Drinking motives predict alcohol-related problems in college students

Risky alcohol use during youth: Impact on emotion, cognitive networks, and resting-state EEG activity

The identification of the risk factors of alcohol consumption in youths is crucial for early interventions focused on reducing harmful alcohol use. In our study, 82 college students (40 healthy control (CO group) and 42 with risky alcohol use (RAU group) determined by AUDIT questionnaire) between the ages of 18 and 25 years underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment covering emotional and cognitive functioning. Their resting-state activity was also recorded with an EEG for 10 min with their eyes open (EO) and 10 min with their eyes closed (EC) and analyzed using the Fitting Oscillations & One-Over-F (FOOOF) paradigm. After adjusting for sex, those in the RAU group had higher emotional dysregulation and impulsivity traits. The RAU girls presented more emotional regulation problems, such as dysregulation and negative urgency compared with the RAU boys. The RAU youths had significantly worse functioning in several cognitive domains, such as sustained attention, verbal memory, and executive functions. Cognitive network analysis revealed a different pattern of connections in each group showing that in the RAU group, the verbal memory domain had the highest connection with other cognitive functions. The EEG analyses did not reveal any significant differences between the CO and the RAU groups. However, we observed only in the EO condition that boys the from the RAU group displayed a higher theta/beta ratio than the RAU girls, whereas these differences were not observed within the CO group. Our findings highlight the need to explore more deeply the emotional, cognitive and brain changes underlying the RAU in young people.

A Reexamination of Drinking Motives in Young Adults: The Development and Initial Validation of the Young Adult Alcohol Motives Scale

This study reexamined the factor structure of drinking motives using 205 unique items from 18 drinking motives scales with the inclusion of social tension reduction motives, which have been largely neglected in the literature. A new scale was created and compared with the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised (DMQ-R) to predict alcohol use/problems. Young adults (N = 1,049) completed questionnaires assessing drinking motives and alcohol use/problems. A subset (N = 368) of participants completed a 6-month follow-up. Hierarchical factor analyses informed the creation of a four-factor (i.e., coping, social, enhancement, and social tension reduction) scale (i.e., the Young Adult Alcohol Motives Scale [YAAMS]). In general, the YAAMS performed similarly to the DMQ-R in predicting concurrent and prospective alcohol consumption (i.e., typical drinking quantity and frequency) and alcohol problems (i.e., Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test [AUDIT] and Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire [B-YAACQ] scores), but there were some notable differences, including that the novel social tension reduction scale of the YAAMS was particularly relevant in predicting drinking frequency in those with social anxiety. Results suggest that drinking motives can be described by multiple factor structures and predict alcohol-related outcomes.

A retrospective examination of changes in drinking motives during the early COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVE

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to substantial changes in college student alcohol use. Changes in drinking motives may explain some of these changes in drinking patterns. The purpose of the present study is to explore how drinking motives and alcohol use have changed amongst college students considering the timeframes before and after the onset of COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., March 2020) in the United States. We hypothesized that there would be significant changes in drinking motives after March 2020, which would be significantly related to changes in alcohol use.

METHODS

Participants for the current study were undergraduate students reporting lifetime alcohol use (n = 198, M_age = 21.3, 66.7% female, 86.4% White) recruited through online advertisements in classes to complete an online survey in April 2020. Participants were asked to report on their drinking motives and alcohol use considering the timeframes before and after the onset of closures and stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., before and since March 2020).

RESULTS

Paired samples t-tests revealed that endorsement of social (t[171) = 12.79, p < .001, d = 1.16) and conformity motives significantly decreased (t[170] = 4.46, p < .001, d = 0.31), while endorsement of coping motives significantly increased (t[172] = -2.70, p = .008, d = .15) after the onset of COVID-19. Linear regression analyses, controlling for drinking motives before March 2020, revealed that changes in enhancement (β = -.47, p < .001) and coping motives (β = -.22, p = .04) were significantly associated with changes in alcohol use quantity.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings of the present study support the need for interventions to target coping and social drinking to reduce risk for alcohol use.

The role of positive affect in the association between stress and college student alcohol use

OBJECTIVE

To examine the associations among stress, positive affect, binge drinking, and coping drinking motives.

PARTICIPANTS

Students (n = 351, M_age=19.7, 74.6% female) at a northeastern public university.

METHODS

Participants completed an online survey assessing perceived stress, frequency of experiencing positive emotions, frequency of binge drinking, and coping drinking motives.

RESULTS

Stress and positive emotions were not significantly related to frequency of binge drinking but were significantly correlated with coping motives for drinking. Regression analyses with all predictors, age, and gender in the model revealed the same: stress and positive emotion were not significantly related to binge drinking but were significantly related to coping motives. The interaction between stress and positive emotions predicting frequency of binge drinking or coping motives was nonsignificant.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest the utility of exploring positive emotions in risk and resilience research focused on college student drinking and of targeting positive emotions to decrease students' coping-related alcohol use.

Substance use behaviors among college students in the food service industry

Objective: Food service employment is associated with substance use, risk of substance use disorders and various negative consequences. Previous research has not examined the substance use patterns of students employed in food service positions. Method: During Fall of 2018, 276 undergraduates completed an anonymous online survey regarding current employment status and substance use. Results: Compared to students employed in other positions, students in food service positions reported higher levels of drinking to cope with negative affect, negative urgency, workplace substance use, marijuana use, marijuana-related problems, and motives. Food service employment was also a significant predictor of marijuana use and related consequences. Conclusions: Students in food service positions, relative to other employment positions, report elevated substance use behavior, risk factors, and negative consequences. Food service employment also contributed variance to models accounting for marijuana use and related consequences. Prevention and intervention strategies should be investigated to mitigate risk for this population.

A mixed-methods approach to improve the measurement of alcohol-induced blackouts: ABOM-2

BACKGROUND

Alcohol-induced blackouts describe memory loss resulting from alcohol consumption. Approximately half of college students report experiencing a blackout in their lifetime. Blackouts are associated with an increased risk for negative consequences, including serious injury. Research has documented two types of blackouts, en bloc (EB) and fragmentary (FB). However, research is limited by the lack of a validated measure that differentiates between these two forms of blackout. This study used a mixed-methods approach to improve the assessment of FB and EB among young adults. Specifically, we sought to improve the existing Alcohol-Induced Blackout Measure (ABOM), which was derived from a relatively small pool of items that did not distinguish FB from EB.

METHODS

Study 1 used three rounds of cognitive interviewing with U.S. college students (N = 31) to refine existing assessment items. Nineteen refined blackout items were retained for Study 2. Study 2 used face validity, factor analysis, item response theory, and external validation analyses to test the two-factor blackout model among U.S. heavy-drinking college students (N = 474) and to develop and validate a new blackout measure (ABOM-2).

RESULTS

Iterative factor analyses demonstrated that the items were well represented by correlated EB and FB factors, consistent with our hypothesis. External validation analyses demonstrated convergent and discriminant validity. These analyses also provided preliminary evidence for the two factors having differential predictive validity (e.g., FB correlated with enhancement drinking motives, while EB correlated with coping and conformity motives).

CONCLUSIONS

The Alcohol-Induced Blackout Measure-2 (ABOM-2) improves the measurement of blackout experiences among college students. Its use could facilitate the examination of EB and FB as differential predictors of alcohol-related outcomes in future studies.

