Harmful Drinking Research Articles

Abstract 4136355: Investigating Changes in Hazardous and Harmful Drinking Among Young Adults Through Zoom Intervention

Introduction/Background: Hazardous drinking is a major adverse factor for young adults’ health. This study investigates the efficacy of an integrated contingency management and problem-solving Zoom intervention in addressing hazardous and harmful drinking among young adults. Research Questions/Hypothesis: Participants who receive the 8-session integrated Zoom CM-PST intervention will demonstrate a significant reduction in hazardous and harmful drinking behaviors compared to baseline measurements. Goals/Aims: The aims of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of 8-session integrated Zoom contingency management and problem-solving Zoom intervention in reducing hazardous and harmful drinking reduction and abstinence. Methods/Approach: This pilot randomized controlled trial study employed a single-arm design with post-intervention and follow-up assessments at 12 weeks. The study targeted young adults aged 18-24 in Chicagoland who regularly consume alcohol at least once a week and have alcohol use disorder. Participants completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised (DMQ-R), and the 90-day Timeline Follow-back (TLFB) at baseline and 12 weeks after the intervention. The Zoom CM-PST intervention was administered to the participants, and a self-reported questionnaire was utilized to evaluate participants’ drinking use, severity, motivation, and hazardous drinking behavior at baseline and at the 12-week follow-up. A paired t-test, correlation, and multiple regressions were performed to investigate changes in hazardous and harmful drinking among 20 young adults aged 18-24. Results: A paired t-test showed that the participant’s level of alcohol use problem and social, coping, and enhancement motivation for alcohol use decreased from pre- to post-intervention. High drinking behaviors accounted for 40% at baseline, while 35% at post-intervention assessment. Over 12 weeks, 45% of participants demonstrated an improvement in hazardous drinking behaviors. Motivation at baseline was a significant factor affecting post-intervention alcohol use problems at 12 weeks. Conclusions: The results showed notable enhancements in alcohol use problem reduction and motivation for alcohol use at 12 weeks. The study provides useful insights into the effectiveness of web-based integrated contingency management and problem-solving Zoom interventions in mitigating hazardous and harmful drinking among young adults.

Alcohol and cause-specific mortality in Russia: the Know Your Heart Study 2015-23.

Alcohol-related mortality in Russia exceeds the world average and presents a critical public health concern. This study assesses the impact of alcohol consumption levels on mortality and investigates mortality predictors among Russians, including people treated for alcohol-related diagnoses (narcology patients). We examined 2629 men and women aged 35-69 years who participated in the Know Your Heart study (2015-17), Arkhangelsk, Russia. The participants were categorized into five drinking levels (non-drinking, low-risk, hazardous, harmful, narcology patients) and followed up using a regional mortality database. We used Cox proportional hazards regressions to analyze sociodemographic and cardiovascular biomarkers as mortality predictors among narcology patients and general population and to compare mortality risks across the five drinking levels. During a median follow-up of 6.3 years, 223 (8.5%) participants died. Age- and sex-standardized all-cause mortality rates per 100,000 person-years were 1229 (95% CI: 691-1767) in non-drinking participants, 890 (95%CI: 684-1096) and 877 (95%CI: 428-1325) in low-risk and hazardous drinking participants, 2170 (95%CI: 276-4064) in those with harmful drinking, and 4757 (95%CI: 3384-6131) in narcology patients. The largest proportions of deaths were caused by cardiovascular diseases (37.2%), neoplasms (20.2%), and external causes (13.9%). Compared with low-risk drinkers, narcology patients had higher risks of death with hazard ratios of 3.23 (95%CI: 2.02-5.16) for all-cause mortality, 3.25 (95%CI: 1.52-6.92) for cardiovascular diseases, 9.36 (95%CI: 2.63-33.3) for external causes, and 7.79 (95%CI: 3.34-18.1) for other causes. Neoplasm-related mortality did not differ between groups. All-cause mortality in the general population had positive associations with smoking, waist-to-hip ratio, resting heart rate, systolic blood pressure, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and negative associations with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and higher education. These associations were substantially weaker and non-significant in narcology patients. Cardiovascular mortality in narcology patients was increased with higher education, while male sex, LVEF and N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide had less impact compared to the general population sample. Narcology patients face markedly higher mortality risks-threefold from all causes and cardiovascular diseases, ninefold from external causes, and sevenfold from other causes. Compared with the general population, conventional mortality risk factors were less predictive of deaths in narcology patients.

