Booster effects and mechanisms of web-based personalised normative feedback alcohol intervention for college students: A pragmatic randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the effects of booster and no booster versions of web-based alcohol Personalised Normative Feedback (PNF) and whether descriptive norms mediated and/or participant motivation moderated the effectiveness of the intervention in real world conditions (i.e. no financial incentives). METHODS: Pragmatic randomised controlled trial with 1-, 3-, and 6-month assessments. Brazilian college students reporting alcohol use in the last 12 months (N=931) were recruited from May/2020 to December/2022 and allocated to 1) No booster/single PNF(S-PNF); 2) Booster/multiple PNF(M-PNF); or 3) Assessment-only control. We applied Helmert coding [1: Any intervention (S-PNF or M-PNF) vs. Control; and 2: S-PNF vs. M-PNF]. PRIMARY OUTCOMES: typical number of drinks/week and maximum number of drinks/week; secondary outcomes: drinking frequency and number of consequences. Three-months assessment was the primary interval. Descriptive norms were tested as mediator. Interest, importance, and readiness to change were examined as moderators. RESULTS: Compared to control, any intervention did not influence primary outcomes at 3-months or 6-months, but did at 1-month, when reduced typical drinking (IRR:0.77, 95%CI:0.66;0.90) and maximum number of drinks (IRR:0.69, 95%CI:0.58;0.82). There was an intervention effect on the consequences at 3-months. No differences were observed between S-PNF and M-PNF. No mediation effects were found at 3-months. At 6-months, there was an indirect effect on typical drinking through norms at 3-months (b=-0.82, 95%CI:-2.03;-0.12) and effects on maximum drinks through norms at 1-month (b=-0.54, 95%CI:-1.65;-0.02). No support for moderation was found. CONCLUSIONS: Intervention reduced alcohol drinking at 1 month only and was not effective thereafter. Mechanisms of effect remain unclear.

Chat-Based Instant Messaging Support Reduces Alcohol Use in University Students.

According to this study.

A Deviance Regulation Theory Intervention Affects the Association Between Narcissistic Traits and Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategies in College Students.

Background: College students continue to report problematic alcohol use. To mitigate adverse outcomes, recent studies have employed harm reduction strategies known as Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS). Deviance Regulation Theory (DRT), an impression management intervention, has been used to promote the use of PBS. DRT relies on impression management to modify behavior. This may be especially important for individuals with higher levels of trait narcissism. Method: College student drinkers (n = 132) were randomly assigned to receive a positive message about PBS users, a negative message about non-PBS users, or control. Participants reported on current PBS use norms, daily alcohol use, PBS use, and any alcohol-related problems experienced during the previous week for the next 10 weeks. Results: Data were analyzed using multilevel regression to examine PBS use across time by condition. When PBS norms were low, narcissism was strongly associated with lower rates of PBS use in the control group. If individuals received a positive or negative message, the association between narcissism and PBS use was diminished, among individuals with low PBS norms. There were no significant differences at mean or high levels of norms, indicating the messaging was only important for the highest risk group (i.e., those with low PBS norms). Discussion: The results of this study suggest that message framing may be effective at reducing the robust negative association between narcissism and PBS use for individuals with low PBS norms. Positive messages about individuals that use PBS may be one approach to mitigating problematic alcohol consumption in this at-risk group.

An Application of the Stressor-Vulnerability Model of Drinking in College Student Drinkers.

Background: The stressor vulnerability model provides theoretical support for conditions under which drinking to cope (DTC) is likely to occur (i.e., decreased adaptive coping, increased positive alcohol expectancies). However, research has only tested this model in a college sample reporting trauma. Generalizability to a non-trauma-specific sample college drinkers would support applications of the model and inferences about coping-related drinking across a broader group of young adults. Objectives: Our sample included 565 college student drinkers (Mage = 20.3 years; SDage = 2.0 years; 77.0% female; 54.2% White) from a large southeastern university. Mediation analyses examined DTC as a mediator between negative affect and alcohol-related outcomes (i.e., drinking quantity, drinking frequency, binge drinking frequency, and alcohol-related consequences). Moderated mediation models tested the influence of tension reduction expectancies and cognitive reappraisal on mediation pathways. Results: Drinking to cope was found to be a full mediator for associations between negative affect and drinking-related outcomes. For associations between negative affect and alcohol-related consequences, DTC was a partial mediator. For all alcohol outcomes, results indicated the mediation between negative affect and outcomes through DTC is strongest for individuals with greater cognitive reappraisal use. Positive alcohol expectancies did not moderate any indirect effects. Conclusions: Although cognitive reappraisal is typically considered an adaptive emotion regulation technique, our results suggest that this may not always be the case with drinking outcomes. Given our findings, further research is needed to discern the conditions wherein cognitive reappraisal may and may not be adaptive. This could be useful in informing interventions to reduce harmful DTC behaviors.

