Alcohol Use and Drinking Motives Among Suddenly Bereaved College Students

Objective: Thousands of Americans grieve the sudden death of a loved one each year. These sudden deaths may be the result of violent deaths, as in the cases of homicide, suicide, or fatal accidents, or may occur as the result of natural causes such as heart attacks or strokes. Sudden loss survivors often experience negative mental health outcomes such as depression, prolonged grief disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Survivors may also misuse alcohol for varied reasons after these losses, which can put them at risk for alcohol-related consequences. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore associations between psychological distress and alcohol-related outcomes among young adults with a history of sudden loss. Methods: A sample of 659 young adults completed a series of self-report measures assessing loss history, psychosocial distress, perceived alcohol-related problems, and drinking motives. Results: Results showed that survivors of sudden, violent losses reported higher rates of past 30-day alcohol use than those who had lost a loved one to a sudden, natural loss or those who reported no loss history. Although there were no statistically significant differences in drinking motives between violent or natural loss survivors, more severe depression symptoms among bereaved individuals were associated with drinking to cope and to conform. Participants experiencing prolonged grief symptoms were also more likely to report drinking to conform. Conclusions: Bereavement-related distress may influence drinking motives among young adults with a history of sudden loss.     

The Parental Bond and Alcohol Use Among Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Drinking Motives

Background: Alcohol use and alcohol-related problems represent a significant health concern. Few empirical researches focused on understanding the interrelationships and links between the parental bond, drinking motives, and alcohol use during adolescence.

Objectives: The present study examined the relationships between a supportive parental bond, drinking motives, and alcohol use, with a focus on the role of mediation.

Methods: The sample comprised 298 adolescents, aged from 16 to 20 years. The technique of structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to assess the direct and indirect effects of the parental bond on alcohol use among adolescents through motives for drinking.

Results: The relationship between the parental bond and frequency of alcohol use by adolescents was not mediated by any motives for drinking, neither for males nor females. Regarding the relationships between the parental bond and quantity of adolescent alcohol consumption, findings for females showed significant indirect effects of maternal bond on alcohol quantity, when coping, enhancement, and social drinking motives were entered as mediator variables. Rather, paternal bond did not predict drinking quantity, not even indirectly. On the contrary, results for males indicated that the parental bond was neither directly nor indirectly associated with adolescent alcohol use.

Conclusions/Importance: Mothers are the relational fulcrum of the family, while fathers seem to maintain a more peripheral position. Gender differences are discussed on the basis of the different cultural and parental socialisation processes that operate for male and female adolescents.     

The Neural Processes Interlinking Social Isolation,Social Support,and Problem Alcohol Use

BackgroundSubjective feeling of social isolation, as can be measured by perceived burdensomeness (PB), is a major risk factor for alcohol misuse. Heightened PB is associated with elevated stress response and diminished cognitive control, both of which contribute to problem drinking. Here, we sought to identify the neural substrates underlying the relationship between PB and alcohol misuse.MethodsWe employed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data collected from 61 problem drinkers to characterize the functional connectivity of the hypothalamus and ventral striatum (VS) in relation to PB. We specifically examined whether the connectivities of the hypothalamus and VS were differentially influenced by PB to produce contrasting effects on alcohol use. Finally, we evaluated how individual differences in social support modulate the inter-relationships of social isolation, neural connectivity, and the severity of problem drinking.ResultsWhole-brain multiple regressions show a positive relationship between PB and hypothalamic connectivity with the hippocampus and an inverse pattern for VS connectivity with the middle frontal gyrus. Difference in strength between the 2 connectivities predicted the severity of problem drinking, suggesting an imbalance involving elevated hypothalamic and diminished prefrontal cortical modulation in socially isolated problem drinkers. A path analysis further revealed that the lack of social support was associated with a bias toward low prefrontal connectivity, which in turn increased PB and facilitated problem drinking.ConclusionsAltered hypothalamus and VS connectivity may underlie problem drinking induced by social isolation. The current findings also highlight the important role of social support as a potential protective factor against alcohol misuse.     

Multisubstance Use Among Treatment-Seeking Smokers: Synergistic Effects of Coping Motives for Cannabis and Alcohol Use and Social Anxiety/Depressive Symptoms

