Do Alcohol Consequences Serve as Teachable Moments? A Test of Between- and Within-Person Reciprocal Effects From College Age to Adulthood

Lower perceptions of day-level peer drinking strengthen the impact of personal drinking on negative and positive consequences

BACKGROUND

Several studies have demonstrated that perceived peer drinking is associated with problem drinking behavior. However, research focusing on the dynamic impact of day-level perceived peer drinking behavior on a given individual's day-to-day deviations in drinking behavior has received less attention. This study sought to test whether day-level deviations in (and person-level averages of) perceived peer drinking quantity moderated the impact of an individual's own day-to-day deviations in (and person-level averages of) drinking quantity on day-level alcohol consequences.

METHODS

Young adults (N = 202; 55% female; mean age = 22.03 [SD = 2.75]) who reported high-intensity drinking (8+/10+ drinks/occasion for females/males) engaged in 28 days of ecological momentary assessment. Each day, participants reported on their past-day drinking quantity, perceived peer drinking quantity, and negative/positive alcohol-related consequences experienced.

RESULTS

At the day-level, within-person deviations in both personal and perceived peer drinking quantity were associated with increases in negative and positive consequences. However, significant interactions between the two suggested the day-level associations between increases in personal drinking quantity and both negative and positive consequences were weaker when perceived peer drinking was higher (vs. lower) than usual. At the person level, average personal and perceived drinking were unrelated to alcohol consequences. However, there was an interaction such that the association between an individual's average drinking quantity and negative consequences was statistically significant and positive only when average perceived peer drinking was lower than the sample average.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings indicate that perceived peer drinking behavior may play a role in the day-to-day experience of alcohol-related consequences both across and within individuals, particularly when individuals perceive peers to be drinking less. Interventions may benefit from increasing protective strategy utilization when individuals are in situations where they drink more heavily than usual while their peers are drinking less heavily than usual.

Disentangling the temporal relationship between alcohol-related attitudes and heavy episodic drinking in adolescents within a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Within many alcohol prevention interventions, changes in alcohol-related attitudes (ARA) are often proposed as precursors to changes in drinking behaviour. This study aimed to measure the longitudinal relationship between ARA and behaviour during the implementation of a large-scale prevention trial.

DESIGN AND SETTING

This study was a two-arm school-based clustered randomized controlled trial. A total of 105 schools in Northern Ireland and Scotland participated in the Steps Towards Alcohol Misuse Prevention Programme (STAMPP) Trial.

PARTICIPANTS

A sample of 12 738 pupils (50% female; mean age = 12.5 years at baseline) self-completed questionnaires on four occasions (T1-T4). The final data sweep (T4) was 33 months post baseline.

MEASUREMENTS

Individual assessments of ARA and heavy episodic drinking (HED) were made at each time-point. Additional covariates included location, school type, school socio-economic status and intervention arm. Estimated models examined the within-individual autoregressive and cross-lagged effects between ARA and HED across the four time-points (Bayes estimator).

FINDINGS

All autoregressive effects were statistically significant for both ARA and HED across all time-points. Past ARA predicted future ARA [e.g. ARAT1 → ARAT2 = 0.071, credibility interval (CI) = 0.043-0.099, P < 0.001, one-tailed]. Similarly, past HED predicated future HED (e.g. HEDT1 → HEDT2 = 0.303, CI = 0.222-0.382, P < 0.001, one-tailed). Autoregressive effects for HED were larger than those for ARA at all time-points. In the cross-lagged effects, past HED statistically significantly predicted more positive ARA in the future (e.g. HEDT2 → ARAT3 = 0.125, CI = 0.078-0.173, P < 0.001, one tailed) except for the initial T1-T2 path. In contrast, past ARA did not predict future HED across any time-points.

CONCLUSIONS

Changes in alcohol-related attitudes were not a precursor to changes in heavy episodic drinking within the Steps Towards Alcohol Misuse Prevention Programme (STAMPP) Trial in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Rather, alcohol-related attitudes were more likely to reflect prior drinking status than predict future status. Heavy episodic drinking status appears to have a greater impact on future alcohol attitudes than attitudes do on future heavy episodic drinking.

