secondary school students aged 12 to 19 were surveyed using the EAT-26 (Eating Attitudes Test-26) questionnaire, the self-esteem Scale SES and the Cantril scale for life satisfaction. Women, when compared to men, showed lower self-esteem, satisfaction with their appearance, body weight and their lives and at the same time a higher risk of eating disorders in all three areas. Low life satisfaction is often correlated with weight loss greater than 10 kg. Low self-esteem correlated positively with significant weight loss (>10 kg) and more frequent uncontrollable binge eating and exercising (more than 60 min a day) to influence appearance. People with low self-esteem were more likely to be treated for EDs. Subjects dissatisfied with their lives binged, feeling that they could not stop. The younger the person, the more likely they are to develop eating disorders. This is closely correlated with low self-esteem and negative life satisfaction. Men were more likely to be satisfied with their weight, appearance, and life, and were less likely to show ED symptoms.

Prevalence and associated factors of binge eating disorder among Bahraini youth and young adults: a cross-sectional study in a self-selected convenience sample

BackgroundBinge eating disorder (BED) is defined as recurrent ingestion of an unusually large amount of food in a discrete period of time. BED has the highest prevalence of all eating disorders. Studies have shown a strong relationship between BED and both physical and psychological factors such as obesity, depression and anxiety. This research aimed to report the prevalence and associated factors of BED among Bahrainis (aged 15–30 years).MethodsA total of 959 participants (aged 15–30 years) completed self-administered online questionnaires. BED was measured using the binge eating disorder Screener-7. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and General Anxiety Disorder-7 were used to measure depression and anxiety, respectively.ResultsOut of all participants, 21.2% had binge eating symptoms. A higher BMI, a restricted diet, depression and anxiety were associated with more frequent binge eating symptoms. Out of all associated factors, depression had the strongest association with binge eating, (rp = 0.371, p < 0.0001). However, sociodemographic variables including age and other medical conditions were not significantly associated with BED symptoms.ConclusionIn conclusion, the prevalence of BED symptoms was significantly high among the study participants. The results point out the crucial role of awareness of the interaction between obesity, depression and anxiety as potential risk factors for binge eating tendencies. Further research should examine their relationship with BED.

Negative urgency, PTSD symptoms, and alcohol risk in college students

IntroductionTheoretical models of trauma and alcohol use suggest that trauma-exposed individuals with higher levels of PTSD symptoms are at increased risk of problematic and coping-oriented alcohol use to alleviate unwanted internal states. The goal of the current study was to evaluate whether these associations are enhanced among young adults who report engaging in impulsive behavior in the context of negative affect (i.e., high negative urgency). It was hypothesized that (a) higher negative urgency would be associated with problematic alcohol use; and that (b) negative urgency would moderate the association between PTSD symptoms and problematic alcohol use. Methods: This studyused across-sectional, secondary data analysisdesign run on 213 participants: college students, ages 18–25, who endorsed both having an interpersonal traumatic event and current weekly alcohol use. Participants completed a series of assessments and self-report questionnaires. Results: Results of hierarchical linear regression models indicated that greater negative urgency was significantly associated with greater negative alcohol-related consequences and greater coping motives for alcohol, but not past 30-day binge frequency or past 30-day alcohol quantity. Negative urgency did not moderate associations between PTSD symptoms and alcohol outcomes. Conclusions: PTSD symptoms and negative urgency are uniquely associated with indices of alcohol risk in college students with a history of trauma exposure. However, individuals high in negative urgency are not necessarily consuming more alcohol, nor does negative urgency increase the association between PTSD symptoms and drinking outcomes in this population.

Impaired belief updating and devaluation in adult women with bulimia nervosa

Recent models of bulimia nervosa (BN) propose that binge-purge episodes ultimately become automatic in response to cues and insensitive to negative outcomes. Here, we examined whether women with BN show alterations in instrumental learning and devaluation sensitivity using traditional and computational modeling analyses of behavioral data. Adult women with BN (n = 30) and group-matched healthy controls (n = 31) completed a task in which they first learned stimulus-response-outcome associations. Then, participants were required to repeatedly adjust their responses in a “baseline test”, when different sets of stimuli were explicitly devalued, and in a “slips-of-action test”, when outcomes instead of stimuli were devalued. The BN group showed intact behavioral sensitivity to outcome devaluation during the slips-of-action test, but showed difficulty overriding previously learned stimulus-response associations on the baseline test. Results from a Bayesian learner model indicated that this impaired performance could be accounted for by a slower pace of belief updating when a new set of previously learned responses had to be inhibited (p = 0.036). Worse performance and a slower belief update in the baseline test were each associated with more frequent binge eating (p = 0.012) and purging (p = 0.002). Our findings suggest that BN diagnosis and severity are associated with deficits in flexibly updating beliefs to withhold previously learned responses to cues. Additional research is needed to determine whether this impaired ability to adjust behavior is responsible for maintaining automatic and persistent binge eating and purging in response to internal and environmental cues.

