Mental Health Center of Madison County
4040 South Memorial Parkway
Huntsville, AL 35802
Telephone Crisis Intervention
Available 24/7
For Our Clients and the Local Community
256-533-1970
Addictions: Alcohol and Substance Abuse
Resources
Basic InformationMore InformationTestsLatest News
Computer-Based Screening May Reduce Teen Substance AbuseTeen Impulsiveness Has Different Sources in ADHD, Substance UseAccelerated Aging Evident in Cocaine-Dependent IndividualsMany Who First Misuse Prescription Pills Get Them From Friends, Family: ReportCocaine Habit Might Speed Brain AgingUse of Ecstasy, Speed by Teens Tied to Later DepressionHalf of Young Cigarette Smokers Also Smoke Pot: Survey12-Step Meetings May Help Teens Beat Alcohol, Drug AbuseAlcohol Use With Opioids Common Even Without Abuse PastSubstance Abusers, Even Recovering Ones, May Face StigmaDrug, Alcohol Abuse Common Among U.S. Teens, Study FindsAlcohol Effects on Brain Activity Vary With Blackout HistoryPrenatal Meth Exposure Linked to Behavioral ProblemsExcessive Drinking Costs U.S. Colleges Millions AnnuallyKids Using Synthetic Pot a Growing Public Health ConcernSpring Break Boozing May Put Young Brains at RiskMany Alcoholics Suffered Childhood Trauma: StudyGenes Play a Role in Drug Abuse Risk Among Adopted Kids: StudyNarcotic Painkillers Another Threat to Traumatized War Vets: StudyDrinking Scenes in Movies May Spur Teens to Do the SameStrict Underage Drinking Laws May Deter Delinquency in TeensEcstasy Use During Pregnancy May Harm Fetus: StudySupport for Tougher Liquor Laws Rises When Booze, Crime LinkedBooze in Movies May Fuel Teenage Drinking1 in 10 U.S. Kids Lives With Parent Who Has Abused Alcohol: ReportStop-Smoking Drug May Also Curb Problem DrinkingIllicit Drugs Bought Off Internet May Be Poisons, Experts WarnHard Drug Use in Middle Age Could Prove Fatal, Study FindsDrinking Late in First Trimester May Be Most HazardousAlcohol Targets Brain 'Reward Centers' in Heavy DrinkersOne in Six Americans Binge Drink: CDCMeth Users Much More Likely to Try SuicideFor Some Couples, Binge Drinking Is RoutineStates Crack Down on Drunk Drivers This Holiday SeasonDrug Overdoses Kill More Americans Than Car Accidents: CDCAlcohol Use Down, Pot Use Up Among U.S. TeensDrunk Driving-Related Deaths Surge During the Holidays'Ecstasy' May Cause Long-Term Changes in Brain ChemistryToo Much Alcohol Linked to Unsafe Sex, Study ConfirmsIf Parents Drink and Drive, Their Kids May Too: StudySmart Kids More Likely to Try Illicit Drugs as Young AdultsHelping Others Helps Teens Beat Substance AbuseDrugs Slipped Into Drinks Sending Many to ER: ReportHeavy Meth Use Linked to Schizophrenia'Fake Marijuana' May Trigger Heart Trouble in TeensMore Than a Third of Teens Turning to Alcohol, Drugs: StudyMore People Landing in the ER After Abusing Muscle Relaxant: ReportDeaths From Abuse of Painkillers Triple in a Decade: CDCNational Drug Take-Back Day Scheduled for SaturdayPot Can Mimic Brain Changes Seen in Schizophrenia
Questions and AnswersLinksBook ReviewsSelf-Help Groups
Related Topics

Anxiety Disorders
Depression: Major Depression & Unipolar Varieties
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Undergrads' Drinking Patterns May Predict Future Abuse

HealthDay News
by -- Robert Preidt
Updated: Oct 14th 2011

 

new article illustration

FRIDAY, Oct. 14 (HealthDay News) -- College students who are heavy drinkers may be more likely to continue their unhealthy drinking habits after graduation if they have high levels of impulsivity and aggression, according to a new study.

The study included 265 female and 96 male undergraduates who completed an anonymous online survey that asked about their drinking patterns and personality traits. About 6 percent of the participants met criteria for alcohol dependence, and about 31 percent met criteria for alcohol abuse.

After graduation, most college students "mature" out of heavy drinking, but some will continue to abuse alcohol and be at risk for alcohol-related problems, the researchers noted in the study, which appears online and in the January 2012 print issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

"Many, if not most, undergraduate college students reduce their level of drinking after they graduate from college and are no longer in the environment that led to their drinking," corresponding author Cheryl L. Beseler, a researcher at Colorado State University, said in a journal news release.

"Some of the reduction is motivated by having to take on adult responsibilities, such as employment and starting a family," Beseler explained. "However, some young adults continue to drink at levels that increase their risk of an AUD (alcohol-use disorder). We do not yet understand why this occurs, but probably the reasons include genetic and personality factors and interactions between them." For that reason, they assessed some potentially relevant aspects of personality and family history in their study.

"Our most interesting finding is that we found two groups of college students who drank at fairly high levels but one group was more inclined to drink to feel better, more impulsive and more aggressive than the other group, which also drank a lot of alcohol," she said.

The students who are more impulsive and aggressive are more likely to continue heavy drinking after they finish school.

"If a college student knows they drink to make things more fun, is impulsive, and has a history of aggressive behavior, they may want to monitor their drinking," Beseler said. "If a parent knows his or her child possesses these traits, they should be aware of the risks these personality traits might pose if their child is drinking too much. Additionally, those who treat alcohol problems in young adults may want to screen for these behaviors in their patients."

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has more about college drinking.




The Mental Health Center of Madison County
4040 South Memorial Pky.
Huntsville, AL 35802

Phone
256.533.1970

Fax
256.532.4112

Office hours:

Monday to Thursday
8:00am - 5:30pm

Friday
8:00am - 5:00pm

Telephone Crisis Intervention 
Available 24/7
For Our Clients and the Local Community

256-533-1970

 


powered by centersite dot net