Grant: Project Grant

More than 18% of Canadian adults will suffer from an alcohol use disorder. Understanding risk early on will allow us to intervene and change trajectories. The transition into adult roles is thought to be central to shaping future problems with alcohol. We know that alcohol misuse is synonymous with the undergraduate years, but that most young adults mature out of problem drinking when they graduate. We also know that those who drink to cope are less likely to mature out. The goal of the proposed project is to investigate predictors of coping-motivated drinking. We aim to understand who is at risk of not maturing out of problem drinking when they leave university. Drawing on personality and cognitive theories, we hypothesize unique risk pathways for those high in anxiety and depression. Further, we hypothesize that these effects will influence the likelihood of maturing out, despite the roles individuals transition into (e.g., marriage, parenthood) and despite a family history of alcohol risk. This project will also explore how the use of currently available mental health services impacts alcohol risk. A 6-year, 8-wave longitudinal study is proposed (N=340). This is a two-site study (Concordia University, York University). Undergraduates will complete baseline clinical assessments in the year prior to graduation. At 6-month (Year 2-3) and then annual intervals (Year 4-5), participants will complete assessments online and by smartphone (2-week diaries). In Year 6, clinical assessments will be re-administered. Unique to this study is the truly prospective design and the use of daily diaries to collect real-time mood and alcohol use data. Transitioning out of university is inherently stressful. For those high in anxiety and depression, this may be a time when patterns of problem drinking are solidified, and when risk for alcohol use disorder emerges. This research may influence how we think about, and thus intervene in, heavy drinking during periods of transition.