Day-level examination of ego-network effects on college students' alcohol consumption.

Egocentric social network analyses show that drinking habits of college students' friends predict personal alcohol consumption. To date, most of this research focused on between-person, cross-sectional, or long-term longitudinal designs to evaluate these effects. This study used intensive longitudinal methods to examine episode-specific effects of social networks (network drinking, network composition) on college students' drinking, comparing within-person and between-person effects on individual episodic drinking, and highlighted social network characteristics that might be targeted for intervention. College students (N = 1,151, 54% female, Mage = 19.26, 81% White) identified their ego network: five close alters (e.g., friends, family) whom they met frequently. For 30 days using an internet-based diary, participants reported their daily drinking levels, indicated whether they met with each alter the previous night, and reported how many drinks each alter consumed. Two-part multilevel models were used to examine participant drinking. At the within-person level, when a higher proportion of a participant's ego network drank and when network total drinks were higher than average, the odds that a participant drank were significantly increased, and if they did drink, they consumed more alcoholic drinks than usual. Participants were more likely to drink on days when their network was comprised of more friends and more opposite-gender alters. Findings provide preliminary evidence that daily network drinking appears to influence drinking patterns and quantities among students. Such information could be used within ecological momentary interventions to prevent harmful drinking patterns such as heavy drinking episodes and incapacitation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The role of emotion regulation in decreasing alcohol harm for veterans

Using the socio-ecological model, this study aims to understand factors associated with alcohol misuse in veterans of the New Zealand Defence Forces, and identify approaches for reducing harm. Using interviews, veterans were asked to recount their relationship to alcohol, and provide a narrative of its use before, during and after military service. Seven themes were identified including bars and drinking as 1) social hubs; and 2) social lubrication; providing others with 3) duty of care; the military 4) consequences of harmful drinking; and use of alcohol as 5) emotion regulation strategies; with the impact of that on 6) Civvy street, and 7) family impacts. Duty of care in military drinking environments is a new theme to the literature. Introducing emotion regulation training throughout the personnels’ career, from transition to becoming civilians and beyond, was identified as key to effective health marketing interventions.

Prevalence and long-term change in alcohol consumption: results from a population-based cohort in Southern India

BackgroundAlcohol consumption in India is below the global average, with limited data on long-term effects. The current study aims to examine changes over time among alcohol consumers, the pattern of drinking and help-seeking for alcohol problems among South Indian men.MethodData on the intake of various alcohol types were collected through standard questionnaires in two adult follow-ups [Baseline: 1998–2002, Follow-up: 2016–2019] from male participants in the Vellore birth cohort (VBC). Alcohol intake was converted to weekly standard drink units for analysis. Data on drinking patterns using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) and information on help-seeking among problem drinkers were collected during follow-up. Socio-demographic associations with alcohol consumption were determined using logistic regression.ResultsThe prevalence of alcohol consumption was 54.5% and 47.7% at the baseline and follow-up, respectively. Over two decades, 12% of men reported to have newly started drinking and 18% quit drinking. Lower education and lower socio-economic status (SES) were the strongest predictors of alcohol consumption. The AUDIT assessment among drinkers reported hazardous drinking of 38.4%, harmful drinking of 4.7% and 3.7% probable alcohol dependence. Among the persons with high AUDIT scores, 25% were concerned about high consumption, and 9% sought help to stop their alcohol consumption.ConclusionOur results showed a decline in alcohol consumption in this cohort over two decades. Among drinkers, a high proportion report hazardous and harmful consumption. Low levels of education and SES are significant predictors of alcohol consumption. A low proportion of help-seeking reflects alcohol-related stigma in the community.

Lipid metabolism parameters and alcohol consumption among men in Arkhangelsk, Russia: The Know Your Heart study

