Do Coping Motives and Perceived Impaired Control Mediate the Indirect Links from Childhood Trauma Facets to Alcohol-Related Problems?

INTRODUCTION: The Self-Medication Hypothesis suggests that individuals drink to alleviate undesirable affective states. Behavioral Economics Theory states that individuals deprived of resources (i.e., physically neglected) consume more reinforcing substances when they are available than others. Childhood trauma may indirectly increase impaired control over alcohol (IC; drinking beyond one's own intentions) and thereby increase alcohol use and problems through the employment of coping-motives. METHOD: A structural equation model that included sex as a covariate examined mediated paths with 612 university students. RESULTS: Men were less likely to be emotionally abused and were more likely to use greater amounts of alcohol than women did. Physical neglect was directly linked to both more IC and alcohol use. Emotional and sexual abuse were directly linked to more coping motives. Both emotional and sexual abuse were indirectly linked to more alcohol use and its related problems through increased coping motives and IC. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with Behavioral Economics Theory, there was a direct link between physical neglect and IC. We also found partial support for the Self-Medication Hypothesis regarding the emotional and sexual abuse trauma dimensions; they indirectly contributed to alcohol use and its related problems via the mediating mechanisms of more coping motives and IC. Our findings suggest coping motives could be a therapeutic target for intervention among those sexually or emotionally abused.

The Relationship Between Alcohol and Drug Use, Compulsive Sexual Behavior, and Condomless Anal Sex in Men Who have Sex with Men: Analysis of Retrospectively-Reported Sexual Behavior.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately impacted by HIV in the United States, and substance use and compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) are contributors to HIV risk behavior. This study sought to examine the direct and interactive effects of concurrent substance use and CSB on condomless anal sex (CAS) in a community sample of MSM (N = 200) utilizing a 90-day timeline follow-back assessment. Results indicated CSB did not directly increase risk for CAS when controlling for substance use and age. There was limited evidence for a direct effect of concurrent alcohol use on CAS, and no evidence for an interaction effect with CSB. The relationship between concurrent drug use and CAS was moderated by CSB, such that concurrent drug use was positively associated with CAS for those who screened positive for CSB, while the association was non-significant for those who screened negative. Implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.

RESUMEN: En los Estados Unidos, los hombres que tienen sexo con hombres (HSH) se ven afectados de manera desproporcionada, por el VIH, el uso de sustancias y el comportamiento sexual compulsivo (CSB), lo que contribuye al comportamiento de riesgo del VIH. Este estudio buscó examinar los efectos directos e interactivos del uso simultáneo de sustancias y el CSB sobre el sexo anal sin condón (CAS) en una muestra comunitaria de HSH (N = 200) utilizando una evaluación de retrospectiva de 90 días. Los resultados indicaron que CSB no aumentó directamente el riesgo de CAS al controlar el uso de sustancias y la edad. Se encontró evidencia limitada de un efecto directo del consumo concurrente de alcohol sobre CAS y no se encontró evidencia de efecto de interacción con la CSB. La relación entre el uso concurrente de drogas y CAS fue moderada por CSB, de modo que el uso concurrente de drogas se asoció positivamente con CAS para aquellos que dieron positivo para CSB, mientras que la asociación no fue significativa para aquellos que dieron negativo. Se discuten las implicaciones y limitaciones de estos hallazgos.

College students' virtual and in-person drinking contexts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in pronounced changes for college students, including shifts in living situations and engagement in virtual environments. Although college drinking decreased at the onset of the pandemic, a nuanced understanding of pandemic-related changes in drinking contexts and the risks conferred by each context on alcohol use and related consequences have yet to be assessed. METHODS: Secondary data analyses were conducted on screening data from a large parent clinical trial assessing a college student drinking intervention (N = 1669). Participants across six cohorts (from Spring 2020 to Summer 2021) reported on the frequency of drinking in each context (i.e., outside the home, home alone, home with others in-person, and home with others virtually), typical amount of drinking, and seven alcohol-related consequence subscales. RESULTS: Descriptive statistics and negative binomial regressions indicated that the proportion and frequency of drinking at home virtually with others decreased, while drinking outside the home increased from Spring 2020 to Summer 2021. Limited differences were observed in the proportion or frequency of individuals drinking at home alone or at home with others in-person. Negative binomial and logistic regressions indicated that the frequency of drinking outside the home was most consistently associated with more alcohol-related consequences (i.e., six of the seven subscales). However, drinking at home was not without risks; drinking home alone was associated with abuse/dependence, personal, social, hangover, and social media consequences; drinking home with others virtually was associated with abuse/dependence and social consequences; drinking home with others in-person was associated with drunk texting/dialing. CONCLUSION: The proportion and frequency of drinking in certain contexts changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, although drinking outside the home represented the highest risk drinking context across the pandemic. Future prevention and intervention efforts may benefit from considering approaches specific to different drinking contexts.