Motivation to Abstain from Drinking as a Moderator of Associations Between Parent and Offspring Problem Drinking.

OBJECTIVE: Motivational processes are key factors in the development and maintenance of problem drinking and include motivation to drink as well as motivation to abstain from drinking. Although motivation to drink has been widely studied, little research has considered motivation to abstain from drinking. The current study addresses this gap in research by exploring the role of motivation to abstain from drinking based on dispositional risk, fear of negative consequences, religious and family constraints, and indifference to alcohol in associations between mother and father problem drinking and the problem drinking of college students. METHOD: Data were collected from 337 U.S. college students (77.2% female, 86% White) who reported on their exposure to mother and father problem drinking, their own problem drinking, and their motivation to abstain from drinking for several reasons. RESULTS: Findings supported the protective role of motivation to abstain from drinking based on fear of negative consequences of drinking. Persons exposed to parental problem drinking who had low motivation to abstain from alcohol based on dispositional risk were vulnerable to the intergenerational transmission of problem drinking. In addition, motivation to abstain from drinking based religious or family constraints was associated with lower problem drinking regardless of exposure to parental problem drinking. CONCLUSIONS: Conviction-related motivation may be a powerful motivation to abstain from drinking, including among persons at risk due to parental problem drinking.

Effects of a Single Dose of Ayahuasca in College Students With Harmful Alcohol Use: A Single-blind, Feasibility, Proof-of-Concept Trial.

BACKGROUND: Ayahuasca is a South American plant hallucinogen rich in the psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine and ß-carbolines (mainly harmine). Preclinical and observational studies suggest that ayahuasca exerts beneficial effects in substance use disorders, but these potentials were never assessed in a clinical trial. METHODS: Single-center, single-blind, feasibility, proof-of-concept study, assessing the effects of one dose of ayahuasca accompanied by psychological support (without psychotherapy) on the drinking patterns (primary variable) of 11 college students with harmful alcohol consumption. Secondary variables included safety and tolerability, craving, personality, anxiety, impulsivity, self-esteem, and social cognition. FINDINGS: Ayahuasca was well tolerated (no serious adverse reactions were observed), while producing significant psychoactive effects. Significant reductions in days per week of alcohol consumption were found between weeks 2 and 3 (2.90 ± 0.28 vs 2.09 ± 0.41; P < 0.05, uncorrected), which were not statistically significant after Bonferroni correction. There were no statistically significant effects for other variables, except for a significant reduction in reaction time in an empathy task. CONCLUSIONS: A significant reduction in days of alcohol consumption was observed 2-3 weeks after ayahuasca intake, but this effect did not survive after Bonferroni correction. The lack of significant effects in alcohol use and other variables may be related to the small sample size and mild/moderate alcohol use at baseline. The present study shows the feasibility of our protocol, paving the way for future larger, controlled studies.

Factor structure, group invariance, and concurrent validity of scores from the college eating and drinking behavior scale among U.S. college students.

Food and alcohol disturbance (FAD) refers to the intersection of alcohol- and eating-related motives and behaviors, such as restricting food intake before or during alcohol use to offset caloric intake or to enhance intoxication. Valid assessment is critical for advancing research on FAD. We tested the factor structure, group invariance, and concurrent validity of the College Eating and Drinking Behavior Scale (CEDBS) in a large college student sample (n = 2610; Mage = 20.95, SD = 4.65; 71.8% female; 77% White; 86% non-Hispanic). Participants completed measures assessing antecedents of alcohol use (i.e., protective behavioral strategies and drinking motives), negative alcohol-related consequences, alcohol use severity, and risk for eating disorder. The 3-factor model of the 21-item CEDBS provided an adequate fit to the data (e.g., CFI = 0.916). These factors include Alternative Methods (4 items; "Use laxative prior to drinking alcohol"), Offset Calories (7 items; "Restrict calories prior to drinking to help maintain your figure"), and Quicker Intoxication (10 items; "Not eating before drinking alcohol because it gives you the best buzz"). The CEDBS was scalar invariant across subgroups of participants based on age, sex, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and political orientation. Quicker Intoxication was most strongly related to risk factors and negative consequences for alcohol (r = 0.204-0.379, all ps < 0.01), and Offset Calories was most strongly related to risk for eating disorders (r = 0.349, p < .01). These findings further support the CEDBS to assess FAD among college students.

