Does Social Support Moderate the Association between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Substance-Related Problems?

Background: More than half of individuals in the United States have had adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which can result in physical and mental distress. ACEs has been linked with greater likelihood of harmful alcohol and drug use. Research has found that protective factors, such as social support, may potentially buffer against harmful substance use engagement among those who have experienced ACEs. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between perceived social support, ACEs, and alcohol and cannabis-related problems. Moreover, this study aimed to examine if specific domains of perceived social support (family, friends, and significant other) moderated the relationship between ACEs and alcohol and cannabis-related problems. Method: Validated measures of ACEs, perceived social support, and alcohol and cannabis problems were collected in a sample of 401 emerging adults via Prolific Academic (an online data collection platform). Results: Overall perceived social support and domains such as perceived family and friend social support moderated the relationship between ACEs and alcohol-related problems but not ACEs and cannabis-related problems. The association between ACEs and alcohol-related problems was strongest at low levels of perceived family and friend social support. Perceived social support was not associated with cannabis-related problems. Conclusions: Lack of social support is a potential risk factor for alcohol-related problems among emerging adults. Bolstering perceived social support from family and friends among those who have experienced ACEs may be beneficial in intervention and treatment efforts aiming to reduce harmful substance use in this population.

Examining Differences in Emotion Dysregulation Between Emerging Adult Alcohol-Only Users, Abstainers, and Simultaneous Users.

Objective: Simultaneous use of alcohol and cannabis is associated with more negative consequences than use of either substance alone. Research suggests that emotion dysregulation is linked to alcohol, cannabis, and polysubstance use. However, no previous research has examined whether emotion dysregulation scores differ among individuals without past month substance use (abstainers), individuals who report past-month alcohol use only (no past month cannabis or simultaneous use; alcohol-only users), and individuals who engage in past-month simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use (simultaneous users). Our aim was to examine differences in overall levels of emotion dysregulation and emotion dysregulation subscales between these groups. Methods: The sample included 468 college students. Participants completed an online survey assessing demographics, emotion dysregulation, average number of drinks per week, days of monthly cannabis use, and simultaneous use of alcohol and cannabis. Results: A one-way ANOVA showed significant differences in emotion dysregulation between alcohol-only users, abstainers, and simultaneous users. A Bonferroni post hoc analysis revealed significant differences in emotion dysregulation for simultaneous users (p = .004) compared to alcohol-only users and abstainers. A series of ANOVAs were run to examine emotion dysregulation subscale scores and significant differences were found for impulse control difficulties (p = .003) and limited access to emotion regulation strategies (p = .005) for simultaneous users compared to alcohol-only users and abstainers, and for non-acceptance of emotional responses (p = .018) for simultaneous users compared to and alcohol-only users. Conclusion: These findings indicate that simultaneous users have higher levels of emotion dysregulation, higher levels of impulse control difficulties, greater non-acceptance of emotions, and greater lack of access to emotion regulation strategies compared to abstainers and alcohol-only users.

Attention bias and alcohol craving: Differential effects via biological sex and mood.

BACKGROUND: Attentional bias (AB) has been linked to alcohol use, mood, and alcohol craving, with key differences across different types of mood and biological sex. However, further exploration of the role of AB across these alcohol variables is needed. The current study examined the relationship between mood and AB as predictors of alcohol craving using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Exploratory analysis examined these effects as a function of biological sex. METHODS: Participants (n = 69) from a Midwestern University carried a mobile device for 15 days and provided ratings of momentary mood (positive mood, anxious mood, and sad mood), alcohol craving, and AB. Data were analyzed using a two-level multilevel regression model, with associations between craving, mood, and AB examined at both the momentary and between-subjects levels. RESULTS: Across assessments, positive and negative moods were positively associated with momentary craving, with AB found to operate differently between men and women. At the within-subjects level, increases in positive mood among men strengthened the AB-craving association, while women showed stronger AB-craving associations when positive mood decreased. At the between-subjects level, trait-like sadness led to positive AB-craving associations for men, however, this was the opposite for women. Similarly, AB-craving associations were positive and robust for men with trait-like positive mood but again the opposite was observed for women. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the importance and nuances of biological sex in the context of mood, AB, and craving. Interventions targeting AB and/or emotion regulation may yield different outcomes for men and women.