Family history of problematic alcohol use, stress, and delay discounting: A moderated mediation analysis

BackgroundWhen sober, problematic drinkers display exaggerated reactivity to threats that are uncertain (U-threat). Since this aversive affective state can be alleviated via acute alcohol intoxication, it has been posited that individuals who exhibit heightened reactivity to U-threat at baseline are motivated to use alcohol as a means of avoidance-based coping, setting the stage for excessive drinking. To date, however, no study has attempted to characterize the dispositional nature of exaggerated reactivity to U-threat and test whether it is a vulnerability factor or exclusively a disease marker of problematic alcohol use.MethodThe current investigation utilized a family study design to address these gaps by examining whether (1) reactivity to U-threat is associated with risk for problematic alcohol use, defined by family history of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and (2) reactivity to U-threat is correlated amongst adult biological siblings. A total of 157 families, and 458 individuals, participated in the study and two biological siblings completed a threat-of-shock task designed to probe reactivity to U-threat and predictable threat (P-threat). Startle potentiation was collected as an index of aversive responding.ResultsWithin biological siblings, startle potentiation to U-threat [intraclass correlation (ICC) = 0.35] and P-threat (ICC = 0.63) was significantly correlated. In addition, independent of an individuals’ own AUD status, startle potentiation to U-threat, but not P-threat, was positively associated with risk for AUD (i.e. AUD family history).ConclusionThis suggests that heightened reactivity to U-threat may be a familial vulnerability factor for problematic drinking and a novel prevention target for AUD.

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Intelligence moderates the relationship between delay discounting rate and problematic alcohol use.

Psychology of Addictive Behaviors ◽

10.1037/adb0000471 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

pp. 175-181 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Allen J. Bailey ◽

Kyle Gerst ◽

Peter R. Finn

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Use ◽

Delay Discounting ◽

Problematic Alcohol ◽

Problematic Alcohol Use ◽

The Relationship

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Treating Masculinity: A Commentary on The Hybrid Case Study of "Tommy"

Pragmatic Case Studies in Psychotherapy ◽

10.14713/pcsp.v16i3.2080 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. 320-329

Author(s):

Ginelle Wolfe ◽

Ronald F. Levant

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

College Student ◽

Family History ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Treatment Goals ◽

Problematic Alcohol ◽

National Conversation ◽

Traditional Masculinity ◽

Problematic Alcohol Use

Dr. Christopher Dewey (2020) wrote up the hybrid case study of "Tommy," a college student who presents with symptoms of masculine depression and alcohol use problems. The importance of this case study is heightened by the current national conversation about masculinity. Context is provided for the topic of men and depression. Consideration is given to the ways Dewey addresses and works as a clinician with traditional masculinity norms that Tommy endorses. Emphasis is given to the way men are socialized at a young age to conform to traditional masculinity norms, and how to work therapeutically with such men. Strengths and critiques of the case are discussed, organized into the following themes: masculine depression, normative male alexithymia, traditional masculinity ideology, discrepancy strain, questioning masculinity, positive masculinity, making masculinity less salient, dealing with problematic alcohol use, family history, trauma, relationships with women, social media consumption, performance as a college student, treatment goals and the course of treatment, and intersectionality.

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Supplemental Material for Predicting Problematic Alcohol Use With the DSM–5 Alternative Model of Personality Pathology

Personality Disorders Theory Research and Treatment ◽

10.1037/per0000131.supp ◽

2015 ◽

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Use ◽

Alternative Model ◽

Personality Pathology ◽

Dsm 5 ◽

Problematic Alcohol ◽

Problematic Alcohol Use

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A Developmental Perspective on the Genetic Basis of Alcohol Use Disorder

10.1093/oso/9780190676001.003.0004 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Elisa M. Trucco ◽

Gabriel L. Schlomer ◽

Brian M. Hicks

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Use ◽

Alcohol Use Disorder ◽

Developmental Perspective ◽

Relative Contribution ◽

Intermediate Phenotypes ◽

Problematic Alcohol ◽

Age Related ◽

Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽

Problematic Alcohol Use

Approximately 48–66% of the variation in alcohol use disorders is heritable. This chapter provides an overview of the genetic influences that contribute to alcohol use disorder within a developmental perspective. Namely, risk for problematic alcohol use is framed as a function of age-related changes in the relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors and an end state of developmental processes. This chapter discusses the role of development in the association between genes and the environment on risk for alcohol use disorder. Designs used to identify genetic factors relevant to problematic alcohol use are discussed. Studies examining developmental pathways to alcohol use disorder with a focus on endophenotypes and intermediate phenotypes are reviewed. Finally, areas for further investigation are offered.

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