Peer alcohol behavior moderates within-level associations between posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and alcohol use in college students.

Abstract

Self-medication theory (SMT) posits that individuals exposed to trauma and resulting posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSD) are at risk for heavy drinking and associated negative consequences. Close peer alcohol use is also a powerful predictor of alcohol involvement in college, particularly influencing those with greater negative affect. As individuals with PTSD may rely on peers for support, peer drinking behaviors are possibly putting them at further risk for greater alcohol use and resulting consequences. In order to test self-medication processes, the present study examined the relationship between weekday PTSD symptoms, weekend alcohol behavior, and the influence of both emotionally supportive peer and other friend drinking behavior by investigating: (1) whether weekday PTSD symptoms predicted subsequent weekend alcohol use and consequences; and (2) whether the relationship between weekday PTSD symptoms and weekend alcohol behavior was moderated by various drinking behaviors of one’s peers. Trauma-exposed heavy-drinking college students (N=128) completed a baseline assessment and 30 daily, web-based assessments of alcohol use and related consequences, PTSD symptoms, and peer alcohol behavior. Results directly testing SMT were not supported. However, friend alcohol behavior moderated the relationship between weekday PTSD and weekend alcohol behavior. Findings highlight the importance of peer drinking as both a buffer and risk factor for problematic drinking and provide useful information for interventions aimed at high-risk drinkers.

Social support predicts reductions in PTSD symptoms when substances are not used to cope: A longitudinal study of sexual assault survivors

“…First, in a college environment, higher levels of social support from friends in particular may maintain substance use coping behaviors, which could prevent recovery from PTSD. Although some college students report drinking alone (Christiansen et al, 2002) and loneliness has been associated with substance use (Åkerlind and Hörnquist, 1992; Stickley et al, 2014), most college students who drink endorse drinking in social situations (Christiansen et al, 2002), and research suggests that peers influence drinking behavior among college students with PTSD specifically (Bachrach and Read, 2017). Thus, SA survivors with more social support from their friends may have more opportunities to use substances to cope, or may receive more support involving encouragement to do so.…”

“…Indeed, there is evidence that perceived and received social support are associated with substance use in young trauma-exposed adults (Bachrach and Read, 2017; Gros et al, 2016). A study of young veterans with PTSD and a substance use disorder identified a positive association between alcohol use and perceived social support, and the authors explained that this finding might be explained by the high frequency of drinking in this population (Gros et al, 2016).…”

“…A study of young veterans with PTSD and a substance use disorder identified a positive association between alcohol use and perceived social support, and the authors explained that this finding might be explained by the high frequency of drinking in this population (Gros et al, 2016). Further, trauma-exposed college students with elevated weekday PTSD symptoms who had friends who offered drinks (a form of received social support) were more likely to report weekend drinking consequences than those with friends who did not offer drinks (Bachrach and Read, 2017). This indicates that peer encouragement of substance use as a form of received support could have important psychological consequences in trauma-exposed populations.…”

Uncovering general, shared, and unique temporal patterns in ambulatory assessment data

“…The present paper provides evidence that with some consideration, S-GIMME can be applied to ambulatory assessment data, of which daily diary data is a specific type. Here, daily diaries were specifically chosen because (a) they are an oft used variant of ambulatory assessment both historically (e.g., Borkenau & Orstendorf, 1998;Lebo & Nesselroade, 1978;Searles, Perrine, Mundt, & Helzer, 1995;Zevon & Tellegen, 1982) and at present (e.g., Bachrach & Read, 2017;Castro-Schilo & Ferrer, 2016;Gadassi et al, 2016;Hamaker, Grasman, & Kamphuis, 2016;Lee et al, 2017;Zimmermann et al, in press), and (b) the sampling rate is sometimes conducted at relatively equal spacing, an advantageous feature for time-series data in the current modeling context 1 . Nevertheless, application to daily diary data presents novel analytic concerns which may be absent in neuroimaging data.…”

A Commentary on Drinking to Cope During the COVID‐19 Pandemic: The Role of External and Internal Factors in Coping Motive Pathways to Alcohol Use, Solitary Drinking, and Alcohol Problems

“…Thus, relationships not originally significant (e.g., income loss and coping motives; coping motives and solitary drinking) may become so over time. Third, other psychopathology besides depression and health anxiety are related to increased alcohol use and problems, such as social anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and personality pathology (Bachrach and Read, 2017; Creswell et al, 2016; Grant et al, 2005). Modeling a broader range of this pathology and changes in symptoms over time may reveal pathways to both coping motives and unhealthy alcohol use for individuals who are most vulnerable.…”