Risk for alcohol use/misuse among entering college students: The role of personality and stress

Protective and risk factors for increased alcohol use in Latinx college students on the U.S./Mexico border

Alcohol use is prevalent among undergraduates, however, limited research on drinking among Latinx college students exists. This study examined potential risk and protective factors of alcohol use and consequences. Participants (n = 382) completed multiple measures including alcohol use frequency and the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI). Linear regression models identified predictors of monthly and yearly drinking days and RAPI. Findings indicated that alcohol use frequency was associated with increasing age, parental alcohol use disorder, greater anger, and lower self-efficacy. Alcohol-related consequences were positively associated with anxiety and adverse childhood experiences. Early alcohol prevention and intervention efforts appear warranted.

The Moderating Role of Stress Mindset on the Relationship between Drinking to Cope and Alcohol Consumption among Undergraduate College Student Drinkers

OBJECTIVE

Previous research suggests drinking alcohol to cope with negative affect, including stress, is a risk for increased alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. Stress mindset, the individually held belief that stress can lead to either enhancing or debilitating outcomes, has yet to be studied within the context of alcohol use. Studying stress mindset among college students as it relates to alcohol consumption may provide important insight into heavy alcohol use in this population.

METHOD

A sample of 320 undergraduates (Mage = 19.06 (SD = 0.06); 63.44% female; 65.49% White) who endorsed past-year alcohol use completed self-report measures of drinking motives, stress mindset, alcohol consumption, and alcohol-related consequences. Zero-inflated negative binomial regressions were utilized to examine the moderating effect of stress mindset on the relationship between drinking to cope and alcohol consumption.

RESULTS

Stress mindset significantly moderated the relationship between drinking to cope and alcohol consumption (IRR = 0.98, se = 0.01, p < 0.05, CI = 0.96, 1.00), such that the relationship was stronger among those with a debilitating stress mindset compared to those with an enhancing stress mindset. Stress mindset did not significantly moderate the relationship between drinking to cope and alcohol-related consequences.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals with high drinking to cope scores and who hold a debilitating stress mindset may be at a particular vulnerability for heavy alcohol consumption. The present study furthers our understanding of predictors of alcohol use in a college sample and suggests the importance of future research focused on stress mindset among college student drinkers.

Correlation analysis of mental health conditions and personality of patients with alcohol addiction

BACKGROUND

Alcohol addiction, or alcohol dependence, refers to a psychological state of strong craving for alcohol caused by drinking when both the drinking times and alcohol consumption reach a certain level. Alcohol addiction can cause irreversible damage, leading to mental illness or mental disorders, negative changes in their original personality, and a tendency to safety incidents such as committing suicide or violent attacks on others. Significant attention needs to be given to the mental health of alcohol addicts, which could reflect their abnormal personality traits. However, only a few papers on this issue have been reported in China.

AIM

To investigate the correlation between mental health and personality in patients with alcohol addiction.

METHODS

In this single-center observational study, we selected 80 patients with alcohol addiction as the research subjects, according to the criteria of the K10 scale to evaluate the mental health of patients with alcohol addiction, and divided these patients into four groups based on the evaluation results: Good, average, relatively poor and bad. And then analyzed the correlation between mental health conditions and personality characteristics from these four groups of patients.

RESULTS

The average score of the K10 scale (Kessler 10 Simple Psychological Status Assessment Scale) in 80 patients with alcohol addiction was 25.45 points, the median score was 25 points, the highest score was 50 points, and the lowest score was 11 points. Pearson's analysis showed that the K10 score was positively correlated with the scores of these two subscales, such as the P-subscale and the N-subscale (P < 0.05). In contrast, the K10 score had no significant correlation with the scores from the E-subscale and the L-subscale (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The mental health conditions of patients with alcohol addiction are positively correlated with their personality characteristics.

COVID-19 Related Stressors, Parent-Child Relationship, and Alcohol Use and Mental Health Profiles Among White and Hispanic/Latinx First-Year College Students

Transitioning to college during the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may increase risk for alcohol use and mental health problems. We examined how COVID-19 related stressors and parent-child relationships are independently and interactively associated with alcohol use and mental health profiles in a sample of first-year college students (N = 425, 34.8% Hispanic/Latinx; 74.9% female) who completed an online survey in October 2020. Latent profile analysis identified four profiles: well-adjusted (53.2%), mental health problems only (21.6%), alcohol use only (17.4%), and comorbid (7.8%). COVID-19 related stressful events increased risk of being in the alcohol use only and comorbid profiles, whereas COVID-19 related worries increased risk of being in the mental health problems only profile. Parent-child relationship quality lowered risk of being in the mental health problems only and the comorbid profiles. In addition, parent-child relationship quality moderated the role of COVID-19 related worries such that COVID-19 related worries were associated with lower odds of being in the comorbid profile when parent-child relationship quality was high but not when parent-child relationship quality was low. Strengthening parent-child relationship quality appears important for promoting college students' well-being.

The Relationship between Selected Factors (Temperament, Bipolar Traits, Sleep Quality, Severity of Addiction) and Depressive Symptoms in Alcohol-Dependent Men

Clinical and epidemiological studies have demonstrated a relationship between alcohol addiction and mood disorders. Alcohol-dependent patients with depression tend to demonstrate clinically more severe manic symptoms, which complicates the process of diagnosis and therapy. However, the predictors indicating the risk of mood disorders in addicted patients remain unclear. The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between personal dispositions, bipolar traits, depth of addiction, quality of sleep, and depressive symptoms in alcohol-dependent men. The study group comprised 70 men (age M = 46.06, SD = 11.29) diagnosed with alcohol addiction. The participants completed a battery of questionnaires: BDI, HCL-32, PSQI, EPQ-R and MAST. The results were tested using Pearson's correlation quotient and general linear model. The findings indicate that some of the studied patients are likely to have mood disorders of clinically significant severity. High neuroticism and poor sleep quality are independent predictors of depressive symptoms in alcohol-dependent patients. Among the components of sleep quality, problems with falling asleep and waking up at night appear to be most strongly associated with depressive symptoms. The intensity of depressive symptoms may relate to the intensity of certain bipolar features, such as risk-taking activity and irritability. High neuroticism and poor sleep quality are independent predictors of depressive symptoms in the studied group.

Influence of students' personality on their leisure behaviour choices and moderating effects on their academic efficacy: An exploratory study

Studying can be very stressful leading to a decreased academic efficacy. In this exploratory longitudinal study, we analysed a wide range of students' leisure activities and their effects on students' academic efficacy. Further, we identified the personality types of students who choose specific leisure activities as a strategy to stress reduction and determined how the use of leisure behaviours affects academic performance among students with different personality types. Students were asked about their personality (Neo-FFI), leisure time behaviour (self-generated items), and academic efficacy (MBI-SS) at three measurement points. Multivariate regression analyses were applied to estimate the moderation effects. In total, 331 students were included in the study. Social activities were found to have a direct effect on academic efficacy. The students' personality moderated the effects of leisure behaviour on efficacy, suggesting a negative effect on academic efficacy for some personality traits. Since our results suggest that the effectiveness of stress management through the use of leisure behaviour depends on the students' personality, universities offering stress management services should pay attention to precise targeting to attract the specific students who might benefit the most from the offered services.