Coping Flexibility and Alcohol-Related Outcomes: Examining Coping Motives as Mediators

Background: Coping has been implicated in the etiology and treatment of problem drinking. Traditional, static measurement of coping styles (e.g., approach, avoidance, social support) may fail to capture how adaptive a given coping style may be. Coping flexibility is an emerging construct, associated with psychological health, and one that may shed light on coping's role in drinking risk. Coping flexibility includes (1) discontinuation of an ineffective coping strategy ("Discontinuation") and (2) production of an alternative strategy ("Implementation"). This study is the first to our knowledge to examine its association to drinking outcomes. Further, because coping deficits are theorized to lead to drinking through coping motives, we also examined mediated pathways from coping flexibility to alcohol outcomes via coping motives. Methods: College students (N = 528) completed an online assessment. Data were analyzed using path analysis. Control variables included sex and coping styles. Results: In path analytic models, Implementation was negatively associated with alcohol use and, indirectly via coping motives, negatively associated with alcohol consequences. The direct effect on alcohol use remained when controlling for coping styles and sex, but the mediational pathway was no longer significant. Conclusions: This study provides some evidence for the protective role of coping flexibility in alcohol use behavior, which may have implications for how best to address coping skills in alcohol interventions. The direct effect of Implementation on drinking suggests that there may be utility in teaching clients a flexible approach to coping in treatment. Replication, particularly with longitudinal designs, is needed.

Drinking to Fit in: The Effects of Drinking Motives and Self-Esteem on Alcohol Use among Female College Students

Over the past two decades, rates of alcohol use among female students have risen to meet or even surpass those seen among males. Yet, little is known about factors that play a role in the relationship between drinking motives and alcohol consumption for female college students. The present study examines self-esteem as a moderator in the association between categories of drinking motives and alcohol use in a sample of female college students. Participants included 196 female undergraduates who reported drinking alcohol at least once in the preceding month (M_age= 19.5 years, 88.8% White) at a northeastern public university. Participants completed an online questionnaire assessing self-esteem, drinking motives, and past month alcohol use. Self-esteem was significantly negatively correlated with coping (r=-.40, p<.001) and conformity motives (r=-.22, p=.002) but not enhancement or social motives. Main effects predicting alcohol use were detected for enhancement (b = 1.49, p<.001), coping (b = 1.73, p<.001), and social motives (b = 1.34, p<.001), but not conformity motives or self-esteem. The interaction of conformity motives and self-esteem was significant (b=-0.17, p=.04). Simple slopes analyses revealed that conformity motives were significantly positively related to alcohol consumption for at low (b = 1.53, p=.001), but not high levels (b=-0.39, p=.61) of self-esteem. No other interactions were significant. Assisting female college students with increasing their self-esteem may be an effective component of intervention programs targeting alcohol consumption, particularly among those who report drinking to fit in.

Longitudinal associations with alcohol consumption during the first COVID-19 lockdown: Associations with mood, drinking motives, context of drinking, and mental health

BACKGROUND

Coronavirus (COVID-19) resulted in lockdown measures in the UK, which has impacted alcohol use. Alcohol is often used as a coping mechanism and there are public health concerns regarding excessive consumption due to the pandemic. We aimed to longitudinally assess drinking behaviors, and associated factors, during the first UK government-mandated lockdown.

METHODS

An online survey was distributed through social media (8^th April 2020, onwards). Fortnightly follow up surveys were emailed to participants. The primary outcome measure was 'weekly unit consumption' and data was collected on a range of potentially related factors: demographics, factors relating to COVID-19 (e.g., health, work status), drinking motives, context of drinking, drinking intentions, mood, depression and anxiety.

FINDINGS

A total of 539 self-selected participants completed the baseline survey, with 186 completing at least 3 follow up surveys for multilevel modelling analysis. Personal coping motives, anxiety, drinking at home alone, and drinking at home with others were positively associated with alcohol consumption during lockdown. The following baseline measures also predicted increased consumption: male gender, lower education, and higher AUDIT scores (based on behavior prior to lockdown). Findings were consistent when utilizing an inverse probability weight to account for predictors of attrition (female, younger age, higher baseline AUDIT scores).

CONCLUSIONS

Those already drinking at hazardous levels were more likely to increase their consumption, as were those who were drinking to cope. As we recover from the pandemic, there is a need for widespread alcohol support, and certain groups may need targeted support.

Recent Sexual Assault Predicting Changes in Coping Motives for Alcohol Use in First-Year College Women

Sexual assault and heavy alcohol consumption are common among college students. There is strong evidence that the two are associated, but more remains to be understood about the nature of the relationship. Drinking motives have been found to mediate the relationship between sexual assault and drinking problems and between depression and alcohol risk (Kenney, Anderson, & Stein, 2018; Lindgren, Neighbors, Blayney, Mullins, & Kasen, 2012), however drinking motives have not been studied as an outcome. The current study investigated the impact of a recent sexual assault on the endorsement of coping motives for drinking in first year college women using hierarchical regression analysis with Time 2 coping motives as the outcome variable. Lifetime experience of sexual assault and Time 1 coping motives were entered in the first step of the model and a dichotomous variable indicating a recent sexual assault was entered in the second step of the model. Sexual assault during the first semester of college was found to be a significant predictor of coping motives at the end of the semester after controlling for lifetime history of sexual assault and endorsement of coping motives at Time 1. These findings suggest that coping motives for drinking may change following a sexual assault and are of concern due to the negative outcomes associated with drinking to cope. Drinking motives may be an important target of interventions provided to survivors of sexual assault to reduce risk of future drinking-related problems.

Interactions of protective behavioral strategies and cannabis use motives: An online survey among past-month users

Given the constant high prevalence of cannabis use and cannabis dependence, it is important to determine protective behaviors on the individual level, which buffer the effects of risk factors. Protective Behavioral Strategies for Marijuana (PBSM) have been identified to play an important role for harm reduction in adolescent and young adult users. In the present study, we analyzed if PBSM moderate the effects of use motives (captured by the Marijuana Motives Measure, MMM) on the severity of dependence beyond the effects of age, gender, education and cannabis use frequency. We used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to validate the German versions of PBSM and MMM. Data was gathered in an online survey distributed to randomly chosen households in the city of Bern in the German speaking part of Switzerland. The final sample comprised 362 past-month users. Results showed negative correlations between PBSM and cannabis use frequency and severity of dependence. The only motives being correlated with severity of dependence were coping and routine, beyond frequency of use. PBSM significantly moderated the effect only of routine motives on the severity of dependence. However, only a few cases who used PBSM extensively were affected. PBSM appear to be an important factor to reduce harm among past-month users but not among those with dependent use patterns, e.g. coping and routine users. Clinical implications are discussed. The routine factor adds significantly to the MMM and should be implemented and improved in future studies. PBSM as well as the MMM can be used in future studies in German speaking populations.

Examining the Prospective Associations Between Mindfulness Facets and Substance Use in Emerging Adulthood

AIMS

Emerging adulthood (i.e. ages 18-25) is a developmental phase associated with frequent alcohol and cannabis use, placing this population at risk for substance use problems. Depression and anxiety (i.e. emotional psychopathology) are also prevalent during this phase, and some emerging adults use substances to cope with these negative emotions. Mindfulness-a multifaceted construct-involves being present in a nonjudgmental and nonreactive way. Certain mindfulness facets are particularly relevant in buffering against substance use. A recent longitudinal study [Single A, Bilevicius E, Johnson EA. et al. (2019) Specific facets of trait mindfulness reduce risk for alcohol and drug use among first-year undergraduate students. Mindfulness  10:1269-1279] showed that specific mindfulness facets (i.e. acting with awareness, nonjudging of inner experience and nonreactivity to inner experience) predicted decreased alcohol and drug use in undergraduates. These pathways were explained by low levels of emotional psychopathology.

