Research & Resources

In this study the researchers noted that the transition to college is associated with a sharp increase in alcohol binge drinking. Family history (FH) of alcohol use disorder (AUD), childhood maltreatment (CM), and adolescent binge drinking are each associated with heightened impulsivity and greater alcohol misuse. They hypothesized that FH, CM, and adolescent binge drinking synergistically increase impulsivity and lead to binge drinking increases over the first year of college. Overall, 329 first-semester college students (18-19 years old) with varying degrees of FH (Family History Assessment Module), CM (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire), and adolescent binge drinking (Carolina Alcohol Use and Patterns Questionnaire) completed an online study that included a computerized delay discounting task and surveys. Binge drinking was surveyed retrospectively to measure adolescent binge drinking, in addition to baseline and one-year follow-up measures. Greater levels of FH, CM, and adolescent binge drinking interacted to reduce the selection of delayed rewards, indicating increased impulsivity. There was a similar interaction effect on increased binge drinking over the one-year follow-up period. Although FH, CM, and adolescent binge drinking influenced individual paths, the moderated mediation analysis was not significant. Heritable and environmental risk factors for AUD predicted impulsivity and prospectively predicted college binge drinking. The researchers emphasized that interventions targeting delay discounting processes might represent an effective strategy to reduce harmful drinking specifically for certain high-risk college students.

This paper, “Family history, childhood maltreatment, and adolescent binge drinking exert synergistic effects on delay discounting and future alcohol use," was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and published in the American journal of drug and alcohol abuse.