A confirmatory factor analysis of a revised motives for playing drinking games (MPDG-33) scale among university students in the United States.

AIM: Participating in a drinking game (DG) is common practice among university students and can increase students' risk for heavy drinking. Given the theoretical link between motivations to drink and alcohol use, careful consideration should be given to students' motivations to play DGs. In this study, we examined the factor structure, internal consistency, and concurrent validity of a revised version of the motives for playing drinking games (MPDG) scale, the MPDG-33. METHODS: University students (n = 3345, Mage = 19.77 years, SDage = 1.53; 68.8% = women; 59.6% = White) from 12 U.S. universities completed a confidential online self-report survey that included the MPDG-33 and questions regarding their frequency of DG participation and typical drink consumption while playing DGs. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis indicated the 7-factor model fit the data adequately, and all items had statistically significant factor loadings on their predicted factor. All subscales had adequate to excellent internal consistency and were positively correlated with the frequency of DG participation and the typical number of drinks consumed while playing DGs (though the correlations were small). CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that the MPDG-33 can be reliably used in research and clinical settings to assess U.S. university students' motives for playing DGs.

Posttraumatic Stress and Alcohol Use Among Hispanic/Latinx University Students: A Moderated Indirect Effect Model of Coping-Related Drinking and Anxiety Sensitivity.

OBJECTIVE: Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and anxiety sensitivity (AS) are associated with increased alcohol use and coping-motivated drinking among university students. This study among trauma-exposed Hispanic/Latinx university students sought to examine the indirect effect of PTSS on alcohol use severity through coping-motivated drinking and test the moderating role of AS and AS subfacets. METHODS: University students who identified as Hispanic/Latinx (N = 830) were recruited from a large, urban, southern university and completed online, self-report questionnaires. RESULTS: A significant interactive effect of PTSS and AS on coping-motivated drinking emerged. PTSS exerted a significant indirect effect on alcohol use severity, through coping-motivated drinking. Simple slope analyses revealed that PTSS was associated with coping-motivated drinking across all levels of AS. Post hoc results revealed unique biological sex differences in probable diagnosis odds ratios. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that PTSS and AS are associated with coping-motivated drinking and alcohol use severity in trauma-exposed, Hispanic/Latinx university students.

Childhood trauma and alcohol misuse in college students: The moderating role of minimization.

BACKGROUND: History of childhood trauma as a risk factor for alcohol misuse in early adulthood is very well documented. Given the associations between childhood trauma and alcohol misuse, more work is needed to understand the factors that influence this relationship. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between childhood trauma, minimization of such events and alcohol misuse in a French college student sample. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A convenience sampling method was used to recruit students from several colleges located in Western France. The data set included 1180 records with complete responses. METHODS: This study employed a cross-sectional online survey. Data collection instruments included the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Short-Form (CTQ-SF) and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). RESULTS: The strength of the association between CTQ score and AUDIT total score was increased by minimization score (ß = 0.122, p = .07). This result suggests that under-reporting childhood trauma experiences tends to increase the impact of such events on alcohol misuse. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that a tendency to minimize threatening childhood events may specifically be related to increased risk of greater alcohol misuse among college students. Therefore, it may be important for clinician to assess minimization of early events in students with a history of childhood trauma.

Sleep, Alcohol and Cannabis Use in College Students With and Without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Background: Relations among attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), sleep, and substance-related negative consequences are largely unknown. In this cross-sectional study, we examined associations among ADHD diagnosis, sleep, and alcohol-related consequences. We also evaluated the independent and interactive effects of sleep and ADHD on alcohol-related negative consequences, above and beyond levels of alcohol use. Methods: College students who drink alcohol with (n = 51) and without (n = 50) ADHD completed an assessment that included a diagnostic interview assessing ADHD, and questionnaire measures of sleep quality, substance use, and associated consequences. Analyses utilized a series of hierarchical linear regression models and explored these aims for cannabis use in a subset of participants (n = 52 participants that used cannabis). Results: College students who drink alcohol with ADHD reported significantly worse sleep quality and more alcohol-related consequences, relative to those without ADHD. When ADHD and sleep quality were included in the model, ADHD-but not sleep quality-was independently associated with alcohol consequences, but not cannabis consequences. There were no moderating effects of ADHD on the associations between sleep and substance-related consequences. Conclusions: Students who drank alcohol with ADHD may be particularly vulnerable to experiencing poor sleep and consequences from their substance use, compared to their heavy drinking peers without ADHD. Future, larger scale studies should consider longitudinal effects as well as underlying mechanisms of risk.