METHODS

This study expanded this recent work by using a three time-point longitudinal design and by including measures of both alcohol and cannabis use and related problems. Using MTurk, participants (N = 299) completed online measures of trait mindfulness, depression, anxiety, alcohol and cannabis use and related problems at three time-points, each 2 weeks apart. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses.

RESULTS

The acting with awareness and nonjudging of inner experience facets predicted fewer alcohol problems, but not alcohol use, and this effect was mediated by low levels of emotional psychopathology. These results were not supported for cannabis use and problems.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that there may be differences in the pathways from trait mindfulness to alcohol and cannabis use during emerging adulthood.

College alcohol beliefs and negative alcohol-related consequences: A moderated mediation model of enhancement drinking motives and restricted eating

College alcohol beliefs (CABs; i.e., beliefs that alcohol use is an integral feature of college life) have been shown to be positively associated with negative alcohol-related consequences among college students. Given this information, the present study examined restricted eating before consuming alcohol to increase intoxication as one drinking behavior mechanism through which CABs relate to negative alcohol-related consequences. Additionally, we examined whether the indirect association of CABs and negative alcohol-related consequences through restricted eating differed as a function of enhancement drinking motives, specifically the CABs-restricted eating association (i.e., first-stage moderated mediation). Participants included college students (n = 1347) across 10 states/universities who consumed alcohol in the last month. The majority of participants identified as being White, non-Hispanic (69.0%), female (70.1%), and reported a mean age of 20.92 (Median = 20.00; SD = 4.60) years. As hypothesized, restricted eating mediated the association between CABs and negative alcohol-related consequences. Further, the indirect effect of CABs on negative alcohol-related consequences through restricted eating was stronger in students who endorsed high levels of enhancement motives, compared to students with low or average levels. Our findings suggest that college students with high levels of enhancement motives are at a relatively higher risk of experiencing negative alcohol-related consequences related to CABs via restricted eating, compared to those with average or low levels. Future research is needed to examine additional drinking-related factors that may influence the pathways between CABs and negative alcohol-related consequences among college students.

Perfectionism discrepancy and falling short of the ideal self: Investigating drinking motives and impaired control on the road to alcohol-related problems

Self-Discrepancy Theory (Higgins, 1987) predicts that the difference between the ideal and the actual self will be associated with impaired-control-over-drinking (IC; dysregulated drinking beyond one's own limits) as well as alcohol-related-problems. According to Slaney et al. (2001) perfectionism is a multi-faceted personality trait which represents both adaptive (e.g. high-standards) and maladaptive (e.g. discrepancy) aspects. In particular, discrepancy has been associated with poorer coping approaches, which may suggest a Self-Medication route to IC. Yet, to date, no one has examined whether drinking-motives (e.g., social, enhancement, coping and conformity) mediate the relations between discrepancy and high standards and alcohol-outcomes such as IC. We used a structural equation model to test indirect associations of discrepancy and high-standards to both heavy-episodic-drinking and alcohol-related-problems through the mediating mechanisms of drinking-motives and IC. Results supported the distinction between discrepancy and high-standards consistent with the Self-Medication Hypothesis (Hersh & Hussong, 2009). Discrepancy was associated with poorer alcohol-outcomes through greater coping-motives, conformity-motives and IC. In contrast, higher-standards were associated with fewer alcohol-outcomes through less coping-motives, conformity-motives, and IC. This study illustrates the importance of personality factors such as discrepancy in the development of problematic alcohol-use suggesting that it might be a good target for intervention.

Daily Motives for Alcohol and Marijuana Use as Predictors of Simultaneous Use Among Young Adults

OBJECTIVE

Research on substance use motives typically examines each substance separately. However, simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use-that is, using alcohol and marijuana at the same time so that their effects overlap-is common among young adults. This study examines day-to-day fluctuations in motives for using alcohol and/ or marijuana among young adult substance users as predictors of alcohol, marijuana, and SAM use across days.

METHOD

Data were from a community sample of young adults who reported SAM use in the past month (analytic sample: N = 399, mean [SD] age = 21.63 [2.17]; 50.9% women). Participants reported alcohol, marijuana, and SAM use, and also motives "for alcohol and/or marijuana use" for 14 consecutive days.

RESULTS

Multilevel models showed that elevated enhancement motives were associated with heavy episodic drinking, drinking more, and more hours high from marijuana. Elevated social motives were associated with heavy episodic drinking and drinking more, and also with fewer hours high. Elevated conformity motives were associated with drinking more. SAM use was more likely: on alcohol days and on marijuana days with elevated enhancement and conformity motives, on alcohol days with elevated coping motives, and on marijuana days with elevated social motives.

CONCLUSIONS

SAM use on a given day was primarily associated with enhancement and conformity motives. Social motives were more strongly linked to alcohol use, and to some extent coping motives were linked to marijuana use in this young adult sample. Further examination of situation-specific motives and contexts of use is needed to inform development of real-time interventions for SAM use and consequences.

Relations among motives, negative urgency, and mindfulness skills in college drinkers

Heavy alcohol use continues to be a common problem among the college student population, and numerous negative consequences can be attributed to student drinking. Several factors, including drinking motives and impulsivity, have been studied to better understand college drinking behaviors. Research has identified that coping motives (i.e., drinking to reduce negative affect) and negative urgency (i.e., the tendency for rash reaction in response to negative affect) are both closely linked to alcohol-related problems and to one another. The primary purpose of this study was to test if mindfulness skills moderate the relation between negative urgency and drinking to cope. To test for moderation, 683 college student drinkers responded to self-report measures of drinking behaviors, drinking motives, impulsivity, and daily utilization of mindfulness skills. Four separate regression models tested for the mindfulness skills of observing, describing, acting with awareness, and accepting without judgment as potential moderators to the relation between negative urgency and coping motives. The mindfulness skill of accepting without judgment significantly moderated (i.e., dampened) the positive relation between negative urgency and drinking to cope. Results may be useful in developing targeted intervention and prevention efforts to test among students, as skills training may benefit individuals with long-standing impulsive personality traits who engage in the traditionally problematic behavior of drinking to cope.

The Role of Social Media Content on Solitary Drinking Among Korean Adults

This study aims to provide explanations for how exposure to social media content on solitary drinking influences the frequency and quantity of solitary drinking, and posting about solitary drinking on social networking sites (SNS). An online survey was conducted with 506 Korean adults who had consumed alcohol at least once while alone in the previous year. The study showed the following results: First, exposure to social media content related to solitary drinking was positively associated with both descriptive norms and negative alcohol expectancies, both of which increased solitary drinking and posting on SNS. Second, although social media content influenced injunctive norm perceptions, injunctive norms did not influence solitary drinking or posting on SNS. Findings suggest that correcting descriptive norms on solitary drinking may be an appropriate intervention for solitary alcohol users in Korea.

The Sequential Indirect Effect of Negative Urgency on Drinking Consequences Through Distress Intolerance and Drinking Motives: Initial Examination in College Students Reporting Past Month Alcohol Use

Identification of cognitive and affective vulnerabilities among college drinkers may aid in developing focused interventions that promote a reduction in the prevalence of alcohol use. Negative urgency (NU) and distress intolerance (DI) evidence concurrent, unique, and synergistic relations with drinking motives and negative consequences of alcohol use. Utilizing a sequential multiple mediation framework to investigate a comprehensive model of these variables, we examined NU as a behavioral risk factor that potentiates the development of DI, thereby contributing to drinking motives that increase the risk of problematic use in young adults. A diverse sample of undergraduate students (N = 616; M _age= 19.1, SD=1.4, range=18-25; 50.6% female; 60.6% Caucasian; recruited between September 2015 and Spring 2017) reporting past month alcohol use completed an online questionnaire battery. The results suggested that NU may contribute to negative alcohol use outcomes via its relation to DI and the motivation to drink in order to cope with negative emotional states and conform to social pressure. These findings suggest that NU may be a primary intervention target in young adults.