A natural experiment: Assessment of Danish high-school students' alcohol drinking patterns from 2014 and 2019 after the introduction of a common alcohol policy.

In this study, using national survey data from 2014 and 2019, we tested the hypothesis that students at schools who introduced a common alcohol policy in 2017 drank less than students at schools without a common policy. We used survey data from 41 high schools that participated in the Danish National Youth Study in 2014 and 2019. We perceived the introduction of a common high-school alcohol policy in 2017 among local groups of high schools as a natural experiment and assessed it using difference-in-difference analyses. We assessed drinking patterns from 2014 and 2019 among students at schools with and without a common alcohol policy combined and stratified by sex in negative binominal regression and logistic regression models. Drinking patterns were measured as average weekly alcohol use, average alcohol intake at last school party, proportion of non-drinkers and frequent binge drinkers. Drinking patterns were similar among students in schools with and without a common alcohol policy. For example, among students at schools with a common alcohol policy, the average alcohol intake at the last school party among drinkers was 8.7 units in 2014 and 8.5 units in 2019, whereas average alcohol intake among students at schools without a common alcohol policy was 8.8 units in 2014 and 8.9 units in 2019 (p=0.413). No statistically significant effects were observed following the introduction of a common alcohol policy on students' drinking patterns, and alcohol consumption among high-school students was stable and remained high in 2014 and in 2019.

Natural course of co-use of alcohol and cannabis in adolescents and young adults in Montréal, Canada.

Little is known about changes in alcohol and cannabis co-use over time in adolescents and young adults. We sought to describe the natural course of alcohol and cannabis co-use from age 12 to 17 and 20 to 31 and to describe frequent (i.e., ≥ once/month) binge drinking (i.e., ≥ 5 drinks/occasion) and cannabis use from age 20 to 31. Data were drawn from two longitudinal studies conducted in Montréal, Canada: AdoQuest (n = 1,852) and the Nicotine Dependence in Teens (NDIT) study (n = 1,293). Complete data on alcohol and cannabis were available for 620 12-17-year-olds (58% female) followed from 2005 to 2011 in AdoQuest, and 673 20-31-year-olds (56% female) followed from 2007 to 2020 in NDIT. We reported proportions of co-use, exclusive drinking ("drinking"), exclusive cannabis use ("cannabis use"), frequent co-use, frequent binge drinking, and frequent cannabis use by age and sex. Co-use rose from 2% at age 12-13 to 23% at age 17, was stable at 44% at age 20 and 24, and then decreased to 37% at age 31. Drinking rose from 20% to 51%, and cannabis use was consistently rare (< 2%). During young adulthood, frequent co-use declined from 21% at age 20 to 12% at age 31, and frequent binge drinking declined from 29% at age 20 to 22% at age 31. Frequent cannabis use increased from 6% at age 20 to 11% at age 31. Alcohol and cannabis use should be studied as time-varying behaviors. Co-use patterns should be monitored over time in this population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Indirect effects of theory of mind on alcohol use and problems in underage drinkers: The role of peer pressure to drink

ObjectivePrior studies demonstrate a link between socio-cognitive deficits and alcohol problems in adolescents and young adults. Researchers have proposed that young people with such deficits may misperceive and over-value peers' attitudes about drinking and consider drinking a way to be accepted by their peer group. We test this hypothesis by investigating whether theory of mind (ToM) deficits in underage (18–20-year-old) drinkers are associated with binge drinking and alcohol problems, and whether these ToM deficits have an indirect effect on alcohol outcomes through perceived peer pressure to drink (i.e., high conformity motives and low perceived ability to refuse alcohol during social pressure). MethodParticipants (N = 472; 91 % female; 71 % White; Mage = 19.28 ± 0.77) were recruited from TurkPrime and completed measures assessing ToM, conformity motives, self-efficacy to resist peer pressure to drink, alcohol problems, and binge drinking. Bivariate correlations were run to examine associations between study variables. Indirect effect models were run in SPSS, using the PROCESS add-on, to assess the indirect effects of ToM on alcohol outcomes through conformity motives and self-efficacy to refuse peer pressure to drink. ResultsToM had indirect effects on binge drinking and alcohol problems through conformity motives (but not self-efficacy to resist peer pressure to drink). Lower ToM was associated with higher conformity motives, which were then associated with more frequent binge drinking and greater alcohol problems. ConclusionsThese findings highlight the role of social cognition in young adult alcohol misuse and suggest more work is needed to understand the potential influence of peer pressure in this association.