Aim. To assess the association between levels of alcohol consumption and lipid metabolism parameters among adult men.Materials and methods. The study included 881 men aged 35–69 from the general population of Arkhangelsk, who participated in the 2015–17 Know Your Heart study, and 161 men who received inpatient treatment for alcohol-related diagnoses (narcology patients). Participants were divided into five levels of alcohol consumption: non-drinkers, non-problem (infrequent moderate consumption), hazardous (frequent consumption in doses hazardous to health), harmful (prenosological), and narcology patients. Using multivariate linear regressions, we analyzed differences between these groups in atherogenic lipid fractions (total cholesterol [TC], triglycerides [TG], low-density lipoprotein [LDL], apolipoprotein B [ApoB], remnant cholesterol, and non-HDL cholesterol, lipoprotein(a)) (Lp(a)), antiatherogenic lipid fractions (high-density lipoprotein [HDL], apolipoprotein A1 [апо A1]), and in ApoB/апо A1 ratio.Results. Compared with non-problem drinkers, hazardous drinkers had higher mean levels of HDL by 0.22 mmol/L, HDL by 0.07 mmol/L, and ApoB by 0.04 g/L. Among harmful drinkers, mean HDL was higher by 0.15 mmol/L and апо A1 by 0.08 g/L, but the ApoB/апо A1 ratio was lower by 0.06. Among narcology patients, mean TC levels were lower by 0.42 mmol/L, LDL by 0.41 mmol/L, ApoB by 0.09 g/L, ApoB/апо A1 by 0.08, and non-HDL by 0.45 mmol/L, but TG was higher by 0.15 mmol/L. Lp(a) in this group was higher by 0.29 mg/dl only after adjustment for markers of liver function. Non-drinkers had on average lower levels of TC by 0.29 mmol/L, HDL by 0.11 mmol/L, and апо A1 by 0.08 g/L.Conclusions. Compared with non-problem drinkers, hazardous drinkers had elevated levels of both atherogenic and antiatherogenic lipid fractions, hazardous drinkers had only elevated levels of antiatherogenic fractions, and narcology patients had the lowest levels of atherogenic lipid fractions but elevated TG levels. Therefore, lipid profiles may reflect the level of alcohol consumption, which should be taken into account when assessing cardiovascular risk.

The Effect of a Health Literacy Program on Alcohol Use among Medical Students in Hubei Province, China: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction: Health literacy (HL) plays an important role in alcohol consumption. Improving alcohol-related HL offers an integrated approach to prevent and reduce high-risk alcohol use. This study aimed to determine the effects of a HL program (HLP) on medical students’ drinking behaviors. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted from June 2023 to January 2024 among medical students. One hundred and four students were randomly allocated to the intervention (n = 52) and control (n = 52) groups. The intervention group received the HLP over six sessions, while the control group received standard health education. Data were collected through interviews using a structured interview questionnaire. Independent t-tests, paired sample t-tests, Chi-squared tests, and Chi-square for trend were applied for statistical analysis. Results: Following the HLP, the intervention group exhibited a significant increase in the mean total HL score, cognitive skills, access skills, communication skills, self-management skills, media skills, and decision skills compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the intervention group showed a significant decrease in the number of harmful drinkers compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: HLPs are effective in improving HL and reducing alcohol consumption among medical students. Our findings suggest incorporating HLPs into adolescents’ health education activities.

Alcohol purchases through online stores and mobile applications in the late phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland.

Aim: Online alcohol sales have grown rapidly, but their impact on alcohol consumption and harms is not well understood. This study explores the association between online alcohol purchasing and drinking behaviours during the late phase of COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. Design: A nationally representative survey was conducted in May 2022 of 2000 Polish residents aged 18-50 years selected from a probability-based web panel. Measures included past-year alcohol purchasing through e-stores, food/delivery apps and retail apps. Alcohol consumption was quantified using the Beverage-Specific Quantity-Frequency method. Logistic regression was used to identify sociodemographic and behavioural correlates of online alcohol purchasing. Results: Of the study respondents, 19% purchased alcohol through e-stores, 17% via delivery apps and 15% with retail apps. Spirits were commonly purchased in e-stores (57%), while beer was purchased via apps (58%-60%). Most online buyers took advantage of price promotions (69%-75%) and reported some kind of age verification (67%-68%). Higher odds of online purchasing were found among men (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.38-1.54), younger drinkers (aOR 1.65-2.04) and to some extent university graduates (aOR 1.75 for e-stores purchases). Compared to moderate drinkers, risky (aOR 2.32-3.02) and harmful drinkers (aOR 5.06-6.61) showed substantially increased odds of buying alcohol online. Conclusion: Results suggest online alcohol purchasing, especially through mobile apps, is linked to more excessive drinking. Apps enable easy access to alcohol anytime anywhere, circumventing policies restricting sales to minors and intoxicated persons. With youth drinking declining globally, online sales are an emerging issue for public health. Restricting mobile app-based alcohol delivery could be an important policy measure to curb excessive drinking enabled by digital sales.