Ecological momentary assessment of various tobacco product use among young adults

INTRODUCTION

Young adults are at high risk for using traditional and novel tobacco products. However, little is known about daily/weekly use patterns or psychosocial triggers for using various tobacco products.

METHODS

This ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study examined timing, tobacco cravings, affect, social context, and other substance use (alcohol, marijuana) in relation to use of cigarettes, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), and any tobacco product (i.e., cigarettes, ENDS, cigars, hookah), respectively. We also examined interactions between these predictors, sex, and race/ethnicity. From a longitudinal study of 3418 18-25 year-olds from seven Georgia colleges/universities, we recruited 72 reporting current tobacco use to participate in the 21-day EMA study; 43 participated, of which 31 completed ≥66% assessments and were analyzed. Cravings, affect, social context, and substance use were assessed daily across four four-hour windows.

RESULTS

Of the 31 participants, average age was 21.10 years (SD = 1.95), 45.2% were female, and 71.0% non-Hispanic White; 71.0% used cigarettes, 58.1% ENDS, 38.7% cigars, and 25.8% hookah (25.6% used one product, 46.5% two, 27.9% ≥ three). Predictors of cigarette use included higher anxiety, greater odds of marijuana and alcohol use, and higher boredom levels among women. Predictors of ENDS use included being non-White and greater odds of marijuana use, as well as higher tobacco cravings among women and higher boredom among men. Predictors of any tobacco product use included being non-White, higher boredom levels, and greater odds of marijuana and alcohol use.

CONCLUSIONS

Distinct interventions may be needed to address use of differing tobacco products among young adults.

The relationship between substance use, experiential avoidance, and personally meaningful experiences

Background: High rates of substance use among college students have been associated with a wide range of detrimental consequences. Psychological inflexibility, characterized by both experiential avoidance and a disconnection with personally meaningful values, is proposed to contribute to the development and maintenance of substance misuse. Objectives: This study explored the unique contribution of experiential avoidance and four different values dimensions (i.e., importance, consistency, effort, and intrinsic motivation) on substance use and related problems accounting for the known predictors of gender and drinking motives. Method: Zero-inflated regression was used to analyze predictors of substance use and related problems among 233 college students. Results: Controlling for gender and drinking motives, stronger values importance was predictive of lower rates of alcohol use problems. Less behavioral consistency with values predicted marijuana abstinence, less frequent use of marijuana, and less frequent use of illicit drugs. Although there was little evidence for a unique association between experiential avoidance and substance use or substance-related problems in this sample, coping and enhancement motives predicted alcohol use problems and illicit drug use. Conclusion/Importance: These findings offer preliminary support for prevention and intervention efforts aimed at enhancing engagement in values activities and reducing substance use as a form of affect regulation in this population.

Personality Traits Moderate Connections from Drinking Attitudes to Alcohol Use and Myopic Relief, Self-inflation, and Excess

BACKGROUND

Alcohol myopia theory postulates that the level of alcohol use in conjunction with personal cues, such as alcohol attitudes and personality traits help to understand the types of consequences manifested.

OBJECTIVES

This study examined and identified the personality traits that served as predictors and moderators of the risk connections from drinking attitudes to alcohol use to myopia outcomes.

METHODS

College students (N = 433) completed self-report measures. In a path analysis using structural equation modeling, personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, and neuroticism), drinking attitudes, and personality × drinking attitudes interactions simultaneously served as predictors on the outcomes of alcohol use and myopic relief, self-inflation, and excess.

RESULTS

Alcohol attitudes and use consistently emerged as unique predictors of all three myopia outcomes. Extraversion and neuroticism were identified as statistical moderators, but results varied depending on the myopia outcome interpreted. Specifically, extraversion moderated the pathways from attitudes to usage and from attitudes to myopic relief. Neuroticism, however, moderated the relations from attitudes to myopic self-inflation and from attitudes to myopic excess. Conclusions/Importance: Extraverted and neurotic dispositions could exacerbate or attenuate the risk connections from alcohol attitudes to outcomes. Findings offer implications for alcohol prevention efforts designed to simultaneously target drinking attitudes, personality traits, and alcohol myopia.

Discovering the Hidden Profiles of Employee Drinking Motives: An Application of Integrated Variable- and Person-Centered Latent Profile Analysis

The drinking motives questionnaire (DMQ, Cooper, 1994) has been a very useful measurement tool for understanding why people drink alcohol. Recent attempts to examine drinking motives used the DMQ within a person-centered analysis framework. However, latent profiles identified in previous research largely presented level effects without strong shape effects, which consequently restricted meaningful interpretations and effective applications of drinking-motive profiles. To address this limitation, we applied a new alternative methodology for the study of drinking motives that integrated variable- and person-centered approaches. Our research clearly demonstrated that controlling for an overarching general drinking-motive construct provided a clearer disaggregation of shape and level effects. Four latent profiles were identified that represented a combination of shape and level effects. Each profile predicted different patterns of alcohol use. Theoretical as well as practical implications are discussed.

Daily relationship between positive affect and drinking to cope: the moderating role of difficulties regulating positive emotions

BACKGROUND

Alcohol use is highly prevalent and linked to a wide range of negative outcomes among college students. Although emotion dysregulation has been theoretically and empirically linked to alcohol use, few studies have examined emotion dysregulation stemming from positive emotions.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of the current study was to extend extant research by using daily diary methods to examine the potentially moderating role of difficulties regulating positive emotions in the daily relation between positive affect and alcohol use to cope with social and non-social stressors.

METHODS

Participants were 165 college students (M age = 20.04; 55.2% male) who completed a baseline questionnaire assessing difficulties regulating positive emotions. Participants then responded to questions regarding state positive emotions and alcohol use once a day for 14 days.

RESULTS

Difficulties regulating positive emotions moderated the daily relation between positive affect stemming from social stressors and alcohol use to cope with social stressors. Positive affect stemming from social stressors predicted alcohol use to cope with social stressors with high (but not low) levels of difficulties regulating positive emotions.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings underscore the potential utility of targeting difficulties regulating positive emotions in treatments aimed at reducing alcohol use to cope with social stressors among college students.

A cluster-analytic approach to determining drinking motives and personality typologies: Trauma group differences and respective relations to PTSD and problematic alcohol use

Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at elevated risk for alcohol use problems, a relationship commonly explained by using alcohol to cope with unpleasant symptoms of PTSD. However, patterns of alcohol use motives, more broadly, have not been well characterized in veteran samples, nor have they been evaluated in the context of other relevant factors, such as normative personality traits. The aims of the present study were to identify empirically derived drinking motive and personality typologies to determine whether these typologies differ as a function of PTSD status (i.e., nontrauma control, trauma exposed-no PTSD, and PTSD) and to evaluate associations between typology and PTSD symptom severity and alcohol consumption, respectively. Cluster analyses identified a 4-cluster solution. Results indicated that these typologies differed significantly according to trauma group as well as across levels of PTSD symptom severity and alcohol use. Specifically, Cluster 4 represented individuals at highest risk for both PTSD symptom severity and alcohol use compared to all the other typologies; Cluster 1 demonstrated lowest risk for PTSD symptom severity and alcohol use compared to all other typologies; and although Clusters 2 and 3 did not differ according to PTSD symptom severity, individuals in Cluster 2 had significantly higher alcohol use. These results represent certain "at risk" versus "protective" typologies that may facilitate the identification of individuals at risk for comorbid PTSD and problematic alcohol use. (PsycINFO Database Record

Mediators and Moderators of a Personalized Feedback Alcohol Intervention for Nonstudent Emerging Adult Drinkers

BACKGROUND

The main objective of this study was to test proposed mediators and moderators of a personalized feedback alcohol intervention (PFI) on alcohol use. Data for the current investigation came from an earlier randomized controlled trial of a PFI targeted for nonstudent heavy drinkers between 18 and 25 years.