Establishing Motivational Profiles to Drink among College Students: Converging Patterns Using Multiple Theories of Alcohol use.

Objective: While college student drinking has been studied utilizing many different theories and approaches, it is unclear how these theories may overlap in their explanation of problematic drinking. Rather than relying on one theory, examining overlap between multiple theories of alcohol use may lead to a better understanding of the motivational process underlying drinking behavior. The current study proposes that the Ambivalence Model of Craving, Behavioral Economics, and Alcohol Outcome Expectancy Theory account for the same underlying anticipatory process and sought to demonstrate this by establishing motivational profiles utilizing constructs within each theory. Methods: A total of 318 college student drinkers completed a series of surveys assessing their drinking behavior and the measures pertaining to each theory (i.e., Approach and Avoidance of Alcohol Questionnaire, Alcohol Purchase Task, Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire). A latent profile analysis was used to establish profiles of motivational tendencies. Results: Results from the latent profile analysis indicated four profiles emerged, three of which were consistent with our hypotheses: approach, avoidance, and indifferent. The fourth motivational profile appeared to represent drinkers with an emerging approach tendency but relatively newer to drinking. The lack of ambivalent profile suggests that avoidant tendencies may develop later in response to an accumulation of experience with drinking. Lastly, these profiles demonstrated expected relationships with drinking behavior. Conclusion: This study is unique in its attempt to highlight similarities between theories. Results provide a useful integration of theories to allow for a more generalized understanding of motivational tendencies that develop in response to drinking experiences.

Individual Differences in Substance Use Motives, Trauma, and Stress Among College-Based Polysubstance Users.

Background: Co-use of alcohol and other drugs within a certain time frame (i.e., polysubstance use) has become increasingly prevalent, particularly among college-aged individuals, but understanding motives for co-use remains limited. Polysubstance use has been associated with a higher likelihood of negative health consequences as compared to single substance use. Objectives: The current study examined associations between motivations for using alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis among college students who use multiple substances versus students using only one substance or no substances. Additionally, we examined the effect of trauma and daily stress on polysubstance use in self-report data from individuals (N=134) participating in the MAPme Study. Results: First, the observed prevalence of polysubstance use was greater than expected by chance, with most individuals co-using alcohol and cannabis. "Alcohol and Other Drug Users" were more frequently motivated to drink for social (ß=0.27, CI=[0.07, 0.44]), enhancement (ß=0.26, CI=[0.01, 0.42]) and coping (ß=0.21, CI=[0.06, 0.47]) reasons compared to individuals who consumed alcohol alone. Conclusions: Individual differences in motivations for use were partly explained by frequency of alcohol use and alcohol problem severity, but not by history of trauma or stress. Finally, while patterns of correlations among motivations for use across substances suggested a general tendency to be motivated to use substances for similar reasons, this was not supported by confirmatory factor models. Overall, shared motives may inform potential behavioral patterns for co-use of substances during college and might advise future treatment efforts.

Emerging adults tend to use multiple substances, particularly alcohol and cannabisCorrelation patterns suggest shared motives within rather than across substancesAlcohol problem severity and alcohol frequency predict motives for use.

Safer Bars: A cluster-randomized effectiveness evaluation of alcohol-related sexual violence prevention through bar staff bystander training.

BACKGROUND: Sexual assault is consistently associated with social contexts that support high levels of alcohol consumption such as alcohol-serving establishments (i.e., bars). The significant rates of alcohol-involved sexual assault among college students demonstrate the critical need for evidence-based efforts to reduce alcohol-involved sexual assault in this population. Although bystander approaches have demonstrated some promise for reducing alcohol-involved sexual assault, to date no published studies have examined the effectiveness of implementing bystander prevention approaches with bar staff. Given the robust evidence indicating that bars serve as hot spots for sexual aggression, interventions that improve bar staff's ability to identify and intervene in sexually aggressive situations may offer a useful approach for reducing rates of alcohol-involved sexual assault. METHODS: The Safer Bars study utilizes a cluster-randomized trial design that randomizes participants at the bar level into intervention and waitlist control arms. The sample includes bars (Nbars = 56) within a three-mile proximity to the three major public Arizona universities, with an average of 10 staff members per bar (Nstaff = 564). Assessments of individual-level and bar-level outcomes occur at baseline, training completion, and 3-months post-training, with an additional individual-level assessment at 6 months. Community-level effects are assessed using GIS data regarding police dispatches. CONCLUSION: Safer Bars represents a novel, theory-driven approach to promote effective bystander behavior among bar staff working in close proximity to university campuses to reduce rates of alcohol-involved sexual assault.

