Explanatory pathways linking anxiety sensitivity and alcohol (mis)use: A prospective state-trait analysis among emerging adults.

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol use and related problems increase during adolescence and peak in early adulthood. Tension reduction theories suggest that those high in anxiety sensitivity (AS) may be at risk for misusing alcohol for its anxiolytic effects. Cognitive theories point to drinking motives and alcohol expectancies as explanatory mechanisms of this risk pathway. This study examined AS risk for prospective alcohol misuse, as explained by an unfolding cognitive process, among those transitioning out of Collège d'enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP, i.e., junior college equivalent in Quebec, Canada). We hypothesized that there would be trait-like (average levels over time), positive associations between AS, coping motives, tension-reduction alcohol expectancies, and alcohol use and problems, and that AS would lead to state-like (occasion-specific, reciprocal associations) bidirectional and positive associations between alcohol cognitions and outcomes. METHOD: Final-year CEGEP students (N = 193) completed three online questionnaires at 6-month intervals assessing AS, drinking motives (coping, enhancement), alcohol expectancies (tension reduction, sociability/liquid courage), and alcohol use/problems. State-trait modeling was used for hypothesis testing. RESULTS: Consistent with hypotheses, at the "trait" level, drinking motives and alcohol expectancies were positively associated, and drinking motives and sociability/liquid courage expectancies were positively associated with alcohol problems. At the "state" level, AS positively predicted coping motives and alcohol use, tension-reduction expectancies positively predicted coping motives, and coping motives and sociability/liquid courage expectancies positively predicted alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that AS is a risk factor for coping-motivated drinking, and that there is interplay between cognitions that may help understand emerging adult alcohol risk pathways. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Restrained eating and alcohol use: Testing drinking to cope and impulsivity as moderators.

The association between restrained eating and alcohol use remains poorly understood among undergraduates. Consistent with tension reduction theory, individuals with disordered eating may be motivated to drink alcohol to cope with negative emotionality. Perhaps what pushes them to drink despite restriction goals is impulsivity. The combined impact of drinking to cope and impulsivity on the theoretically complex link between restrained eating and alcohol outcomes has not been previously examined. The current study tested the moderating effect of drinking to cope and impulsivity on the association between restrained eating and alcohol use and problems. Undergraduates (N = 1,619) self-reported on eating disorder symptoms, alcohol use motives, impulsivity, and alcohol outcomes. A moderation model revealed that restrained eating predicted past 30-day alcohol use, but only for women high in both drinking to cope and impulsivity. These findings help characterize alcohol misuse risk among young adults who restrict their eating, thereby, results may inform interventions.

Changes in Youth Mental Health, Psychological Wellbeing, and Substance Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Rapid Review.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers around the world have made efforts to assess its impact on youth mental health; however, the breadth of this topic has impeded a clear assessment of pandemic outcomes. This study aimed to address this gap by reviewing changes in youth (age ≤ 25) mental health, psychological wellbeing, substance use, and the use or delivery of relevant services during the pandemic. PubMed and Embase were searched in May 2021 to conduct a rapid review of the literature. The results encompass 156 primary publications and are reported using a narrative synthesis. Studies of mental health (n = 122) and psychological wellbeing (n = 28) generally indicated poor outcomes in many settings. Publications regarding substance use (n = 41) noted overall declines or unchanged patterns. Studies of service delivery (n = 12) indicated a generally positive reception for helplines and telehealth, although some youth experienced difficulties accessing services. The findings indicate negative impacts of the pandemic on youth mental health, with mixed results for substance use. Services must support marginalized youth who lack access to telehealth. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40894-022-00185-6.