"On a night like this": A mixed-methods approach to understanding high-risk drinking events in college students.

BACKGROUND: Previous research indicates college students report heavier drinking on certain events (e.g., 21st birthday). While past research has identified heavier drinking events, students' own reports of which events are associated with elevated drinking remains understudied. The current study utilized mixed methods to explore potential high-risk drinking events (HRDE) for college student drinkers and how these events differed from typical drinking and each other. METHODS: College student drinkers (N = 204) reported the number of drinks they consume on nine predetermined events (e.g., Halloween). Students also responded to open-ended questions listing five events during which they had elevated drinking and indicating the amount consumed on each event. Open-ended responses were coded into similar event categories. Descriptive statistics for drinks consumed were calculated for predetermined and coded open-ended events. Chi-square analyses assessed differences in endorsement of open-ended events by birth sex, age group, and Greek membership. Two multilevel count regressions assessed within-person differences in number of drinks consumed between participants' typical drinking occasions and (1) highly endorsed open-ended events and (2) predetermined events. RESULTS: For all open-ended event categories, average number of drinks consumed exceeded heavy episodic drinking thresholds; however, there was substantial variability. Comparing predetermined events to participants' typical drinking indicated elevated drinking on participants' birthdays, New Year's Eve, Halloween, Finals, and Spring Break; significant differences between events also emerged. Comparison of open-ended categories to participants' typical drinking indicated elevated drinking on birthdays, celebrations, parties, and holidays; however, there were no significant differences between open-ended events. CONCLUSIONS: Students who drink alcohol report heavier drinking on specific calendar-based events (e.g., Spring Break). However, students also report non-calendar-related events (e.g., non-specific parties) as some of their highest drinking events. More research is needed to understand how intervention and prevention programs can be adapted to target both known calendar-based HRDE, and unknown, idiosyncratic HRDE.

Meaning in life and stress-related drinking: A multicohort study of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, college students have experienced heightened stressors and reported stress-related drinking. To identify potential protective factors among college students, we investigate the possibility that finding meaning and purpose in one's life may lessen the strength of the association between stress and alcohol consumption in a multicohort sample of college students (N = 694; 64.8% women) recruited between November 2019 and September 2021. Consistent with expectations, negative binomial regressions revealed significant interactions, such that higher stress was only associated with more past-month alcohol use among individuals who reported low levels of meaning in life. The buffering role of meaning in life appeared to be robust; interaction results held when investigating both general perceived stress and COVID-specific stress, and did not vary by cohort. Although longitudinal and experimental research are needed, findings indicate that finding meaning and purpose in one's life may help college students to navigate heightened periods of stress with more adaptive coping strategies that do not result in drinking to cope. Findings highlight the potential utility of meaning-promoting strategies in college alcohol interventions.

A Systematic Review of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) in Alcohol Research.

Risk-taking propensity has been crucial to the investigation of alcohol use and consequences. One measure, the balloon analogue risk task (BART), has been used consistently over the past two decades. However, it is unclear how this measure is related to alcohol outcomes. This paper systematically reviews the literature on the BART and alcohol outcomes. First, direct associations between the BART and alcohol use are reviewed including correlations, group comparisons, the BART's prediction of alcohol outcomes and BART performance after consuming alcohol. Then, potential moderators that explain when and for whom the BART is related to alcohol outcomes are reviewed. Finally, potential mechanisms that explain how the BART and alcohol outcomes are related are reviewed. This review reveals patterns in the BART suggesting risk-taking propensity may be related to changes in alcohol use over time; however, there is little evidence to suggest BART scores increase after consuming alcohol. Yet, additional research suggests adjusted average pump scores may be too simplistic for the amount of information the BART captures and understanding individual's patterns of responses on the BART is important for investigating its relation to alcohol outcomes. Finally, this review opens up several future directions for research to understand how risk-taking propensity is related to alcohol outcomes.

Effects of stress, alcohol prime dose, and sex on ad libitum drinking.

OBJECTIVE: The Self-Medication Hypothesis (SMH) theorizes that alcohol is used to alleviate negative states. We assessed whether an acute social stressor (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST), a priming dose of alcohol, and participant sex impacted 90-min ad libitum drinking. We expected exposure to stress to be associated with increased consumption, and this effect to be stronger following an alcohol priming dose; we also explored whether participant sex moderated these effects. METHOD: Using a 2×2 experimental design, we randomized groups of two to three drinkers to stress (TSST vs. no TSST) and priming beverage (alcohol vs. placebo) conditions. All participants subsequently completed the 90-min ad libitum drinking period and were instructed not to exceed more than one alcoholic beverage per hour for optimal performance to model behavioral impaired control. We examined (a) number of drinks ordered, (b) violations of the drink limit, (c) change in breath alcohol concentration (BAC), and (d) peak BAC. RESULTS: Analyses showed that exposure to stress was associated with heavier ad libitum drinking. This effect was qualified by a three-way interaction; women who received a stressor and no prime dose (placebo) reached higher BACs, whereas men who received a stressor and a prime reached higher BACs. CONCLUSIONS: The hypothesized interaction between an alcohol priming dose and social stress was only evident among men, whereas women drank more under social stress in the absence of a priming dose. Findings suggest the importance of exploring sex differences in future studies of the SMH. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Correlation Database of 60 Cross-Disciplinary Surveys and Cognitive Tasks Assessing Self-Regulation.