Within-person reciprocal links between stress, sleep, and depressive symptoms across Latino/a adolescents' transition to and through college

Evidence suggests bidirectional relations between stress, sleep, and depressive symptoms in adolescence and young adulthood. Less research has disaggregated within- and between-person variance in these associations over time or within Latino/a college students. This study examined longitudinal, within-person reciprocal relations between stress, sleep, and depressive symptoms among 181 Latino/a adolescents (M age = 18.10; SD = 0.41, 35% male) transitioning to college. Participants were assessed in their senior year of high school and annually until their fourth year of college. A random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) was used to parse out within- and between-person sources of variance. Results indicated overall (between-person) relations among depressive symptoms and school/college stress and sleep problems. There were reciprocal within-person links between stress and sleep problems across the first two years of college. Within-person increases in depressive symptoms during the second year of college predicted more stress than usual in the third year, which predicted increased depressive symptoms in the fourth year. More sleep problems than usual in the third year of college predicted higher stress in the fourth year. Findings provide evidence for within-person cross-lagged relations among various domains of adjustment during college and may inform future prevention efforts for incoming Latino/a college students targeting mental health and sleep problems.

Differentiating action from inaction: Longitudinal relations among impulsive personality traits, internalizing symptoms, and drinking behavior

BACKGROUND

Impulsive personality traits are strong, consistent risk factors for heavy drinking, and modern theories suggest that impulsive traits may also confer risk for internalizing symptoms. However, it remains unclear which specific impulsive traits are linked with heavy drinking versus internalizing symptoms, and whether heavy drinking and internalizing symptoms are mechanisms of risk for negative alcohol consequences in impulsive individuals.

METHOD

Data are from a longitudinal study of young adults (N = 448, Mage = 22.27, 43.5 % female) assessed at baseline (T1), 6 months (T2), and one year later (T3). Longitudinal path models tested whether T1 impulsive traits (i.e., lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, sensation seeking, positive urgency, negative urgency) were indirectly associated with T3 negative alcohol consequences through heavy T2 drinking and T2 internalizing symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress). Separate models were tested for positive and negative urgency given strong correlations between these measures.

RESULTS

Across models, T1 lack of premeditation indirectly predicted more T3 negative alcohol consequences through heavy T2 drinking. When tested separately, T1 negative urgency indirectly predicted more T3 negative consequences through higher T2 stress and depressive (but not anxiety) symptoms, and T1 positive urgency predicted higher T2 anxiety symptoms, but T2 anxiety was unrelated to T3 negative consequences. Across models, T1 sensation seeking indirectly predicted less T3 negative consequences through decreased T2 depression.

CONCLUSIONS

Distinct impulsive traits prospectively predicted heavy drinking and internalizing symptoms, both of which conferred risk for negative alcohol consequences. Findings underscore the importance of targeted interventions based on personality and suggest that decreases in drinking may be more effective prevention for those who lack premeditation, whereas decreases in internalizing, particularly depression/stress, may be critical for those high in negative urgency.

Examining dynamic developmental trends: the interrelationship between age-friendly environments and healthy aging in the Chinese population-evidence from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, 2011-2018

BACKGROUND

The objective of this research is to investigate the dynamic developmental trends between Age-Friendly Environments (AFE) and healthy aging in the Chinese population.

METHODS

This study focused on a sample of 11,770 participants from the CHARLS and utilized the ATHLOS Healthy Aging Index to assess the level of healthy aging among the Chinese population. Linear mixed model (LMM) was used to explore the relationship between AFE and healthy aging. Furthermore, a cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) and a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) were used to examine the dynamic developmental trends of healthy aging, taking into account both Between-Person effects and Within-Person effects.

RESULTS

The results from LMM showed a positive correlation between AFE and healthy aging (β = 0.087, p < 0.001). There was a positive interaction between the geographic distribution and AFE (central region * AFE: β = 0.031, p = 0.038; eastern region * AFE: β = 0.048, p = 0.003). In CLPM and RI-CLPM, the positive effect of healthy aging on AFE is a type of Between-Person effects (β ranges from 0.147 to 0.159, p < 0.001), while the positive effect of AFE on healthy aging is Within-Person effects (β ranges from 0.021 to 0.024, p = 0.004).