Objective: This study examined the impact of coping motives for cannabis and alcohol use on the relation between social anxiety/depressive symptoms and severity of substance use for alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis among treatment-seeking smokers who also use cannabis and alcohol. Methods: The sample included 197 daily cigarette smokers (M_Age 34.81 years, SD = 13.43) who reported using cannabis and alcohol. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted wherein separate models were constructed for each dependent variable. Among individuals with higher social anxiety, alcohol coping motives were associated with heavier drinking, and this was more pronounced among those low in depressive symptoms. Similarly, those at greater risk for nicotine dependence were anxious individuals with lower depressive symptoms who endorse coping-oriented motives for using cannabis. Further, among those with higher social anxiety, cannabis coping motives were associated with marginally greater drinking, particularly for those high in depressive symptoms. Conclusions: The present findings support the perspective that among multisubstance users, the interplay between social anxiety, depressive symptoms, and coping-oriented motives for using one substance (e.g., cannabis or alcohol) may pose difficulties in refraining from other substances (e.g., tobacco). This observation highlights the importance of tailoring multisubstance treatments to specific needs of multiusers for whom single-substance interventions may be less effective. Findings also support previous work exploring the benefits of concurrently treating co-occurring substance use and lend credence to the perspective that motivation to use substances for coping reasons is of central theoretical and clinical relevance.     

The Impact of Hazardous Alcohol Use on Behavioral Healthcare Utilization Among National Guard Service Members

Background: Prior research suggests that both posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol abuse affect behavioral healthcare utilization among combat-exposed military populations. However, their interactive effect is not well documented, especially after experiencing psychological trauma. Objective: This study examined the role of hazardous alcohol use (i.e. repeated patterns of drinking which lead to harmful consequences) on behavioral healthcare utilization among service members stratified by past-year combat exposure. Method: This study utilized a sample of National Guard service members who participated in an in-depth survey 2–4 months after returning from Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn deployments (2011–2013) (n = 467). We examine the marginal effect (the change in the probability) of hazardous alcohol use on utilization while controlling for trauma exposure, PTSD and other potential covariates. Results: In the unadjusted logistic model, hazardous alcohol use reduced the probability of behavioral healthcare utilization by 77% among service members who had been exposed to combat within the past year. In the adjusted model, which controlled for socio-demographics (age, gender, and race), health status (PTSD symptoms, depression and physical health), and measures of stigma (perception of services as embarrassing or harmful to one's career or social networks), hazardous alcohol use further reduced the utilization probability by 302%. Conclusion/Importance: Although these findings require replication, they appear to demonstrate that when combat-exposed service members engaged in hazardous alcohol use at postdeployment, they were much less likely to utilize behavioral healthcare to manage their posttraumatic stress symptoms during this period.     

Substance Use in Young Swiss Men: The Interplay of Perceived Social Support and Dispositional Characteristics

Background: Social environment plays a central role in substance use behaviors. However, it is not clear whether its role varies as a function of individual dispositional characteristics. Objectives: To investigate the interaction between dispositional characteristics (i.e. sensation seeking, anxiety/neuroticism) and social environment (i.e. perceived social support [PSS]) in association with substance use. Methods: A representative sample of 5,377 young Swiss males completed a questionnaire assessing substance use, sensation seeking, anxiety/neuroticism, and PSS from friends and from a significant other. Results: Sensation seeking and anxiety/neuroticism were positively related to most substance use outcomes. PSS from friends was significantly and positively related to most alcohol and cannabis use outcomes, and significantly and negatively associated with the use of hard drugs. PSS from a significant other was significantly and negatively associated with most alcohol and cannabis use outcomes. The associations of sensation seeking with drinking volume, alcohol use disorder and the use of illicit drugs other than cannabis were stronger in individuals reporting high levels of PSS from friends than those with low levels. The associations of sensation seeking with risky single-occasion drinking and the use of hard drugs were weaker in participants reporting high levels of PSS from a significant other than in those with low levels. Conclusions: Sensation seeking and anxiety/neuroticism may constitute risk factors for substance use and misuse. PSS from friends may amplify the risk for alcohol and illicit drug use (other than cannabis) associated with high sensation seeking, whereas the PSS from a significant other may reduce it.     

Social Normative Perceptions of Alcohol Use and Episodic Heavy Drinking Among Central and Eastern European Adolescents

This study examined alcohol use and related social normative perceptions among a sample of 1,886 Central-Eastern European high school students. The youth represented in the study averaged 16.5 years of age and were from several localities in the countries of Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Romania. Data for the study were collected through a school-based alcohol use survey that was completed in June 2005. Our results support the hypothesis that drinking was related to perception of the prevalence of alcohol use by schoolmates and by the number of friends who drink and/or engage in episodic heavy drinking. Specific implications of findings in terms of substance use prevention are discussed. In addition, the need for future research and the limitations of the current research are discussed. This study was largely financially supported through an international grant from the College of Health and Human Performance, Brigham Young University.     

Gender Differences in Stressful Life Events,Social Support,Perceived Stress,and Alcohol Use Among Older Adults: Results From a National Survey

Stressful life events, perceived stress, and social support relationships with consumption, at-risk drinking, and alcohol use disorder (AUD) were studied in a population-based sample of current drinkers age 60+ in the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions (Wave 2; 2004–2005; n = 4,360). Stressful life events were associated with AUD among men and women, and crime victimization among men only. However, greater perceived stress was associated with lower consumption among women and greater odds of AUD in men, highlighting differences in the relationship between stress and alcohol use by gender that may be the result of the stress alcohol link.     