METHODS

Participants were 164 (65.9% men) drinkers recruited from the community. They were randomly assigned to either a single-session PFI or an assessment-only (AO) control group. Follow-up assessments at 1 and 3 months were included for analysis.

RESULTS

Perceived drinking norms mediated the intervention effect on quantity, frequency, and peak drinking; 2 dimensions of protective behavioral strategies (PBS) mediated the intervention effect on peak drinking; and drinking to cope motives did not mediate any drinking outcomes. Of the moderating factors examined (i.e., norms, PBS, drink to cope motives, age, gender), only PBS related to serious harm reduction moderated intervention impact. Specifically, for those high in serious harm reduction PBS at baseline, postintervention reductions in drinking were stronger for the PFI group compared to AO.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, findings highlight the importance of correcting misperceived drinking norms and addressing the use of specific PBS in brief interventions. The knowledge gained from this study represents an important step toward minimizing drinking-related harms that are disproportionately experienced by those with lower educational attainment.

The influence of motives on alcohol- and sex-related behaviors among female college students

PURPOSE

Although previous studies have elucidated associations between motivations for drinking and sex as they relate to risky health outcomes among female college students, the utility of cross-domain motives (i.e., alcohol motives predicting sex-related outcomes and vice versa) in the prediction of specific alcohol- and sex-related behaviors has yet to be examined. The current study examined relations between drinking and sex motives with multiple risky alcohol- and sex-related outcomes (i.e., alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, alcohol consumption prior to sexual intercourse, number of sexual partners [vaginal, oral, anal], and emergency contraception use).

PROCEDURES

Multiple structural equation models were used to examine univariate and multivariate associations among drinking and sex motives and specific outcomes in a sample of female undergraduates with lifetime histories of alcohol use and sexual activity (N = 436; 77% White, 21% Hispanic).

RESULTS

Findings indicated differential associations between motives and specific outcomes across univariate versus multivariate analyses. Multivariate models indicated greater endorsement of enhancement and less endorsement of intimacy sex motives were significantly associated with heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems, whereas alcohol motives were less reliably linked to sex-related outcomes. When considered simultaneously, sex motives accounted for more variance in some alcohol outcomes relative to certain drinking motives.

CONCLUSIONS

Cross-domain motives may be useful in predicting risky outcomes among female college students. Research implications include the importance of examining motive-behavior relations in univariate and multivariate contexts. Clinical implications include cross-domain motive assessment and use of emotion regulation strategies to reduce emotionally-motivated maladaptive alcohol- and sex-related behaviors.

An examination of heavy drinking, depressed mood, drinking related constructs, and consequences among high-risk college students using a person-centered approach

INTRODUCTION

Research has identified college students who experience depressed mood and consume alcohol are at an increased risk for experiencing alcohol problems. The present study identified profiles of differential alcohol use, depression, key psychosocial indicators of drinking (e.g., normative perceptions) and examined the relationship between these profiles and alcohol-related consequences.

METHOD

Students with a history of risky drinking and elevated depressed mood (n=311; 62.4% female) completed a web-based survey assessing typical and peak drinking, depressive symptoms, descriptive norms, drinking to cope motives, protective behavioral strategies, and alcohol-related consequences.

RESULTS

Latent profile analysis was used to classify participants into distinct profiles focusing on alcohol use patterns and level of depressed mood and drinking related constructs. Profiles were then compared based on their association with reported rates of alcohol-related consequences. Four profiles emerged: 1) Mild Depression, Heavy Drinkers; 2) Mild Depression, Severe Drinkers; 3) Moderate Depression, Heavy Drinkers; and 4) Moderate Depression, Severe Drinkers. Findings revealed significant differences between the four profiles on both risky drinking and alcohol-related consequences.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest the importance of assessing and addressing depressive symptoms among college students in order to reduce rates of risky drinking and alcohol-related consequences.

Age-Related Changes in Associations Between Reasons for Alcohol Use and High-Intensity Drinking Across Young Adulthood

OBJECTIVE

Analyses focus on whether self-reported reasons for drinking alcohol change in their associations with high-intensity drinking across the transition to adulthood.

METHOD

Self-report data on high-intensity drinking (10+ drinks) collected from the national Monitoring the Future study in 2005 to 2014 from those ages 18-26 were used (N = 2,664 [60% women] for all drinkers and 1,377 for heavy episodic [5+] drinkers; up to 6,541 person-waves). Time-varying effect modeling examined changes in the direction and magnitude of associations between eight reasons for drinking and high-intensity alcohol use across continuous age.

RESULTS

Four reasons to drink showed quite stable associations with high-intensity drinking across age: drinking to get away from problems, to get high, to relax, and to sleep. Associations between two reasons and high-intensity drinking decreased with age: anger/frustration and to have a good time. The association between drinking because of boredom and high-intensity drinking increased with age. Drinking because it tastes good had a weak association with high-intensity drinking. Among heavy episodic drinkers, reasons for use also differentiated high-intensity drinking, with two exceptions: drinking to have a good time and to relax did not distinguish drinking 10+ drinks from drinking 5-9 drinks.

CONCLUSIONS

Reasons for drinking are differentially associated with high-intensity drinking, compared with any other drinking and compared with lower intensity heavy drinking, across age during the transition to adulthood. Intervention programs seeking to mitigate alcohol-related harms should focus on reasons for use when they are the most developmentally salient.

Predicting risky sexual behaviors among college student drinkers as a function of event-level drinking motives and alcohol use

BACKGROUND

Risky sexual behaviors (e.g., sex without protection against pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections, sexual coercion, sex with unknown partners) are common among college students. To effectively decrease these behaviors, it is necessary to further understand factors associated with their occurrence. Drinking motives are a known predictor of both alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences, which may theoretically include risky sex. This study aimed to understand how drinking motivation interacts with alcohol use to predict risky sexual behaviors among college student drinkers.

METHODS

One-hundred and eight primarily female (83.3%) college students (age: M=19.09, SD=1.16) who endorsed past-month alcohol use and lifetime history of sexual activity completed up to four weekly Internet surveys assessing daily quantity of alcohol use, drinking motives (i.e., social, enhancement, coping, conformity), and engagement in risky sexual behavior. From 403 reported drinking episodes, four Generalized Estimating Equations were used to predict risky sex from person-centered drinking quantity and drinking motives.

RESULTS

Strong social motives significantly increased the odds of engaging in risky sexual behaviors (p=0.004). Additionally, there was a significant interaction, such that the relationship between risky sex and drinking depends on enhancement motives (p=0.021).

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions targeting social and enhancement motives for drinking may be particularly effective in reducing the occurrence of risky sexual behaviors among college students, which may result in a reduction of the negative physical and psychological health outcomes accompanying these behaviors.