CONCLUSION

Firstly, individuals with high levels of healthy aging are more inclined to actively participate in the development of appropriate AFE compared to those with low levels of healthy aging. Furthermore, by encouraging and guiding individuals to engage in activities that contribute to building appropriate AFE, can elevate their AFE levels beyond the previous average level, thereby improving their future healthy aging levels. Lastly, addressing vulnerable groups by reducing disparities and meeting their health needs effectively is crucial for fostering healthy aging in these populations.

Too Tired to Think: Within and Between-Person Relations Among Impulsive Traits, Sleep Duration, and Mental Health Outcomes

Heavier drinking and depression are common mental health concerns in the USA, yet few studies have sought to understand transdiagnostic risk factors for both. Two health-focused risk factors are impulsive personality traits and sleep duration, but research typically separates the two, precluding additive and interactive relations. The current study sought to test a theoretical model where risk conferred from impulsive traits is heightened when individuals have reduced sleep. Public-access data from the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) were used to test study hypotheses. Participants reported on impulsive traits (i.e., lack of premeditation, sensation seeking), sleep duration, depression, and drinking across three waves spanning adolescence, emerging adulthood, and adulthood. Multilevel models distinguished risk processes at the between- vs. within-person level. At the between-person level, sensation seeking predicted drinking whereas premeditation predicted depression. Additionally, within-person deviations in both traits were associated with drinking, whereas within-person deviations in premeditation were associated with depression. Sleep duration was protective against outcomes at both levels. However, main effects were qualified by interactions at both levels, such that having below average sleep duration heightened the effects of premeditation at the between-person level, whereas within-person decreases in sleep heightened the effects of sensation seeking at the within-person level. Findings support a theoretical model where poor sleep exacerbates risk conferred from impulsive traits. Risk conferred from impulsive traits diverged based upon level of analysis, suggesting that global and just-in-time interventions may benefit from targeting specific impulsive traits as well as sleep.

Subjective effects of simultaneous alcohol and cannabis versus alcohol-only use: A qualitative analysis

OBJECTIVE

Theoretical models of addictive behavior suggest that subjective effects serve as a mechanism through which substance use disorders develop. However, little is known about the subjective effects of simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use, particularly whether simultaneous use (a) heightens specific subjective effects or (b) is related to unique subjective effects relative to single-substance effects. The present study used formative, qualitative data analysis to examine patterns of responses within open-answer text response data on subjective effects of simultaneous use.

METHOD

College students who simultaneously use alcohol and cannabis (N = 443; 68.2% female) were asked to describe how alcohol effects differ on simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use versus alcohol-only use days.

RESULTS

Conventional content analysis revealed nine concepts related to simultaneous (vs. alcohol-only) use subjective effects including as follows: (a) increased/decreased impairment, (b) low arousal/relaxation, (c) balancing/replacement effects, (d) "cross-faded" effects, (e) little-to-no differences, (f) altered sensation and perception, (g) increased negative affective states, (h) increased appetite, and (i) increased/decreased negative consequences. Increased impairment (N = 191) and increased relaxation (N = 110) were the most often endorsed subjective effects, followed by decreased impairment (N = 55), balancing/replacement effects (N = 50) and cross-faded/enhancement effects (N = 44).

CONCLUSIONS

Subjective effects from simultaneous use largely map onto domains of single-substance alcohol and cannabis effects (e.g., relaxation, sociability, cognitive/behavioral impairment), but also include distinct domains related to simultaneous use (e.g., balancing/replacement effects, altered sensation and perception). Future quantitative research is needed to validate measures of subjective effects from simultaneous use and their relations with use behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Changes in affect and alcohol craving during naturally occurring drinking episodes: The role of day-level drinking motives