Alcohol use and its associated factors among Ethiopian military personnel

BackgroundStudies indicate that alcohol use is more prevalent in the military and that such use is related to coping mechanisms for stress. Alcohol use could result in health and social...

Accessing supports due to others' harmful drinking.

Alcohol's harm to others (AHTO) refers to harms caused to those other than the drinker. The current paper estimates the prevalence of formal and informal supports sought due to AHTO and examines whether the type of support accessed varies by sociodemographic, economic and harm-related characteristics. An Australian sample of 2574 people completed the 2021 AHTO survey, out of which 888 perceived they experienced harm from another's drinking. Prevalence of accessing services and supports was measured. Additionally, several sociodemographic factors, economic factors and harm-related factors were included in multivariable logistic regression models predicting service/support use. Specifically, four models were constructed probing use of any service/support, use of police, use of counselling services and use of family/friend support. Of the survey sample, 12.4% accessed any support/service. Seeking support from family and/or friends was most common, followed by police, counselling, healthcare services and being admitted to hospital. Women had higher odds of accessing counselling and family/friend support. Respondents with a higher education level and two or more financial stressors had higher odds of accessing police and counselling. Respondents harmed by a stranger had higher odds of accessing police, whereas respondents harmed by someone they know had higher odds of seeking support from family/friends. Experiencing more severe harm was associated with greater odds of accessing any support. Several sociodemographic and economic factors were associated with accessing different supports. These findings may inform service development, interventions and policy changes for people affected by others' drinking.

Does perceived caregiver HIV stigma and depression increase adolescent neuro-behavioral difficulties? A mediation analysis in the Asenze Cohort.

People living with HIV (PLWH) often experience HIV related stigma that is, in turn, associated with several negative health outcomes including depression, harmful drinking, and intimate partner violence. Despite knowledge of these proximal impacts of HIV stigma on PLWH, less is known about the impact that Caregivers living with HIV's perception of stigma has on the health and behavior of adolescents in their care. Utilizing data from adolescents and their primary caregivers from the population-based Asenze cohort study in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, we conducted a path analysis to determine if caregiver depression [operationalized as mental health functioning] is a mediator of the hypothesized association between caregiver HIV stigma and adolescent neurodevelopmental behavior including internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Results suggest good model fit and a statistically significant relationship between caregiver HIV stigma and caregiver mental health functioning. However, neither the direct nor indirect (including potential mediator caregiver mental health functioning) effect of HIV stigma on adolescent behavioral difficulties was statistically significant. This paper builds on previous research demonstrating the relationship between HIV stigma and depression, highlighting the need for continued study of underlying mechanisms that impact the stigma and health of PLWH and others important to them such as their children.

The rs4354668 polymorphism in the SLC1A2 gene for the EAAT2 glutamate transporter is associated with an increased risk of harmful drug use - an exploratory study on a university student population.

Evidence suggests that decreased dopamine secretion in mesocorticolimbic pathways could predispose to increased susceptibility to substance addiction. It has been proposed to define such a phenomenon as the reward deficit syndrome (RDS). Dopaminergic projections of the reward system receive glutaminergic projections from cortex. Research indicates that a reduction in the stimulating glutamatergic transmission on the dopaminergic system could represent an alternative phenotype of RDS. Potential source of this type of abnormality is glutamate reuptake which depends on excitatory amino acid transport proteins (EAAT) function. The most important of them is EAAT2, polymorphisms of which have been linked to several mental disorders. We analyzed the genetic and psychometric data of 125 young adults (n = 125) for the effect of the rs4354668 polymorphism of the SLC1A2 gene for EAAT2 on the risky or harmful drug use (RHDU). After exploratory analysis we used logistic regression models to assess the probability of RHDU in individual groups. In the final model T/T variant of rs4354668 was significantly associated with a lower probability of RHDU occurrence compared to G/G variant (OR: 0.021; 95% CI: 0.001 - 0.275; p = 0.009). Other significant predictors of RHDU were smoking status and risky or harmful drinking of alcohol. The results obtained may indicate a possible relationship of the risk of harmful drug use with variants of the rs4354668 polymorphism of the SLC1A2 gene for EAAT2. Subjects with the T/T variant of this polymorphism appear to be less at risk of developing drug use disorders.