Do alcohol use reasons and contexts differentiate adolescent high-intensity drinking? Data from U.S. high school seniors, 2005-2016

The purpose of this study was to examine associations between (a) self-reported reasons for and contexts of alcohol use and (b) high-intensity drinking (i.e., having 10+ drinks in a row in the past 2 weeks) among national samples of U.S. 12th grade students. Data were obtained from 16,902 students who reported any past 12-month alcohol use from nationally representative annual 12th grade student samples from 2005-2016. When asked about drinking behavior during the past 2 weeks, 72% reported consuming less than 5 drinks at most during 1 drinking occasion; 14% reported 5-9 drinks, 7% reported 10-14 drinks, and 7% reported 15+ drinks. Adolescent drinkers in all categories (<5, 5-9, 10-14, and 15+ drinks) endorsed "to have a good time" as the most prevalent reason for alcohol use, and "at a party" as the most prevalent context of alcohol use. However, high-intensity drinking was particularly likely among adolescents drinking for coping, compulsive use, and drug effect reasons, as well as those who enjoyed the taste. Having 15+ drinks (vs. 10-14 drinks) was particularly associated with compulsive use and enjoying the taste. The relative risk of any high-intensity drinking, and of higher levels of high-intensity drinking involvement, increased with the total number of reasons and contexts endorsed. Alcohol appears to serve a larger number of functions for high-intensity drinking adolescents than non-high-intensity drinking youth. (PsycINFO Database Record

Cross-lagged relations between motives and substance use: Can use strengthen your motivation over time?

Motives for substance use have garnered considerable attention due to the strong predictive utility of this construct, both in terms of use and problems associated with use. The current study examined the cross-lagged relations between alcohol use and motives, and marijuana use and motives over three yearly assessment periods in a large sample (N=526, 48% male) of college students. The relations between substance use and motives were assessed at each time point, allowing for the examination of these inter-relations over time. Results indicated different trends based on the type of substance. For alcohol use, cross-lagged trends were found between freshman and sophomore year for coping, social, and conformity motives with cross-lagged relations between enhancement motives and alcohol use across all years. However, outside of enhancement motives, cross-lagged relations were not found between sophomore and junior year. In contrast, cross-lagged effects were found for marijuana use and coping, enhancement, and expansion motives between sophomore and junior year, but not freshman year. These results suggest that people's expectations that drinking or smoking marijuana makes activities more reinforcing and helps them cope with distress may perpetuate use. In turn, use itself may enhance these expectations over time. Results have direct implications for treatment, with recommended focus on motives, behavior activation, and healthy coping skills in order to interrupt the cycle of substance use.

Coping Motives Moderate Efficacy of Personalized Normative Feedback Among Heavy Drinking U.S. College Students

OBJECTIVE

Personalized normative feedback (PNF) interventions have received empirical support, are presumed to work by reducing normative misperceptions, and have been found to be particularly efficacious for those who drink for social reasons. However, PNF interventions also offer direct comparisons between one's own drinking and normative drinking, which may be especially important for coping drinkers. The present research evaluated whether reduced perceived norms and drinking at follow-ups varied as a function of coping motives.

METHOD

Aims were examined as a secondary analysis of a PNF intervention study among 252 U.S. college students. Following baseline assessment, participants were randomly assigned to receive PNF or assessment only. Follow-up assessments occurred 3 and 6 months after baseline.

RESULTS

Findings indicated that the PNF intervention was more effective at both follow-ups in reducing drinking, but not alcohol use problems, for participants scoring higher in coping motives. Furthermore, coping motives were the only drinking motive that uniquely moderated PNF efficacy. Analyses indicated that intervention effects on drinking varied as a function of coping drinking motives; however, intervention effects on norms did not vary by coping motives. Finally, coping motives were found to moderate associations between perceived norms and drinking.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that coping motives may be useful for identifying young adults-and presumably others-who can most benefit from PNF approaches. Furthermore, PNF may influence future drinking behavior through mechanisms other than changes in perceived norms. Future investigations could examine other pathways through which PNF may reduce drinking.

Peer alcohol behavior moderates within-level associations between posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and alcohol use in college students

Self-medication theory (SMT) posits that individuals exposed to trauma and resulting posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSD) are at risk for heavy drinking and associated negative consequences. Close peer alcohol use is also a powerful predictor of alcohol involvement in college, particularly influencing those with greater negative affect. As individuals with PTSD may rely on peers for support, peer drinking behaviors are possibly putting them at further risk for greater alcohol use and resulting consequences. To test self-medication processes, the present study examined the relationship between weekday PTSD symptoms, weekend alcohol behavior, and the influence of both emotionally supportive peer and other friend drinking behavior by investigating: (a) whether weekday PTSD symptoms predicted subsequent weekend alcohol use and consequences; and (b) whether the relationship between weekday PTSD symptoms and weekend alcohol behavior was moderated by various drinking behaviors of one's peers. Trauma-exposed heavy-drinking college students (N = 128) completed a baseline assessment and 30 daily, Web-based assessments of alcohol use and related consequences, PTSD symptoms, and peer alcohol behavior. Results directly testing SMT were not supported. However, friend alcohol behavior moderated the relationship between weekday PTSD and weekend alcohol behavior. Findings highlight the importance of peer drinking as both a buffer and risk factor for problematic drinking and provide useful information for interventions aimed at high-risk drinkers. (PsycINFO Database Record

Event-Level Associations Among Drinking Motives, Alcohol Consumption, and Condomless Anal Sex in a Sample of Young Men Who Have Sex With Men

Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) are at increased risk for HIV and problematic alcohol use. Drinking motives are associated with alcohol use in cross-sectional studies, but their associations with alcohol use and condomless anal sex (CAS) at the event-level remain unclear. The current study examined these event-level associations in a sample of 189 YMSM who completed self-report measures on a daily or weekly basis for two months. Participants were recruited between August 2014 and April 2015 for a randomized trial designed to study behavioral reactivity in diary studies. YMSM consumed more alcohol on days when they drank to cope, to enhance pleasure, or to be more social. CAS with casual partners was more likely on days when they consumed more alcohol. Drinking motives were not associated with CAS. Interventions may benefit from addressing drinking motives and the influence of alcohol use on CAS in different types of relationships.

Drinking motives mediate the relationship between alcohol reward value and alcohol problems in military veterans

Elevated alcohol reward value (RV) has been linked to higher levels of drinking and alcohol-related consequences, and there is evidence that specific drinking motives may mediate the relationship between demand and problematic alcohol use in college students, making these variables potentially important indicators of risk for high RV and alcohol problems. The present study evaluated these relationships in a high-risk sample of military veterans. Heavy-drinking (N = 68) veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) completed the alcohol purchase task (APT) measure of alcohol demand (RV), and standard assessments of alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and drinking motives. RV was associated with overall alcohol consequences, interpersonal alcohol consequences, social responsibility consequences and impulse control consequences. Mediation analyses indicated significant mediation of the relationships between RV and a number of problem subscales by social motives, coping-anxiety motives, coping-depression motives and enhancement motives. This suggests that individuals who have a high valuation of alcohol may have increased motivation to drink in social, mood-enhancement, and coping situations, resulting in increased alcohol-related consequences. Demand and drinking motives should be examined as potential indicators of need for intervention services and as treatment targets in veterans. (PsycINFO Database Record

Different drinking motives, different adverse consequences? Evidence among adolescents from 10 European countries

INTRODUCTION AND AIM

This study, which builds on previous research demonstrating that drinking motives are associated with adverse consequences, investigates the associations between drinking motives and non-alcohol-attributed adverse consequences and disentangles alcohol-related and direct effects.

DESIGN AND METHOD

On the basis of a sample of 22 841 alcohol-using 13- to 16-year-olds (50.6% female) from Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, Slovakia, Switzerland and Wales, structural equation models were used to estimate direct and indirect effects. Additionally, differences across countries were tested in a multigroup analysis.

