The role of impulsivity in the relationship between affect and alcohol consumption in young adults
It’s been known, at least anecdotally, for a long time that people hitting the bottle in depression is often, the reality is people are more likely to do so when they are excited or happy. Of course, that may tie into and be tied to, the ‘celebratory’ entrenched stereotypes we have seen around alcohol consumption – champagne, for example, being the cliché image.
Abstract
Background: Theoretical models of alcohol use posit that individuals consume alcohol to ameliorate negative affect or to heighten positive affect. It is important, however, to consider the influence of factors that may determine an individual's tendency to consume excessive amounts of alcohol under positive and negative circumstances. Thus, the current study examined a large sample of young adults to clarify whether positive and negative affect predict total alcohol consumption on drinking days and whether facets of impulsivity moderate these relationships.
Results: Participants were significantly more likely to drink in greater quantities on occasions preceded by higher positive affect but not negative affect. While fun-seeking positively predicted total drinks consumed, there were no significant interaction effects between the BIS/BAS subscales and affect on total drinks consumed.
Conclusions: These findings challenge existing affect regulation models and have implications for ecological momentary interventions aimed at addressing hazardous drinking behaviours.