Day-level drinking motives are associated with intensity of drinking and occurrence of negative consequences. However, little is known about how day-level drinking motives relate to alcohol craving, an approach-oriented motivational state proximal to continued drinking. This study tested whether day-level (and between-person) drinking motives were associated with craving during drinking episodes and whether this effect varied by drinking-induced changes in negative/positive affect (PA). Emerging adults (N = 114) took part in up to two waves of 21-day ecological momentary assessments. Participants reported positive/negative affect (NA) prior to and during drinking episodes, drinking motives at beginning of episodes, and craving during all drink reports. Analyses tested whether day-level and between-person (aggregated) drinking motives were associated with heightened craving and whether any effects on craving were moderated by drinking-induced changes in affect. A significant interaction emerged for day-level coping by negative affect, such that higher-than-average coping was associated with less drinking-induced craving when negative affect decreased relative to predrinking levels. However, interactions of between-person coping by negative and positive affect also emerged, such that higher person-level coping was associated with more drinking-induced craving when negative affect and positive affect increased. Day-level and between-person conformity motives by negative affect interactions were also detected, such that higher day-level and between-person conformity motives were associated with more drinking-induced craving when negative affect decreased. Relations between day-level motivation and craving may be sensitive to changes in negative/positive affect while drinking. Future research is needed to differentiate mechanisms through which person-level versus day-level motives relate to craving. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Multilevel longitudinal relations among impulsive traits, positive expectancies, and binge drinking from late adolescence to adulthood: A developmental test of acquired preparedness

BACKGROUND

The Acquired Preparedness Model (APM) posits that highly impulsive individuals develop stronger positive alcohol expectancies, which in turn predicts heavier drinking. However, most acquired preparedness studies have focused solely on between-person relations, despite the theory suggesting that there are potential developmental-specific within-person relations. Thus, the current study tested the APM from late adolescence into adulthood, while disaggregating within- from between-person relations.

METHODS

Data come from a multigenerational study of familial alcohol use disorder (N=653) spanning three waves 5 years apart. Participants reported their lack of conscientiousness, sensation seeking, positive alcohol expectancies, and binge drinking at each wave. First, missing data techniques were used to create a "ghost timepoint," allowing the specification of four developmental-specific timepoints representing late adolescence (age 18 to 20), emerging adulthood (age 21 to 25), young adulthood (age 26 to 29), and adulthood (age 30 to 39). Second, a Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model tested between-person and within-person relations among variables.

RESULTS

At the between-person level, lower conscientiousness and sensation seeking were correlated with higher positive expectancies, and positive expectancies were correlated with more binge drinking. There were no within-person prospective relations among conscientiousness, sensation seeking, and positive expectancies. However, within-person increases in lack of conscientiousness during late adolescence predicted within-person increases in emerging adult binge drinking, and within-person increases in late adolescent and emerging adult binge drinking predicted within-person increases in lack of conscientiousness during emerging and young adulthood, respectively. Similarly, within-person increases in late adolescent and young adult sensation seeking predicted within-person increases in binge drinking during emerging adulthood and adulthood, respectively. Binge drinking did not reciprocally predict sensation seeking.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that acquired preparedness effects may be between persons rather than within persons. However, several within-person developmental-specific relations among conscientiousness, sensation seeking, and binge drinking were observed, outside of expectancies. Findings are discussed in terms of theory and prevention.

Family dynamics and adjustment across Latino/a students' transition to college: Disentangling within- and between-person reciprocal associations

Latino/a adolescents are increasingly represented in higher education. Whereas previous work suggests that positive aspects of the family can promote adjustment during the college transition, less is known regarding the longitudinal, reciprocal nature of these associations. The current study examined changes in parenting, family dynamics, and adjustment across the transition from high school to college among 207 Latino/a young adults (Mage = 18.10; 65.0% female identifying) in the Southwestern United States and investigated within- and between-person reciprocal relations using standard and random-intercept cross-lagged panel models. Participants self-reported on parental support, parental monitoring, family communication, depressive symptoms, and alcohol use during their senior year of high school (Time 1; spring/summer 2017), first semester of college (Time 2; fall 2017), and second semester of college (Time 3; spring/summer 2018). Parental support, family communication, depressive symptoms, and alcohol use increased across the initial transition from high school to college, whereas parental monitoring decreased across time. Reciprocal effects were largely between-person driven. Family communication in high school was concurrently and prospectively related to fewer depressive symptoms. Higher parental monitoring during the first semester of college was related to less alcohol use within and across semesters. In addition, students who experienced within-person increases in depressive symptoms during the first semester of college perceived less parental support than usual the next semester. Study findings point to the importance of developmental timing and further highlight the role that family plays during Latino/a students' transition to college. Implications for family-based prevention efforts are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Planned versus unplanned drinking and cannabis use: Do facets of trait impulsivity influence daily risk?