How Do Gain-Loss Frames and Cultural Arguments Persuade? Designing Effective Messages to Weaken College Students' Binge-Drinking Intentions.

To design effective health messages, this study investigates the effects of gain-loss framing and relevant moderating effects in the context of college students' alcohol use. Specifically, based on an online experiment, we tested the moderation effects of message-sidedness and binge-drinking behaviors using a mediation model in which the association between gain-loss framing and behavioral intentions is mediated by attitudes toward binge-drinking. Four hundred thirty-four Korean college students participated in this study. Hayes' PROCESS Macro for SPSS was employed for the analysis. The results show that loss-framing significantly increased participants' unfavorable attitudes toward binge-drinking in the one-sided message condition. Moreover, attitudes toward binge-drinking were more significantly associated with behavioral intentions to binge-drink among heavy drinkers than among non-heavy drinkers. Our findings suggest important theoretical and practical implications for the development of message-framing strategies in health campaigns designed to prevent college students' binge-drinking in collectivistic societies where the cultural meaning of drinking extends beyond the individual realm to the larger social context.

Comparing Drinking Game Motives, Behaviors, and Consequences Among Varsity Athletes, Recreational Athletes, and Non-Student-Athletes: A Multisite University Study.

OBJECTIVE: Among college students, student-athletes are at increased risk for heavy alcohol consumption, participation in risky drinking practices (e.g., playing drinking games [DG]), and adverse alcohol-related consequences relative to non-student-athletes. Within the student-athlete population, level of sports participation (e.g., recreational or varsity sports) can affect alcohol use behaviors and consequences, but our understanding of the extent to which level of sports participation influences engagement in DG is limited. Thus, in the present study, we examined differences in frequency of participation in DG, typical drink consumption while playing DG, negative DG consequences, and motives for playing DG among varsity, recreational, and non-student-athletes. METHOD: College students (n = 7,901 across 12 U.S. colleges/universities) completed questionnaires on alcohol use attitudes, behaviors, and consequences. RESULTS: Student-athletes (recreational or varsity sports) were more likely to have participated in DG within the past month than non-student-athletes. Among students who reported past-month DG play, recreational athletes played more often and endorsed more enhancement/thrills motives for playing DG than non-student-athletes, and student-athletes (recreational or varsity) endorsed higher levels of competition motives for playing DG than non-student-athletes. CONCLUSIONS: These findings shed light on some risky drinking patterns and motives of recreational athletes who are often overlooked and under-resourced in health research and clinical practice. Recreational and varsity student-athletes could benefit from alcohol screening and prevention efforts, which can include provision of competitive and alcohol-free social activities and promotion of alcohol protective behavioral strategies to help reduce recreational athletes' risk for harm while playing DG.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is associated with more alcohol problems and less substance-free reinforcement: A behavioral economics daily diary study of college student drinkers.

OBJECTIVE: Behavioral economic theory suggests that alcohol risk is related to elevated alcohol reinforcing efficacy (demand) combined with diminished availability of reinforcing substance-free activities, but little research has examined these reward-related processes at the daily level in association with comorbid conditions that might influence behavioral patterns and reward. Young people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) report high levels of risky drinking, and this risk may be due in part to elevated demand for alcohol and diminished engagement in enjoyable and valued substance-free activities. METHOD: College student drinkers (N = 101; 48.5% female; 68.3% White; 18-22 years old) with (n = 51) and without (n = 50) ADHD completed 14 consecutive daily diaries (diary entry n = 1,414). We conducted a series of multilevel path models to examine (a) the associations among ADHD and average daily alcohol demand, substance-free enjoyment, and response contingent positive reinforcement (RCPR) for goal-directed behaviors; (b) the associations among concurrent daily alcohol demand, substance-free reinforcement, and RCPR for goal-directed behaviors and daily alcohol use and alcohol-related negative consequences; and (c) the moderating effect of ADHD on these within-day associations. RESULTS: ADHD was significantly associated with more daily alcohol-related negative consequences and less daily substance-free enjoyment and RCPR. Regardless of ADHD status, there were significant associations among behavioral economic risk factors and alcohol use and negative consequences, though effects differed within and between persons. There were no moderating effects of ADHD on within-person associations. CONCLUSIONS: Results expose areas of impairment specific to drinkers with ADHD and advance theory on ADHD and hazardous drinking. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

An experimental investigation into the effect of negative affect on the behavioral economic demand for alcohol.