RESULTS

The indirect effect (via alcohol use) was greater for injuries and academic problems than for more general outcomes such as life dissatisfaction and negative body image. For social, enhancement and coping motives, we found positive indirect effects (via alcohol use) on injuries and academic problems; the association was negative for conformity motives. The direct effect, that is, the effect above and beyond alcohol use, indicated more negative consequences among those who tended to drink more frequently for coping motives. More negative consequences, such as injuries and negative body image, were also found among those who drink for conformity motives. The pattern of association was largely comparable across countries.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

While the actual mean level of drinking motives, alcohol use and adverse consequence varied across countries, the consistency of association patterns implies that drinking motive-inspired health promotion efforts are likely to be beneficial across Europe. This is particularly important for coping drinkers because they are especially prone to adverse consequences over and above their alcohol use. [Wicki M, Kuntsche E, Eichenberger Y, Aasvee K, Bendtsen P, Dankulincová Veselská Z, Demetrovics Z, Dzielska A, Farkas J, de Matos MG, Roberts C, Tynjälä J, Välimaa R, Vieno A. Different drinking motives, different adverse consequences? Evidence among adolescents from 10 European countries.

Drinking motives and alcohol outcome expectancies as mediators of the association between negative urgency and alcohol consumption

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether the effects of negative urgency, a unique facet of impulsivity marked by engaging in potentially unhealthy and rash behaviors in order to cope with anxiety or negative moods, on drinking behavior can be explained by positive and negative alcohol outcome expectancies and specific drinking motives (i.e., coping and enhancement).

METHODS

College students (N=194) completed web-based surveys in exchange for course credit. Students completed measures of negative urgency, comprehensive effects of alcohol, drinking motives, and alcohol use behaviors.

RESULTS

Results of path analysis indicated significant indirect effects of negative urgency and alcohol use through both alcohol outcome expectancies and enhancement motives. The effects of enhancement motives on drinking were mediated by positive alcohol outcome expectancies. The effects of coping motives on drinking were not attributable to negative expectancies.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals high on negative urgency may consume alcohol in order to ameliorate their emotional distress due to strong desires to increase positive and decrease negative experiences associated with drinking. Emotion-focused impulsivity's influence on drinking outcomes can be ascribed to enhancement motives for drinking as well as positive and negative alcohol outcome expectancies. Prevention efforts should target drinking motives and alcohol outcome expectancies among those higher in negative urgency.

Combat experience and problem drinking in veterans: Exploring the roles of PTSD, coping motives, and perceived stigma

PURPOSE

The current investigation sought to illustrate the etiology of adverse alcohol consequences in young adult veterans using a path analytic framework.

METHODS

A total of 312 veterans aged 19-34 were enrolled in a larger intervention study on alcohol use. At baseline, participants completed measures of combat severity, PTSD symptom severity, and drinking motives to cope. At one month follow-up, participants completed measures of perceived stigma of behavioral health treatment seeking and past 30-day alcohol consequences.

RESULTS

After entering the covariates of age, gender, race/ethnicity, and past year behavioral health treatment utilization, a path analytic model demonstrated a good fit to the data predicting alcohol consequences in this population. Further, a separate exploratory analysis confirmed that both drinking motives to cope and perceived stigma of behavioral health treatment seeking mediated the link between PTSD symptom severity and alcohol consequences.

CONCLUSIONS

The current model expands upon prior research showing the relationship between combat severity and alcohol use behavior in young adult veterans. Results support the notion that veterans with PTSD symptoms may drink to cope and that perceived stigma surrounding help seeking may further contribute to alcohol related problems.

Drinking motives of adult patients seeking treatment for problematic alcohol use

The Drinking Motives Questionnaire measures motives for alcohol consumption on four subscales. Coping with negative affect and enhancement of positive affect have been shown to be associated with high levels of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. Few studies exist concerning drinking motives among treatment-seeking patients. The aims of the study were to investigate the factor structure of the shortened-form of the revised Drinking Motives Questionnaire, map main drinking motives, explore group differences in motives due to sex, age, level of drinking problems, and symptoms of depression/anxiety and to investigate whether different drinking motives predict alcohol-related problems in this group. There were 274 treatment-seeking patients recruited from four addiction treatment clinics in Sweden. The shortened-form of the revised Drinking Motives Questionnaire was administered in conjunction with a regular visit to the clinics together with measures of degree of alcohol-related problems, psychiatric symptoms, and demographic factors. Main drinking motives were identified. A confirmatory factor analysis was run to confirm the factor structure of the shortened-form of the revised Drinking Motives Questionnaire. A logistic regression using the Enter method was performed to investigate associations between predictors and Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test scores. The results confirmed the four-factor structure reported in studies on non-treatment-seeking individuals. Coping was the most commonly expressed motive. Not previously found in a clinical sample, the results showed that coping motives, together with being male and having elevated anxiety scores, were associated to Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test scores indicative of alcohol dependence. The shortened-form of the revised Drinking Motives Questionnaire is a brief and valid instrument that holds potential for clinical use in mapping drinking motives among treatment seekers.

Different pathways explain alcohol-related problems in female and male college students

OBJECTIVES

Comprehensive models elucidating the intricate associations of depressive symptoms, coping motives, alcohol use, alcohol-related problems (ARPs), and gender among young adults have been scarcely examined. This study investigated relationships among these variables and the effect of gender on these pathways.

METHODS

College students (N = 163; 49.7% female) completed self-report measures on alcohol consumption, depressive symptoms, coping motives, and ARPs.

RESULTS

Structural equation modeling showed that the association between depressive symptoms and ARPs was mediated by coping motives in both females and males. However, frequency of heavy alcohol use mediated the association between depressive symptoms and ARPs in females but not in males.

CONCLUSIONS

Different models explain the association between depressive symptoms and ARPs in male and female college students. Prevention programs aimed at reducing ARPs should focus on increasing alcohol screening among students with depressive symptoms, teaching coping skills, and emphasizing moderation in alcohol consumption.

How Mandated College Students Talk About Alcohol: Peer Communication Factors Associated with Drinking

Relatively little research has examined how peer communication influences alcohol consumption. In a sample of mandated college students, we differentiate conversations about drinking from conversations about harm prevention and provide evidence for the validity of these communication constructs. Students who violated campus alcohol policies and were referred for alcohol sanctions (N = 345) reported on drinking patterns, use of protective behavioral strategies, perceived descriptive norms for close friends, and serving as social leader among their friends; they also reported on the frequency of conversations about drinking, about drinking safety, and about risk reduction efforts. Predicted correlations were found among types of communication and conceptually related variables. General communication was related to consumption but not protective behavioral strategies, whereas safety/risk reduction conversations correlated positively with all protective behavioral strategies. Both types of communication were associated with social leadership. Safety communication moderated the relationship between peer descriptive norms and drinks per week; more frequent talking about safety attenuated the norms-consumption relationship. Peer communication about both drinking and safety may serve as targets for change in risk reduction interventions for mandated college students.

The role of discrimination in alcohol-related problems in samples of heavy drinking HIV-negative and positive men who have sex with men (MSM)

BACKGROUND

Heavy drinking is a major public health concern among men who have sex with men (MSM), as it is in many other populations. However, the consequences of heavy drinking among MSM may be particularly severe, especially for sexual risk behavior, due to the relatively high prevalence of HIV. Minority stress models suggest that, among members of marginalized groups, discrimination may be associated with heavier alcohol use as these individuals increasingly drink to cope with such experiences. Past studies have provided some support for this association. However, they have not explored the role other drinking motives play, how these relationships might differ across MSM who are HIV-positive versus HIV-negative, or how this relationship extends to alcohol-related problems.