Alcohol Use Severity Among Adult Hispanic Immigrants: Examining the Roles of Family Cohesion,Social Support,and Gender

Background: This study examined (a) the direct association of family cohesion on alcohol use severity among adult Hispanic immigrants; (b) the indirect association of family cohesion on alcohol use severity via social support; and (c) if gender moderates the direct and indirect associations between family cohesion and alcohol use severity. Method: Mediation and moderation analyses were conducted on a cross-sectional sample of 411 (men = 222, women = 189) participants from Miami-Dade, Florida. Results: Findings indicate that higher family cohesion was directly associated with higher social support and lower alcohol use severity. Higher social support was also directly associated with lower alcohol use severity. Additionally, family cohesion had an indirect association with alcohol use severity via social support. Moderation analyses indicated that gender moderated the direct association between family cohesion and alcohol use severity, but did not moderate the indirect association. Conclusions: Some potential clinical implications may be that strengthening family cohesion may enhance levels of social support, and in turn, lower alcohol use severity among adult Hispanic immigrants. Furthermore, strengthening family cohesion may be especially beneficial to men in efforts to lower levels of alcohol use severity.     

Sensation Seeking,Attitudes Toward Drug Use,and Actual Use Among Adolescents: Testing a Model for Alcohol and Ecstacy Use

The use of ecstasy (MDMA), one of the most popular substances among young people in the context of many leisure and fun activities, is moving from party and recreation circuits to high schools and college dorms, in many cases in combination with alcohol consumption. Bearing in mind the concurrent use of the two drugs and the “gateway” thesis of a progression from legal drugs to illegal ones, a causal model of linkages among sensation seeking, attitudes toward alcohol and ecstasy consumption, and frequency of use was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). The data were obtained from a sample of 450 high school students ranging in age from 14 to 18 (47% male, 53% female). An additional moderator analysis was performed in order to examine a possible moderating role of sensation seeking in the relationship between attitudes toward consumption and frequency of use of both alcohol and ecstasy. Results were consistent with the hypothesis that positive attitudes toward consumption mediate the effects of sensation seeking on drug use. In addition, whereas our results were coherent with the existence of direct effects of sensation seeking on drug use, these were only found in the case of alcohol consumption. However, a moderating effect of this same variable was observed in the relationship between positive attitudes toward ecstasy consumption and its frequency of use. General and specific clinical implications and limitations of these findings are discussed and future lines of research suggested.     

Tailgating and Pregaming by College Students with Alcohol Offenses: Patterns of Alcohol Use and Beliefs

Research indicates that pregaming (drinking before a social event) and tailgating (drinking before a sporting event) are two culturally ingrained alcohol use behaviors by college students. We examined the prevalence of these two activities in a sample of college students (N = 354) who violated campus alcohol policy and were mandated to receive an alcohol intervention in fall 2010. Results indicated that alcohol consumption and other risk factors were related to pregaming and tailgating. These findings are discussed in the context of clinical implications and future directions for research. This study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health.     

Social Support and Non-Safe Use of Licit Substances by Greek Medical Students

This study aims to investigate the relationship between social support and non-safe use of nicotine and alcohol among medical students, in relation to other contributing factors. Data were collected during 2002–2003. Participants (N == 135), medical students at the Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece, were allocated into groups per sex according to their smoking and alcohol drinking patterns. Comparisons were made with respect to rating scores on measures assessing perceived social support, psychopathological problems, stressful life events, physical health, and satisfaction with life. Data were analyzed using chi-square, Mann-Whitney U test, and factor analysis. Female students' non-safe use of licit substances is positively related to higher scores on perceived social support and lower scores on psychopathological dimensions. Despite some limitations of this study, findings bring about implications on antismoking and antialcoholic campaigns.     

Do Responsible Beverage Service Programs Reduce Breath Alcohol Concentration Among Patrons: A Five-Month Follow-up of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Aims: To examine whether the decrease in the mean breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) and the rowdy social atmosphere reported after one month remained stable in the five-month assessment. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: University bars. Participants: The five-month assessment was based on 596 students visiting student bars during ordinary pub evenings. Intervention: Bartenders (n = 40) in 6 of 12 bars on a university campus underwent training programs in a randomized pattern. Bartenders in control bars did not participate in the program. Measurements: The BrAC and reported social atmosphere in a five-month follow-up assessment. Findings: All measurements (BrAC, rowdy, cozy, and high social atmosphere) showed that time had a significant decreasing effect. The positive effects on BrAC and rowdy atmosphere shown in the one-month follow-up were no longer evident after five months. Conclusion: The positive results after one month were not stable after five months. The study's limitations are noted.     