OBJECTIVE

Planned and unplanned substance use have been examined as predictors of heavier alcohol and cannabis use and problems at the between-person level. However, it remains unclear whether planned versus unplanned use is riskiest at the day-level, and for whom. The present study tested whether day-level planned versus unplanned alcohol and cannabis use were associated with higher alcohol and cannabis consumption and negative consequences that day and whether two impulsive traits, lack of premeditation and positive urgency, moderated associations.

METHOD

Young adults (N = 409; 50.9% female) completed five bursts of daily surveys, each consisting of a morning and afternoon report across 14 consecutive days. During a baseline session, participants reported their impulsivity (UPPS-P). During afternoon surveys, participants reported their plans to use alcohol/cannabis that night. During morning surveys, participants reported number of drinks consumed/hours spent high yesterday and negative consequences experienced.

RESULTS

Planned drinking days were associated with a greater number of drinks and negative consequences, whereas planned cannabis use days were associated with more hours spent high but not negative consequences. In the drinking quantity model, there was a significant interaction for planned versus unplanned drinking by positive urgency. Planned drinking was associated with heavier alcohol consumption across levels of positive urgency; however, unplanned drinking was associated with heavier consumption for individuals with higher (vs. lower) levels of positive urgency.

CONCLUSIONS

Day-level planned drinking and cannabis use are important factors to target in just-in-time interventions. However, interventions focused on planned and unplanned drinking may be particularly effective for individuals with higher levels of positive urgency. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Differential effects of UPPS-P impulsivity on subjective alcohol response and craving: An experimental test of acquired preparedness

Recent studies have extended the acquired preparedness model to experimental data, finding that impulsivity predicts subjective alcohol response, a related yet distinct construct from expectancies. However, studies have not tested whether specific facets of impulsivity predict subjective response, or whether impulsivity indirectly predicts alcohol craving through subjective response. Young adults who reported past-month binge drinking (N = 448) participated in a placebo-controlled alcohol administration study. Mediation models tested whether UPPS-P impulsivity facets indirectly predicted alcohol craving through subjective response on the ascending and descending limbs of the blood alcohol content (BAC). High arousal positive (e.g., sociable), low arousal positive (e.g., relaxed), high arousal negative (e.g., rude), and low arousal negative (e.g., dizzy) subjective effects were measured across limbs. Moderation by beverage condition was not detected, so models were collapsed across beverage condition. Sensation seeking indirectly predicted craving through high arousal positive subjective response on both limbs, whereas positive and negative urgency directly predicted craving. When controlling for baseline subjective response and craving, effects of sensation seeking and negative urgency on subjective response and craving became nonsignificant. The effects of positive urgency on craving remained, and an effect of positive urgency on high arousal positive effects emerged on the ascending limb. Findings suggest that relations among impulsivity, subjective response, and craving are contingent upon the specific facet of impulsivity. Interventions targeting predrink cue exposure and/or positive emotionality may be most effective for sensation seekers, whereas targeting subjective response and/or expectancies may be most efficacious for individuals high in positive urgency. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Examining the Moderating Role of Behavioral Willingness on Indirect Relations Between Alcohol Expectancies and Negative Consequences

AIMS

Alcohol expectancies are directly linked to alcohol misuse and indirectly linked to negative consequences via use. Likewise, willingness to experience negative consequences imparts direct risk for negative consequences and may represent an important individual difference when predicting risky alcohol use. To date, no studies have examined how willingness to experience consequences may moderate relations between expectancies and alcohol use in the prediction of negative consequences. It is possible that those who expect appetitive effects and are high in willingness may discount the severity of negative consequences and drink more to realize positive expectations. Alternatively, those who expect aversive alcohol-related effects and are high in willingness may drink more to overcome negative experiences.

METHODS

The current study tested these hypotheses in a sample of undergraduate students (N = 657) from a larger study focused on alcohol and cannabis co-use.