METHODS

In this study, we used path modeling to explore associations between perceived discrimination experiences, drinking motives, alcohol use, and alcohol-related problems in samples of heavy drinking MSM with and without HIV.

RESULTS

In both HIV-negative and positive MSM, perceived discrimination was significantly positively associated with alcohol problems. Drinking to cope appears to play an important role in this relationship in both samples. Reporting more discrimination experiences was associated with drinking more frequently for sexual reasons among both groups. While the total effect of drinking to facilitate sex was positively associated with alcohol-related problems, sex motives did not mediate associations between discrimination and either drinking outcome.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that interventions addressing discrimination and specific drinking motivations may be useful in helping reduce alcohol use of heavy drinking MSM.

Pathways to Hazardous Drinking Among Racially and Socioeconomically Diverse Lesbian Women: Sexual Minority Stress, Rumination, Social Isolation, and Drinking to Cope

Lesbian women engage in more hazardous drinking than heterosexual women yet we know relatively little about what explains this disparity. In the present study, race, socioeconomic status, minority stress, general psychological processes and distress were examined as pathways to hazardous drinking among young (18-35 years) Black and non-Hispanic White lesbian women. We used the psychological mediation framework adaptation of minority stress theory and the reserve capacity model as theoretical underpinnings of the conceptual model in the current study. Self-identified lesbian participants (N= 867) completed a one-time online survey that assessed race, socioeconomic status, perceived sexual minority discrimination, proximal minority stress (concealment, internalized homophobia, lack of connection to lesbian community), rumination, social isolation, psychological distress, drinking to cope, and hazardous drinking. Cross-sectional results demonstrated that being Black was associated with hazardous drinking via sequential mediators of rumination, psychological distress, and drinking to cope. Socioeconomic status was associated with hazardous drinking via sequential mediators of sexual minority discrimination, proximal minority stress, rumination, social isolation, psychological distress, and drinking to cope. Understanding these pathways can aid researchers and clinicians studying and working with lesbians who are at risk for hazardous drinking.

The Interactive Effects of Drinking Motives, Age, and Self-Criticism in Predicting Hazardous Drinking

BACKGROUND

Individuals who disclose hazardous drinking often report strong motives to drink, which may occur to modulate views of the self. Investigating self-criticism tendencies in models of drinking motives may help explain who is more susceptible to drinking for internal or external reasons. As much of the research on drinking motives and alcohol use is conducted in young adult or college student samples, studying these relations in a wider age range is clearly needed.

OBJECTIVES

The current study examined the interactive relationship between drinking motives (internal: coping, enhancement; external: social, conformity), levels of self-criticism (internalized, comparative), and age to predict hazardous drinking.

METHODS

Participants (N = 427, Mage = 34.16, 54.8% female) who endorsed drinking within the last year completed an online study assessing these constructs.

RESULTS

Results indicated internalized self-criticism and drinking to cope interacted to predict hazardous drinking for middle-aged adults. However, comparative self-criticism and conformity motives interacted to predict greater hazardous drinking for younger-aged adults. In addition, both social and conformity motives predicted less hazardous drinking for middle-aged adults high in comparative self-criticism.

CONCLUSIONS/IMPORTANCE

Interventions that target alcohol use could minimize coping motivations to drink while targeting comparative self-criticism in the context of social, and conformity motives.

Higher-Order and Bifactor Models of the Drinking Motives Questionnaire

The Drinking Motives Questionnaire, previously postulated and documented to exhibit a measurement structure of four correlated factors (social, enhancement, conformity, and coping), is a widely administered assessment of reasons for consuming alcohol. In the current study ( N = 552), confirmatory factor analyses tested the plausibility of several theoretically relevant factor structures. Fit indices corroborated the original four-factor model, and also supported a higher-order factor model involving a superordinate motives factor that explicated four subordinate factors. A bifactor model that permitted items to double load on valence type (positive or negative reinforcement) and source type (external or internal) generated mixed results, suggesting that this 2 × 2 motivation paradigm was not entirely tenable. Optimal fit was obtained for a bifactor model depicting a general factor and four specific factors of motives. Latent factors derived from this structure exhibited criterion validity in predicting frequency and quantity of alcohol usage in a structural equation model. Findings are interpreted in the context of theoretical implications of the instrument, alternative factor structures of drinking motives, and assessment applications.

PTSD and Pregaming in College Students: A Risky Practice for an At-Risk Group

BACKGROUND

College students with trauma exposure and PTSD are at risk for problem drinking. This may include more specific hazardous drinking practices such as pregaming (drinking prior to a social event), which is linked to increased alcohol-related consequences.

OBJECTIVES

The present study examined the association between pregaming and alcohol consequences and the role of trauma exposure and PTSD in predicting pregaming and alcohol-related consequences in a sample of college students using Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling (MSEM). We also assessed specific risk associated with PTSD relative to trauma exposure alone in relation to our outcomes.

METHODS

Participants were categorized into groups based on trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms via diagnostic interview: (1) No Trauma, those who had not experienced a Criterion A trauma; (2) Trauma Only, those who experienced a Criterion A trauma but did not currently have PTSD; and (3) PTSD, those with current full or partial PTSD related to a Criterion A trauma. Alcohol consumption and related consequences also were measured via interview (TLFB, B-YAACQ).

RESULTS

For all participants, nearly 50% more consequences were reported on pregaming days compared to nonpregaming drinking days. Those with PTSD were significantly more likely to pregame than those in the Trauma Only and No Trauma groups. Moreover, students with PTSD reported more consequences on pregaming days relative to the other two groups. In all analyses, the No Trauma and Trauma Only groups did not differ.

CONCLUSIONS

PTSD may confer risk both for pregaming and experiencing harmful consequences on pregaming days.

A Structural Analysis of Attitudes toward Alcohol and Marijuana Use

Male and female undergraduates (N = 316) completed affective, cognitive, and global evaluations of alcohol and marijuana use. The discriminant validity of the attitude components was supported. As predicted, relationships between global attitude and the affective component varied across use experience groups; for both drugs, the affective component was more related to the global scale among the most experienced users. Attitude components predicted current marijuana use in a manner that was consistent with the analyses of attitude structure. However, the affective and cognitive attitude scales were relatively poor predictors of current alcohol use, suggesting that additional information may contribute to global attitude for alcohol use. Thus, similarities on attitude structure emerged across drugs, but the ability of the attitude components to predict use behavior differentiated the drug types.

The role of substance use motives in the associations between minority stressors and substance use problems among young men who have sex with men

Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) report higher rates of substance use than their heterosexual peers and minority stress has been posited as a risk factor for substance use. The associations between specific types of minority stress and substance use have been inconsistent throughout the literature and few studies have examined mechanisms underlying these associations. Drawing on minority stress theory and the motivational model of alcohol use, we propose that one mechanism underlying these associations may be people's motivations for using substances, including using substances to cope with negative emotions and to enhance pleasure. The goals of the current study were: (1) to examine the associations among minority stressors, substance use motives, and substance use problems; and (2) to examine substance use motives as mediators of the associations between minority stressors and substance use problems. Baseline self-report data were used from a cohort of 370 YMSM enrolled in a larger study of substance use and sexual behavior. Results indicated that using marijuana to cope mediated the association between victimization and marijuana use problems. Using other drugs to cope mediated the associations between victimization and drug use problems and between internalized stigma and drug use problems. Drinking to cope and to enhance pleasure mediated the association between internalized stigma and alcohol use problems. In sum, substance use motives, especially using substances to cope, act as mechanisms through which certain types of minority stress influence substance use problems among YMSM.