Adverse Events and Substance Use Among Female Adolescent Offenders: Effects of Coping and Family Support

This study examined a stress-coping model for substance use among female adolescents (N == 305, 69%% African American) involved in the Mississippi juvenile justice system. Participants were interviewed in , regarding exposure to adverse and traumatic events, and they completed self-administered measures of social support from relatives, coping strategies, and questions on frequency of alcohol and other drug use. Results from nested regression models revealed that stressors are associated with drug, but not alcohol use. The use of supportive kinship ties and religion to cope were protective factors. The implications and limitations of the study are discussed.     

Relationship of PTSD With impulsivity Dimensions While Controlling the Effect of Anxiety and Depression in a Sample of Inpatients With Alcohol Use Disorder

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with impulsivity dimensions while controlling the effect of anxiety and depression in a sample of inpatients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Methods: Participants were 190 male patients admitted to a specialized center for substance use disorders within a six month period. Participants were evaluated with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Short Form Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11-SF), the Traumatic Experiences Checklist, and PTSD Checklist-Civilian version. Results: Age was lower in the group with PTSD (n = 63, 33.2%) than the group without PTSD (n = 127, 66.8%). Duration of education, marital, and employment status did not differ between the groups. STAI, BDI, and BIS-11-SF scores were higher in the group with PTSD. Trait anxiety, depression, and impulsivity predicted high PTSD risk in a logistic regression model. Same variables predicted the severity of PTSD symptoms in a linear regression. Among dimensions of impulsivity attentional component was the only predictor of PTSD symptoms severity, not motor or nonplanning impulsivity. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the PTSD may be related to impulsivity, particularly attentional impulsivity, even after controlling anxiety and depression among inpatients with AUD.     

Acceptability and Impact of Measures Regulating Alcohol Consumption Among Adolescents in Spain: Opinions of Adolescents,Parents, and Teachers

This article describes the acceptability and opinion on the impact of measures regulating alcohol consumption among minors in Spain, from the point of view of the adolescents, parents, and teachers. The participants—123 students, teachers, and parents from 6 Spanish autonomous communities—take part in a qualitative survey (focal groups and interviews) and in a quantitative part measuring levels of agreement with 17 anti-alcohol measures. The study shows the existence of widespread agreement with the measures, although the impact of regulations is considered to be low. Adolescents welcome administrative measures, and parents and teachers prefer the regulation of sales, consumption, and advertising. Collaboration between the social actors involved in the prevention and control of alcohol consumption among minors and regulations based on heightening the sense of responsibility of all groups forms the basis for effective anti-alcohol regulations.     

Motives for Illicit Use of Doping Substances Among Athletes Calling a National Antidoping Phone-Help Service: An Exploratory Study

This study aimed to construct a hierarchy of motives linked to doping behaviors. Between 2000 and 2005, calls to a national antidoping phone-help service by 115 cyclists, 203 bodybuilders, and 40 footballers were analyzed. The results showed that the main motives were preserving health for cyclists, increasing muscular strength for bodybuilders, and personal recreation for footballers. However, in contrast to the literature, group influence was low and health preoccupations were high for cyclists; the influence of body image was relatively low for bodybuilders; and footballers cited muscular strength enhancement as a motive. The study's limitations are noted. The prevention campaigns therefore need to be specific.     

An Evaluation of the Stress-Negative Affect Model in Explaining Alcohol Use: The Role of Components of Negative Affect and Coping Style

The stress-negative affect model for alcohol use was examined. The mediating roles of different components of negative affect were tested in the context of coping style. Data from 1,057 drinking adults (M_age = 44.45) and 352 drinking college students (M_age = 19.07) collected during 2001–2005 and in 2010, respectively, were examined separately. Participants completed self-administered measures of alcohol use, coping strategies, negative life events, and negative affect. A structural equation modeling framework detected stress-related drinking only in the adult sample. Sadness, anger, and guilt were significant mediators and the significant pathways differed based on coping style. The implications and limitations of the study are discussed.     

Trajectories of Adolescent Alcohol Use: The Effect of Individual and Social Risk Factors by Race

This study examined racial differences across African-American, Hispanic, and White participants in the impact that individual and social risk factors have on drinking behavior trajectories. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health from seventh through ninth graders (N = 4,372) were used. Participants reported on frequency of drinking across the four waves and risk factors at Wave 1. Growth mixture modeling revealed four trajectories for alcohol use that included Abstainers, Early Starters, Late Starters, and De-Escalators. Social and individual indicators of risk were differently predictive of group membership to the problematic drinking trajectories. Differences across racial groups suggested that a lack of future orientation may be a salient risk factor for African-American and Hispanic youths' alcohol use, and peer alcohol use may be a salient risk factor for White youths' alcohol use. The findings of this study suggest that there may be individual differences in risk factors that provide insight for prevention efforts.