Cognitive inflexibility moderates the relationship between relief-driven drinking motives and alcohol use

IntroductionDrinking motives and neurocognition play significant roles in predicting alcohol use. There is limited research examining how relief-driven drinking motives interact with neurocognition in alcohol use, which would help to elucidate the neurocognitive-motivational profiles most susceptible to harmful drinking. This study investigated the interactions between neurocognition (response inhibition and cognitive flexibility) and relief-driven drinking, in predicting problem drinking. MethodsParticipants completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test – Consumption items (AUDIT-C) to measure drinking behaviour, and online cognitive tasks, including the Value-Modulated Attentional Capture and Reversal Task (VMAC-R) and the Stop Signal Task (SST). The sample (N = 368) were individuals who drink alcohol, which included a subsample (N = 52) with problematic drinking, as defined by self-identifying as having a primary drinking problem. Drinking motives were assessed using a binary coping question in the overall sample, and the Habit, Reward, and Fear Scale (HRFS) in the subsample. Moderation analyses were conducted to investigate whether cognitive flexibility and response inhibition moderated relationships between relief-driven motives and drinking. ResultsCognitive flexibility moderated the relationship between relief-driven motives and drinking (overall sample: β = 13.69, p = 0.017; subsample: β = 1.45, p = 0.013). Greater relief-driven motives were associated with heavier drinking for individuals with low cognitive flexibility. There was no significant interaction between response inhibition and relief-driven motives. ConclusionsRelief-driven drinking motives interact with cognitive inflexibility to drive heavier drinking. Greater understanding of these neurocognitive-motivational mechanisms may help to develop more targeted and effective interventions for reducing harmful drinking.

The impacts of alcohol marketing and advertising, and the alcohol industry's views on marketing regulations: Systematic reviews of systematic reviews.

Advertising and marketing affect alcohol use; however, no single systematic review has covered all aspects of how they affect alcohol use, and how the alcohol industry views alcohol marketing restrictions. Two systematic reviews of reviews were performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items on 2 February 2023. Results were analysed using a narrative synthesis approach. Twenty-three reviews were included in the systematic reviews. The first systematic review examined youth and adolescents (11 reviews), digital or internet marketing (3 reviews), alcohol marketing's impact on cognition (3 reviews), and alcohol marketing and policy options (2 reviews). The second systematic review focused on alcohol industry (i.e., importers, producers, distributors, retailers and advertising firms) response to advertising restrictions (four reviews). The reviews indicated that there is evidence that alcohol marketing (including digital marketing) is associated with increased intentions to drink, levels of consumption and harmful drinking among youth and young adults. Studies on cognition indicate that advertisements focusing on appealing contexts and outcomes may be more readily accepted by adolescents, and may be less easily extinguished in this population. The review of the alcohol industry found a strong desire to self-regulate alcohol advertising. We found alcohol advertising and marketing is associated with increased drinking intentions, consumption and harmful drinking. Thus, policies which restrict advertising may be an effective way to reduce alcohol use. More research is needed to assess all aspects of the observed associations, especially as to how marketing policies impact women and people with alcohol dependence.

The impact of emotion regulation and dyadic coping within posttraumatic stress symptoms and risky drinking patterns on relationship distress among trauma-exposed individuals.

Individuals with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) often consume alcohol to manage PTSS-related discomfort, which can negatively impact individual and interpersonal functioning. Processes including emotion regulation and dyadic coping may influence the effects of PTSS and drinking patterns on relationship functioning. The present study examined how PTSS and risky drinking may function through the associations between maladaptive individual and interpersonal coping strategies and relationship distress among trauma-exposed individuals. Participants were 237 adults in a romantic relationship who endorsed lifetime trauma exposure and alcohol consumption within the past year and completed an online battery of self-report measures. Path analyses showed mixed support for the hypothesized theoretical causal model. PTSS was associated with maladaptive emotion regulation, β =.537, p =.010, and negative dyadic coping, β =.264, p =.009, whereas risky drinking was only related to negative dyadic coping, β =.193, p =.024. Negative dyadic coping was significant in the pathways between PTSS and relationship distress, β =.021, p =.009, and risky drinking and relationship distress, β =.030, p =.014. Exploratory analyses based on trauma type did not significantly change the overall model; however, a direct path suggested PTSS may have a stronger negative impact on relationship distress among individuals who experienced assault trauma (e.g., physical or sexual assault), β =.340, p =.012. Findings highlight the interrelations among intra- and interpersonal regulation and provide clinical targets of maladaptive emotion regulation and dyadic coping strategies for individuals with PTSS and harmful drinking.