Self-regulation is studied across various disciplines, including personality, social, cognitive, health, developmental, and clinical psychology; psychiatry; neuroscience; medicine; pharmacology; and economics. Widespread interest in self-regulation has led to confusion regarding both the constructs within the nomological network of self-regulation and the measures used to assess these constructs. To facilitate the integration of cross-disciplinary measures of self-regulation, we estimated product-moment and distance correlations among 60 cross-disciplinary measures of self-regulation (23 self-report surveys, 37 cognitive tasks) and measures of health and substance use based on 522 participants. The correlations showed substantial variability, though the surveys demonstrated greater convergent validity than did the cognitive tasks. Variables derived from the surveys only weakly correlated with variables derived from the cognitive tasks (M = .049, range = .000 to .271 for the absolute value of the product-moment correlation; M = .085, range = .028 to .241 for the distance correlation), thus challenging the notion that these surveys and cognitive tasks measure the same construct. We conclude by outlining several potential uses for this publicly available database of correlations.

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.

A Psychometric Evaluation of the Short Grit Scale: A Closer Look at its Factor Structure and Scale Functioning.

Grit, the passion and perseverance for long-term goals, has received attention from personality psychologists because it predicts success and academic achievement. Grit has also been criticized as simply another measure of self-control or conscientiousness. A precise psychometric representation of grit is needed to understand how the construct is unique and how it overlaps with other constructs. Previous research suggests that the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S) has several psychometric limitations, such as uncertain factor structure within and across populations, uncertainty about reporting total or subscale scores, and different assessment precision at low and high levels on the construct. We conducted modern psychometric techniques including parallel analysis, measurement invariance, extrinsic convergent validity, and Item Response Theory models on two American samples. Our results suggest that the Grit-S is essentially unidimensional and that there is construct overlap with the self-control construct. Subscale factors were the result of an item doublet, where two items had high correlated uniquenesses, showed similar item information, and were more likely to exhibit measurement bias. Findings replicated across samples. Finally, we discuss recommendations for the use of the Grit-S based on the theoretical interpretation of the unidimensional factor and our empirical findings.

Shame is bad and guilt is good: An examination of the impaired control over drinking pathway to alcohol use and related problems.

Tension Reduction Theory (Kushner et al., 1994) suggests alcohol is used as a means to alleviate negative affect (NA) such as shame and guilt. Shame is an internalized response in which blame is placed on the self, while guilt is not internalized and the blame is placed on the situation (Dearing et al., 2005). This study aims to investigate relationships of shame and guilt to alcohol use and problems through the mechanisms of multiple facets of impulsivity (i.e. UPPS) and impaired control over drinking (IC), which reflect behavioral control processes. The sample consisted of 419 college students (53% female). We examined direct and indirect relationships of shame and guilt on alcohol use and related problems through facets of impulsivity and IC. Shame and guilt were found to diverge (Woien et al., 2003). We found that those higher on shame-proneness used more alcohol and experienced more alcohol-related problems through increased negative urgency and IC. Conversely, guilt-prone individuals used less alcohol and experienced fewer alcohol-related problems through less negative urgency and IC. Our findings suggest that guilt is an adaptive form of negative affect, particularly when it comes to alcohol-related outcomes.

Applying novel technologies and methods to inform the ontology of self-regulation.

Self-regulation is a broad construct representing the general ability to recruit cognitive, motivational and emotional resources to achieve long-term goals. This construct has been implicated in a host of health-risk behaviors, and is a promising target for fostering beneficial behavior change. Despite its clear importance, the behavioral, psychological and neural components of self-regulation remain poorly understood, which contributes to theoretical inconsistencies and hinders maximally effective intervention development. We outline a research program that seeks to define a neuropsychological ontology of self-regulation, articulating the cognitive components that compose self-regulation, their relationships, and their associated measurements. The ontology will be informed by two large-scale approaches to assessing individual differences: first purely behaviorally using data collected via Amazon's Mechanical Turk, then coupled with neuroimaging data collected from a separate population. To validate the ontology and demonstrate its utility, we will then use it to contextualize health risk behaviors in two exemplar behavioral groups: overweight/obese adults who binge eat and smokers. After identifying ontological targets that precipitate maladaptive behavior, we will craft interventions that engage these targets. If successful, this work will provide a structured, holistic account of self-regulation in the form of an explicit ontology, which will better clarify the pattern of deficits related to maladaptive health behavior, and provide direction for more effective behavior change interventions.