RESULTS

Findings suggested that high-arousal positive expectancies (e.g. sociable, lively, talkative) function as a risk factor for negative consequences indirectly through heavier drinking, whereas low-arousal positive (e.g. mellow, relaxed) expectancies served as an indirect protective factor against negative consequences through lighter drinking. Willingness to experience negative consequences had direct and indirect effects on negative consequences through drinking but did not interact with alcohol expectancies.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study demonstrates the utility of assessing the full range of alcohol expectancies and behavioral willingness in continued research into the dynamic nature of antecedents to alcohol misuse and negative consequences.

The anticipated effects of simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use: Initial development and preliminary validation

Social learning theories suggest that outcome expectancies are strong determinants of behavior, and studies find that alcohol and cannabis expectancies are associated with negative substance use outcomes. However, there are no measures to date that assess expectancies for simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use (SAM), often referred to as SAM, despite strong links with negative consequences and rising time trends. The present study sought to provide initial validation of test scores for the Anticipated Effects of Simultaneous Alcohol and Cannabis Use Scale (AE-SAM), using a sample of past month college student simultaneous users (N = 434). Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis conducted in random half samples suggested five expectancy factors, representing high arousal positive, high arousal negative (alcohol driven), high arousal negative (cannabis driven), low arousal positive, and low arousal negative expectancies. The factor structure was invariant across sex, race/ethnicity, and simultaneous use frequency, and demonstrated convergent and discriminant validity with other alcohol/cannabis expectancy measures. AE-SAM high arousal positive expectancies were associated with simultaneous use frequency and heavier drinking/cannabis use, AE-SAM high arousal negative (cannabis driven) expectancies were associated with less frequent simultaneous use and more negative alcohol consequences, and AE-SAM low arousal negative expectancies were associated with less cannabis use. Effects of AE-SAM high arousal positive and high arousal negative (cannabis driven) expectancies remained, above and beyond other expectancy measures, suggesting that AE-SAM expectancies provide additional information beyond single substance expectancies. The results demonstrate the feasibility and utility of assessing simultaneous use expectancies, and lay groundwork for future research on simultaneous use expectancies in relation to alcohol and cannabis couse outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Dynamic longitudinal relations among solitary drinking, coping motives, & alcohol problems during emerging adulthood

INTRODUCTION

Solitary drinking (i.e., drinking alone) and coping drinking motives are risk factors for alcohol problems. Theoretical models suggest that solitary drinking and coping motives are highly related. However, the direction of effects between solitary drinking and coping motives is unclear. It also remains unclear if relations are present solely at the between-person level, or if there are also dynamic, within-person relations. Therefore, the current study tested dynamic, reciprocal relations among solitary drinking, coping motives, and alcohol problems using Random Intercept Cross Lagged Panel Modeling (RI-CLPM).

METHODS

Data came from a large alcohol administration study with longitudinal follow-ups over 2 years (N = 448). Participants completed a baseline session and then were followed up 6, 12, 18, and 24 months later. Participants reported their solitary drinking frequency, coping motives, drinking behavior, and alcohol problems at all assessments.

RESULTS

Person-level solitary drinking was related to person-level coping motives and alcohol problems, and person-level coping motives were related to person-level alcohol problems. There were also contemporaneous within-person effects, such that a within-person increase in solitary drinking was associated with a concurrent within-person increase in coping motives, and a within-person increase in coping motives was associated with a concurrent within-person increase in alcohol problems. There were no within-person prospective relations among any variables.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest strong between-person associations among solitary drinking, coping motives, and alcohol problems. Within-person associations were concurrent but not prospective. Targeting solitary and coping-motivated drinkers, as well within-person increases in both, may be effective at reducing risk for alcohol problems.

Maturing out of alcohol and cannabis co-use: A test of patterns and personality predictors

OBJECTIVE

Reductions in substance involvement into adulthood are thought to represent a normative maturing out of substance use. However, patterns and predictors of maturing out of alcohol and cannabis co-use remain largely unstudied. Therefore, the current study tested developmental trajectories of alcohol and cannabis use from late adolescence into adulthood and whether late adolescent personality traits predicted trajectory class membership.