Modifiable protective factors for mental health resilience in the offspring of depressed parents: A high-risk longitudinal cohort spanning adolescence and adulthood.

Several protective factors have been identified for mental health (MH) resilience in adolescent offspring of depressed parents. However, it is unclear if these effects persist into adulthood. Depressed parents and their offspring (N=188) from the Early Prediction of Adolescent Depression study were assessed four times (mean offspring ages 12.39, 13.77, 14.82, and 23.41). Mental health resilience was examined using residual scores (better-than-expected mood-, behaviour-, or anxiety-related MH at mean age 23 given risk exposure), and categorically as sustained good MH across adolescence and young adulthood. Only 9.2% of young adults demonstrated sustained good MH. Parents of resilient individuals showed lower comorbidity (anxiety, antisocial behaviour and harmful drinking) and higher depression remission. Considering adolescent protective factors, weak evidence was observed of associations of mood-resilience with adolescent peer-relationship quality (β=-0.20, 95%CI:-0.36, -0.04); friendship quality (β=-0.14, 95%CI:-0.31, 0.02); risk adjustment (β=-0.16, 95%CI:-0.34, 0.03) and dysfunctional attitudes (β=0.18, 95%CI:0.01, 0.35). There was weak evidence of behavioural-resilience association with parent positive expressed emotion (β=-0.15, 95%CI:-0.31, 0.02) and offspring exercise (β=-0.37, 95%CI:-0.77, 0.03). No adolescent protective factors showed an association with anxiety-resilience. For sustained good MH, there was weak evidence of an association with inhibitory control (OR=0.39, 95%CI:0.14, 1.07). Strong evidence was observed for associations between young adult-reported peer relationship quality and mood-resilience (β=-0.35, 95%CI:-0.53, -0.17), behavioural-resilience (β=-0.33, 95%CI:-0.51, -0.14) and anxiety-resilience (β=-0.34, 95%CI:-0.53, -0.14), while weak evidence was observed of an association of social activities with anxiety-resilience (β=-0.51, 95%CI:-0.97, -0.06). We found limited evidence for the long-lasting effects of adolescent protective factors on adult MH resilience. Social factors remained protective into young adulthood, while family factors did not. Early preventative intervention might not be sufficient to maintain good long-term MH, and young people will likely require more prolonged support.

Does identity as a drinker predict problem recognition motivation in harmful drinkers?

Harmful drinking is associated with significant negative health and social outcomes, but drinkers are reticent to recognise personal drinking problems, hindering natural recovery or help-seeking. Recent evidence suggests that social identity as a drinker is associated with various drinking-related factors but has not been examined in relation to likelihood of problem recognition. In a group of ninety-six harmful drinkers (61 females, M age = 34 years) we explored how identity components associated with ingroup self-investment and ingroup self-definition in combination with implicit identity as a drinker accounted for degrees of problem recognition. In addition to demographic information, addiction experience and drinking behaviour (AUDIT), respondents completed measures of ingroup self-investment (identity centrality, solidarity, and satisfaction), ingroup self-definition (ingroup homogeneity and self-stereotyping), a “self as drinker” identity implicit association test and problem recognition (four items from the Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale). After controlling for possible covariates (age, gender and alcohol addiction experience) increased problem recognition was accounted for by explicit and not implicit identity components. More specifically, increasing perceived chronic saliency of one's drinker identity (self-investment in the drinker ingroup) and not an implicit association between the self and being a drinker was related to increased likelihood of problem recognition. This suggests that how chronically and explicitly accessible the identity of the drinker is for individuals might operate to stimulate the willingness or motivation to recognise potential drinking related harm.

A rapid literature review of the effect of alcohol marketing on people with, or at increased risk of, an alcohol problem.

