Familial Predictors of Alcohol and Drug Use-Related Problems Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults

This study evaluated whether recent family member alcohol and substance use problems (ASP) and density of family ASP (i.e., number of members with ASP) predict alcohol-related problems and drug use-related problems among middle-aged and older adults. Data were drawn from participants (age 42–93 years, n = 2168) in the longitudinal Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS). Poisson regression models revealed that adults’ alcohol- and drug use-related problems were predicted by similar problems among family members. In particular, parent and partner ASP, but not child ASP, predicted alcohol-related problems in the middle-aged and combined samples, while only partner ASP predicted participants’ drug use-related problems. In addition, density of family ASP predicted alcohol-related problems, but not drug use-related problems. There were no gender interactions. Study findings highlight that understanding how adult children, spouses, and aging parents impact each other’s substance use should be a priority of future aging and family research.

Depressive and Anxiety Disorders in Alcohol Use and Related Problems among Older African Americans

The older African American (AA) population is expected to triple by 2050; however, research on depression, anxiety, and alcohol use among older AAs is lacking. Current mental health and substance use studies involving older AAs often focus on between-race differences, frequently comparing AAs to Whites, without addressing within-group variation in the former. As such, little is known about the associations between depression, anxiety, alcohol use and related disorders in this population. The present study used data from 2016-2017 Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Milwaukee 2 to examine whether depressive and anxiety symptoms and disorders are associated with alcohol use and alcohol problems among 274 African Americans aged 50 to 93 (62.8% women). Of the sample, 9.5%, 3.6%, and 6.6% met criteria for depression, generalized anxiety (GAD), and panic disorders, respectively. About 8.1% had drank heavily and 18.5% binge drank in the past month with 10.2% reporting alcohol problems in the past year. Those with depression and those with panic disorder were more likely to be heavy drinkers; while only those with panic disorder were more likely to be binge drinkers. Meeting criteria for depression or panic disorder but not GAD disorder were both more likely to have had alcohol-related problems than those not meeting criteria. Only panic disorder was associated with increased likelihood of drinking more than intended in the past year. Preliminary exploratory findings suggest that the associations between depressive symptoms, type of anxiety disorder, alcohol use, and problems varied by gender.

Alcohol use and problems related to the Maxakali indigenous peoples' worldview: a cross-sectional census study

Background The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of Alcohol Use and Alcohol-Related Problems (AU & ARP) among the Brazilian Maxakali indigenous people, and to examine how the prevalence varies according to sociodemographic characteristics and their associations with these characteristics. Methods A cross-sectional analytical population-based study was conducted with 1,036 Maxakali aged from nine years. A questionnaire was applied to 66 indigenous leaders who responded about alcohol consumption in 2016 and the negative consequences of this consumption among their friends in their villages. The association between consumption and consequences with the sociodemographic data of respondents was examined by applying the chi-square, Fisher's exact, and cluster analysis tests. Kappa values were calculated to assess the reproducibility of the questionnaire. Results The 12-month prevalence of alcohol use was 39.1%. The usage rate for women (17.3%) was 3.6 times lower than the usage rate for men. Male alcohol use rates increase from 8.1–64% in the age group from 09 to 14 to 15 to 19 years old. The highest proportions of alcohol use among mothers and fathers were found in extended families and associated with the negative consequences of those who use cachaça. On the other hand, nuclear families showed an association of protection against alcohol use in the age group of 9 to 14 years in females. Although alcohol use in females starts from 20 to 24 years of age, the rates of problems related to this use in women surpassed those of men during 25 to 45 years of age. Conclusions With the substantial agreement of reproducibility in the application of the questionnaire, we expect that the ease of application and the predictive power of this tool will allow the detection and monitoring of alcohol use and its consequences in the Maxakali people.

A Structural Equation Modeling Approach to Meta-analytic Mediation Analysis Using Individual Participant Data: Testing Protective Behavioral Strategies as a Mediator of Brief Motivational Intervention Effects on Alcohol-Related Problems

This paper introduces a meta-analytic mediation analysis approach for individual participant data (IPD) from multiple studies. Mediation analysis evaluates whether the effectiveness of an intervention on health outcomes occurs because of change in a key behavior targeted by the intervention. However, individual trials are often statistically underpowered to test mediation hypotheses. Existing approaches for evaluating mediation in the meta-analytic context are limited by their reliance on aggregate data; thus, findings may be confounded with study-level differences unrelated to the pathway of interest. To overcome the limitations of existing meta-analytic mediation approaches, we used a one-stage estimation approach using structural equation modeling (SEM) to combine IPD from multiple studies for mediation analysis. This approach (1) accounts for the clustering of participants within studies, (2) accommodates missing data via multiple imputation, and (3) allows valid inferences about the indirect (i.e., mediated) effects via bootstrapped confidence intervals. We used data (N = 3691 from 10 studies) from Project INTEGRATE (Mun et al. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 29, 34–48, 2015) to illustrate the SEM approach to meta-analytic mediation analysis by testing whether improvements in the use of protective behavioral strategies mediate the effectiveness of brief motivational interventions for alcohol-related problems among college students. To facilitate the application of the methodology, we provide annotated computer code in R and data for replication. At a substantive level, stand-alone personalized feedback interventions reduced alcohol-related problems via greater use of protective behavioral strategies; however, the net-mediated effect across strategies was small in size, on average.

Alcoholism as a Threat to Social Security and the Issue Among Academic Youth

The article briefly analyses the problem of alcoholism as a threat to social security, taking into account its prevalence, as well as its impact on physical and mental health and social relations. Firstly, it identifies the harmful effects not only on addicts but also on their families and society as a whole. Secondly, the results of the author’s research on young people’s attitudes towards alcohol and alcoholism have been presented. Finally, conclusions and suggestions have been developed. The study showed that many respondents knew alcoholics, and in some cases, these were close relatives. As far as their own experiences are concerned, they prove to be very diverse. The misuse of alcohol does not seem to be very common among university students, however, the problem exists and calls for some resolutions, e.g.. in aspects such as very young age of their alcohol initiation, problem drinking, binge drinking, or risky behaviours of youth under the influence of alcohol. In addition to many initiatives undertaken as part of preventing and counteracting alcohol-related problems (such as necessary cooperation of some government and local institutions), emphasis should be put on education in this area. This must include home education, starting as early as possible, and complementary school education. Especially the former seems to be the cheapest and the most effective way to deal with the discussed issue. Also, parents should find support at their children’s schools in that area. Furthermore, activities carried out in order to raise social awareness are needed, e.g. through media which have a significant influence on young people.

A Preliminary Study Examining Self-Reported Invincibility, Alcohol Problems, and the Nonmedical Use of Prescription Stimulants in College Students

The nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NMUPS) is becoming more common among college students. Identifying the variables associated with NMUPS is important for educational efforts and to promote wellness in vulnerable students. The present study examined the relationships between self-reported invincibility, alcohol problems, and NMUPS in 175 college students. Path analysis tested the hypotheses that males would report higher invincibility that would be related to alcohol use and alcohol problems. Using structural equation modeling, significant relationships were found between invincibility and alcohol-related problems. Alcohol problems may be related to NMUPS. A total effect of invincibility, mediated by alcohol use, may be a path whereby invincibility positively influences NMUPS. Students reporting high levels of invincibility may be at risk for the NMUPS and might benefit from efforts regarding the potential harmful consequences of taking these substances without a prescription.