Primary anxiety disorders and the development of subsequent alcohol use disorders: a 4-year community study of adolescents and young adults

Background. Cross-sectional findings in community surveys of adults suggest that adolescent anxiety disorders are strong predictors of the subsequent onset of alcohol use, abuse and dependence. However, prospective data that follow a sample of adolescents into adulthood are needed to confirm these associations.Method. Baseline and 4-year follow-up data from the EDSP-Study, a prospective community survey of 3021 (2548 at follow-up) adolescents and young adults aged 14 to 24 years at baseline carried out in Munich, were used. DSM-IV anxiety disorders, alcohol use and alcohol use disorders were assessed with the Munich-Composite-International-Diagnostic-Interview (M-CIDI). Multiple logistic regression analysis, controlling for age, gender, other mental disorders, substance use disorders and antisocial behaviour was used to study the associations of baseline anxiety disorders with the subsequent onset and course of alcohol use and alcohol disorders.Results. Baseline social phobia significantly predicts the onsets of regular use and hazardous use and the persistence of dependence. Panic attacks significantly predict the onsets of hazardous use and abuse as well as the persistence of combined abuse/dependence. Panic disorder significantly predicts the persistence of combined abuse/dependence. Other anxiety disorders do not significantly predict any of the outcomes.Conclusions. Panic and social phobia are predictors of subsequent alcohol problems among adolescents and young adults. Further studies are needed to investigate the underlying mechanisms and the potential value of targeted early treatment of primary panic and social phobia to prevent secondary alcohol use disorders.

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Effects of an automated digital brief prevention intervention targeting adolescents and young adults with risky alcohol and other substance use: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034894 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. e034894

Author(s):

Pia Kvillemo ◽

Anna K Strandberg ◽

Johanna Gripenberg ◽

Anne H Berman ◽

Charlotte Skoglund ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Substance Use ◽

Young Adults ◽

Randomised Controlled Trial ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Peer Pressure ◽

Adolescents And Young Adults ◽

Randomised Controlled

IntroductionAdolescence and young adulthood is a period in life when individuals may be especially vulnerable to harmful substance use. Several critical developmental processes are occurring in the brain, and substance use poses both short-term and long-term risks with regard to mental health and social development. From a public health perspective, it is important to prevent or delay substance use to reduce individual risk and societal costs. Given the scarcity of effective interventions targeting substance use among adolescents and young adults, cost-effective and easily disseminated interventions are warranted. The current study will test the effectiveness of a fully automated digital brief intervention aimed at reducing alcohol and other substance use in adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 25 years.Methods and analysisA two-arm, double-blind, randomised controlled trial design is applied to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. Baseline assessment, as well as 3-month and 6-month follow-up, will be carried out. The aim is to include 800 participants with risky substance use based on the screening tool CRAFFT (Car,Relax, Alone, Forget, Friends, Trouble). Recruitment, informed consent, randomisation, intervention and follow-up will be implemented online. The primary outcome is reduction in alcohol use, measured by Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test total score. Secondary outcomes concern binge drinking, frequency of alcohol consumption, amount of alcohol consumed a typical day when alcohol is consumed, average daily drinks per typical week, other substance use, mental health, sexual risk behaviours and perceived peer pressure. Moreover, the study involves analyses of potential moderators including perfectionism, openness to parents, help-seeking and background variables.Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (no. 2019–03249). The trial is expected to expand the knowledge on digital preventive interventions for substance using adolescents and young adults. Results will be disseminated in research journals, at conferences and via the media.Trial registration number24 September 2019, ISRCTN91048246; Pre-results.

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Triggers for suicidal behavior in depressed older adolescents and young adults: Do alcohol use disorders make a difference?

International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health ◽

10.1515/ijamh.2007.19.1.91 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Leo Sher ◽

Dahlia Sperling ◽

Barbara Η Stanley ◽

Juan J Carballo ◽

Gal Shoval ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Suicidal Behavior ◽

Alcohol Use Disorders ◽

Adolescents And Young Adults ◽

Older Adolescents

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Prefrontal Cortex, Thalamus, and Cerebellar Volumes in Adolescents and Young Adults with Adolescent-Onset Alcohol Use Disorders and Comorbid Mental Disorders

Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research ◽

10.1097/01.alc.0000179368.87886.76 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 29 (9) ◽

pp. 1590-1600 ◽

Cited By ~ 257

Author(s):

Michael D. Bellis ◽

Anandhi Narasimhan ◽

Dawn L. Thatcher ◽

Matcheri S. Keshavan ◽

Paul Soloff ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Alcohol Use Disorders ◽

Adolescents And Young Adults ◽

Comorbid Mental Disorders

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Alcohol use disorders and the course of depressive and anxiety disorders

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.bp.111.097550 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 200 (6) ◽

pp. 476-484 ◽

Cited By ~ 59

Author(s):

Lynn Boschloo ◽

Nicole Vogelzangs ◽

Wim van den Brink ◽

Johannes H. Smit ◽

Dick J. Veltman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Use ◽

Alcohol Abuse ◽

Anxiety Disorders ◽

Alcohol Dependence ◽

Alcohol Use Disorders ◽

Current Dependence ◽

Severity Of Depression ◽

Current Alcohol

BackgroundInconsistent findings have been reported on the role of comorbid alcohol use disorders as risk factors for a persistent course of depressive and anxiety disorders.AimsTo determine whether the course of depressive and/or anxiety disorders is conditional on the type (abuse or dependence) or severity of comorbid alcohol use disorders.MethodIn a large sample of participants with current depression and/or anxiety (n = 1369) we examined whether the presence and severity of DSM-IV alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence predicted the 2-year course of depressive and/or anxiety disorders.ResultsThe persistence of depressive and/or anxiety disorders at the 2-year follow-up was significantly higher in those with remitted or current alcohol dependence (persistence 62% and 67% respectively), but not in those with remitted or current alcohol abuse (persistence 51% and 46% respectively), compared with no lifetime alcohol use disorder (persistence 53%). Severe (meeting six or seven diagnostic criteria) but not moderate (meeting three to five criteria) current dependence was a significant predictor as 95% of those in the former group still had a depressive and/or anxiety disorder at follow-up. This association remained significant after adjustment for severity of depression and anxiety, psychosocial factors and treatment factors.ConclusionsAlcohol dependence, especially severe current dependence, is a risk factor for an unfavourable course of depressive and/or anxiety disorders, whereas alcohol abuse is not.

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