To explore the effect or potential effect of alcohol marketing in people with an alcohol use disorder, in recovery from an alcohol use disorder, and hazardous and harmful drinkers. Relevant literature was identified by searching Medline (OVID), EMBASE (OVID), and PsycINFO (OVID) and relevant websites. Both quantitative and qualitative studies were eligible for inclusion. A narrative approach was used to synthesize the findings. The review included 10 studies. Two quantitative and three qualitative studies focused on participants recovering from an alcohol use disorder and five quantitative studies on those with hazardous or harmful consumption levels of alcohol. The effect of alcohol advertising on alcohol use was only assessed in one study, a small experimental study of young adult heavy drinkers, which found no significant association. Studies looking at other outcomes found that people with or at risk of alcohol problems were likely to notice alcohol advertisements and find them appealing, and that advertisements may have an effect on positive alcohol-related emotions and cognitions. Among people in recovery from an alcohol use disorder, findings suggested that there could be an effect on craving, and that alcohol marketing may be perceived to trigger a desire to drink. Alcohol marketing is likely to have an effect on alcohol consumption in people with, or at increased risk of, an alcohol problem. Studies have also found that alcohol marketing is perceived to act as a trigger by people in recovery from alcohol problems. A rapid review explored the effect of alcohol marketing in people with an alcohol use disorder, in recovery from an alcohol use disorder, and hazardous and harmful drinkers. The findings of the 10 included studies suggest that an effect of alcohol marketing in these populations is likely.

Evaluation of harmful drinking among professional drivers by direct ethanol biomarkers and its relation with psychological distress

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the alcohol consumption among professional truck and bus drivers using direct ethanol biomarkers, and to explore its relationship with anxiety, depression, and stress. Methods The assessment of potential harmful drinking was conducted through the measurement of direct biomarkers: phosphatidylethanol (PEth), ethyl glucuronide (EtG), and ethyl sulfate (EtS), using dried blood spots (DBS). Additionally, self-reported data from the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C) were used. Emotional states, including depression, anxiety, and stress, were evaluated using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Results A total of 97 drivers participated in the study, with the majority being male (96%) and identified as truck drivers (75.3%). Among them, 43.3% reported working more than 10 h daily. The majority of volunteers exhibited normal levels of stress (81.4%), anxiety (83%), and depression (86.6%). According to the AUDIT-C assessment, 30.9% were categorized as having a moderate risk, while 11.3% were deemed to be at high risk for harmful alcohol consumption behavior. Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl sulfate (EtS) levels, indicating recent ethanol consumption, were detected in 14.4% of the drivers. In contrast, the long half-life metabolite PEth (16:0-18:1) was present in 88.7% of the volunteers. A moderate correlation (rs = 0.45, p < .01) was observed between PEth levels and AUDIT-C scores. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, utilizing a PEth threshold of ≥ 59.0 ng ml−1, displayed 78% sensitivity and 73% specificity in effectively distinguishing high risk for alcohol intake. Notably, no significant associations were found between alcohol consumption and levels of stress, depression, and anxiety. Conclusions The study findings indicate a noteworthy proportion of drivers engaging in regular alcohol consumption alongside a demanding workload. Notably, PEth measurements highlighted an underreporting within the AUDIT-C self-reports. These results lend robust support for the utilization of biomarkers in assessing alcohol consumption patterns among drivers.

Longitudinal alcohol-related brain changes in older adults: The Sydney Memory and Ageing Study.

Increases in harmful drinking among older adults indicate the need for a more thorough understanding of the relationship between later-life alcohol use and brain health. The current study investigated the relationships between alcohol use and progressive grey and white matter changes in older adults using longitudinal data. A total of 530 participants (aged 70 to 90 years; 46.0% male) were included. Brain outcomes assessed over 6years included total grey and white matter volume, as well as volume of the hippocampus, thalamus, amygdala, corpus callosum, orbitofrontal cortex and insula. White matter integrity was also investigated. Average alcohol use across the study period was the main exposure of interest. Past-year binge drinking and reduction in drinking from pre-baseline were additional exposures of interest. Within the context of low-level average drinking (averaging 11.7g per day), higher average amount of alcohol consumed was associated with less atrophy in the left (B= 7.50, pFDR =0.010) and right (B= 5.98, pFDR =0.004) thalamus. Past-year binge-drinking was associated with poorer white matter integrity (B= -0.013, pFDR =0.024). Consuming alcohol more heavily in the past was associated with greater atrophy in anterior (B= -12.73, pFDR =0.048) and posterior (B=-17.88, pFDR =0.004) callosal volumes over time. Across alcohol exposures and neuroimaging markers, no other relationships were statistically significant. Within the context of low-level drinking, very few relationships between alcohol use and brain macrostructure were identified. Meanwhile, heavier drinking was negatively associated with white matter integrity.