Study Finds College Students’ Impulsivity and Aggression Linked to Heavy Drinking
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November 17, 2011
In a national survey of undergraduates, roughly 6 percent met criteria for current alcohol dependence and approximately 31 percent met criteria for current alcohol abuse. While many undergraduates “mature out” of heavy alcohol use after graduation, a minority will continue to abuse alcohol and be at risk for alcohol-related problems. This study investigated which undergraduates are most likely to engage in high-risk drinking, using alcohol-use disorder criteria and binge-drinking endorsement as identifiers.
The researchers asked 265 female and 96 male college students to take an anonymous online survey about their drinking patterns and personality traits. They found that among college students who drank heavily, those who drank to feel better and/or were more impulsive and more aggressive had more characteristics thought to predict risk of future alcohol problems.
The findings appear online and will be published in the January 2012 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.