OBJECTIVE: It is hypothesized that alcohol use is reinforcing when used as a strategy to cope with negative affect. Although the evidence for this hypothesis in observational data is weak, some experimental evidence suggests that the behavioral economic demand for alcohol increases immediately following a negative emotional event. We hypothesized that people show a higher demand for alcohol following negative (vs. neutral) mood inductions and that this effect is stronger in people who report heavier drinking compared to people who report lighter drinking as well as stronger on days characterized by higher coping motives and negative urgency. METHOD: 309 college students who reported recent alcohol consumption (MAUDIT = 6.86) completed the alcohol purchase task after being subjected to 12 mood inductions (six negative, six neutral, order randomized) on 12 separate days. RESULTS: In our preregistered analyses, we found no evidence that the behavioral economic demand for alcohol was elevated following negative mood inductions. The mood inductions in our study were not as strong as has been reported in previous research, weakening the preregistered inferences. In exploratory analyses performed on a subset of the data in which the mood inductions worked as intended, demand was higher following negative mood inductions. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study are not conclusive. In light of previous research, we consider these data to slightly increase our confidence that demand for alcohol is increased immediately following a negative emotional event. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Writing about the future self to shift drinking identity: An experimental investigation.

College student drinking is prevalent and costly to public and personal health, leading to calls to identify and target novel mechanisms of behavior change. We aimed to manipulate drinking identity (a cognitive risk factor for hazardous drinking) via three sessions of narrative writing about a future self. We tested whether writing could shift drinking identity and would be accompanied by changes in alcohol consumption and problems. Participants were college students meeting hazardous drinking criteria (N = 328; Mage = 20.15; 59% women, 40% men, 1% gender-diverse; 60% white; 23% Asian; 12% multiple races; 2% other racial groups; 8% identified as Hispanic/Latino/a/x). The study had a 2 [narrative writing topic: low-risk drinker vs. reduced smartphone use] × 2 [writing perspective: first person vs. non-first-person] × 2 [social network instruction: instructed to include vs. not] factorial design. Outcomes were drinking identity, drinking refusal self-efficacy, alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and craving. Participants completed three writing sessions and online follow-up assessments at 2, 4, and 12 weeks. The study is a registered clinical trial; hypotheses and analyses were preregistered (https://osf.io/vy2ep/). Contrary to predictions, narrative writing about a future self as a low-risk drinker did not significantly impact outcomes. Null results extended to expected interactions with writing perspective and social network instructions. The narrative writing task did not shift drinking or alcohol-related outcomes. Future experimental work may benefit from greater flexibility in conceptualizing a future self, recruiting individuals interested in behavior change, and more sensitive measures of drinking identity.

Alcohol demand in college students: The roles of athletic involvement and gender.

College student-athletes represent a high-risk group for heavy alcohol consumption and negative alcohol-related consequences. Although college drinking correlates with access to low-cost alcohol, no study has examined demand, or the relationship between price and consumption, in student-athletes. Furthermore, the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and drinking to cope motives in student-athletes suggest athlete-specific risks of alcohol consumption that have not yet been examined in conjunction with demand. Therefore, the present study examined gender differences in alcohol demand, alcohol consumption, and anxiety and depressive symptoms in student-athletes (n = 118) and nonathletes (n = 78) at three colleges/universities. Participants completed the Alcohol Purchase Task and measures of alcohol-related behaviors and mental health. Observed demand indices including intensity (i.e., consumption at zero price), Omax (i.e., maximum expenditure), Pmax (i.e., price associated with Omax), and breakpoint-1, or BP1 (i.e., highest price of nonzero consumption) were calculated at the individual level. The rate of change in demand elasticity (i.e., decrease in consumption relative to price increases) was calculated at the group level. Overall, students reported lower alcohol consumption at higher alcohol prices, but men reported higher alcohol consumption and demand intensity than women, student-athletes reported higher Omax than nonathletes, and student-athletes reported lower depressive symptoms than nonathletes. These findings support reducing access to low-cost alcohol in college drinking environments as a harm-reduction strategy, particularly for high-risk student populations, such as men and those involved in athletics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).