Previous research has indicated that college students with ADHD are likely to engage in alcohol use and experience alcohol-related problems. Research has also shown that when college students use protective behavioral strategies they experience fewer alcohol-related problems. A new study observed how ADHD symptoms impact use of protective behavioral strategies for alcohol use within college students, and also examined sex as a variable.

In this study, 125 college students with ADHD symptoms completed surveys indicating ADHD symptoms, alcohol use within the past 2 weeks, and use of protective behavioral strategies. The results indicated that the amount of drinking was the highest when a student exhibited high amounts of hyperactivity/impulsivity ADHD symptoms and low use of protective behavioral strategies. However, this connection was only significant in women. Another significant ADHD symptom was inattention, and students with high inattention and low use of protective behavioral strategies consumed more alcohol.

The study indicates that use of protective behavioral strategies should be stressed, especially in college students with symptoms of ADHD, which may mediate alcohol use along with low use of protective behavioral strategies.

Take Away:  Students who exhibit ADHD symptoms such as impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention and who do not use alcohol related protective behavioral strategies are likely to consume more alcohol than their peers.

Looby, A., Cleveland, C.S., Zimmerman, L., Hartung, C.M. (2019). ADHD Symptoms and Sex Moderate the Relation Between Protective Behavioral Strategies and Alcohol Use Among Treatment Mandate College Students. Behavioral Medicine. doi.org/10.1080/08964289.2019.1590798