METHODS

Data come from a longitudinal study of family history of alcohol disorder (N = 458). Age bands were created to model trajectories of drinking quantity, negative alcohol consequences, and cannabis use frequency from late adolescence (age 18-22) to young adulthood (age 23-28) and adulthood (age 29-36). Participants reported on their sensation seeking, conscientiousness, and neuroticism during late adolescence and their typical drinking quantity, negative alcohol consequences, and cannabis use frequency at each age band.

RESULTS

Three trajectory classes were derived from an initial Parallel Process Growth Mixture Model: (1) low-risk maturing out of alcohol-only use, (2) high-risk maturing out of co-use, and (3) high-risk switchers who increased their cannabis use into adulthood. Late adolescent sensation seeking was associated with higher odds of being in both co-use trajectories, whereas a lack of conscientiousness was associated with higher odds of being a co-use switcher.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified heterogeneity in trajectories of co-use, which suggests that a lack of maturing out of alcohol involvement may be accompanied by increased cannabis use. Moreover, late adolescent personality traits may predispose individuals toward riskier developmental trajectories of substance use into adulthood.

Prospective Effects of UPPS-P Impulsivity and Typical Drinking Context on Future Drinking Behavior

OBJECTIVE

Research suggests that impulsivity is a risk factor for problem drinking, but prior studies have yet to examine typical drinking context as a potential moderator of relations between impulsivity and drinking outcomes. Guided by Person-Environment Transactions Theory, the current study tested whether five facets of impulsivity (negative urgency, positive urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, and sensation seeking) interacted with typical drinking context to prospectively predict drinking quantity.

METHOD

Young adult participants (N = 448; mean age = 22.27) were recruited from a southwestern university and the surrounding community. Data from a baseline survey (Time [T] 1) and a 1-year follow-up (T2) were used for the current analyses. Impulsivity (UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale), typical drinking context, and typical drinking quantity were assessed at T1, and typical drinking quantity at T2.

RESULTS

Context items were loaded onto latent factors comprising high-arousal (e.g., at a tailgate, large house party) and low-arousal (e.g., at a restaurant, on a date) drinking contexts. In univariate (separated by UPPS-P facet) and multivariate (UPPS-P facets together) models, lack of premeditation and positive urgency interacted with high-arousal drinking contexts to predict T2 drinking, such that individuals at high/mean levels of impulsivity drank more heavily the more frequently they drank in high-arousal contexts. Only interactions in univariate models remained significant after a false discovery correction, although effect sizes were very similar across univariate and multivariate models.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals high in positive urgency and lack of premeditation may be particularly vulnerable to riskier drinking behavior in high-arousal environments. Findings advance the literature on context-specific cues that may be important intervention targets, particularly for individuals high in positive urgency and lack of premeditation.

Prospective Effects of UPPS-P Impulsivity and Typical Drinking Context on Future Drinking Behavior

OBJECTIVE

Research suggests that impulsivity is a risk factor for problem drinking, but prior studies have yet to examine typical drinking context as a potential moderator of relations between impulsivity and drinking outcomes. Guided by Person-Environment Transactions Theory, the current study tested whether five facets of impulsivity (negative urgency, positive urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, and sensation seeking) interacted with typical drinking context to prospectively predict drinking quantity.

METHOD

Young adult participants (N = 448; mean age = 22.27) were recruited from a southwestern university and the surrounding community. Data from a baseline survey (Time [T] 1) and a 1-year follow-up (T2) were used for the current analyses. Impulsivity (UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale), typical drinking context, and typical drinking quantity were assessed at T1, and typical drinking quantity at T2.

RESULTS

Context items were loaded onto latent factors comprising high-arousal (e.g., at a tailgate, large house party) and low-arousal (e.g., at a restaurant, on a date) drinking contexts. In univariate (separated by UPPS-P facet) and multivariate (UPPS-P facets together) models, lack of premeditation and positive urgency interacted with high-arousal drinking contexts to predict T2 drinking, such that individuals at high/mean levels of impulsivity drank more heavily the more frequently they drank in high-arousal contexts. Only interactions in univariate models remained significant after a false discovery correction, although effect sizes were very similar across univariate and multivariate models.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals high in positive urgency and lack of premeditation may be particularly vulnerable to riskier drinking behavior in high-arousal environments. Findings advance the literature on context-specific cues that may be important intervention targets, particularly for individuals high in positive urgency and lack of premeditation.