A new study examined the mediating role of mindfulness in the relation between early adversity and current alcohol use and consequences. Participants (N = 385) were undergraduate college students attending a large, public, Midwestern university. Participants completed an online questionnaire, which assessed demographics as well as the following. Alcohol use and related consequences was assessed using the Daily Drinking Questionnaire (DDQ) and the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Con- sequences Questionnaire (BYAACQ). Mindfulness was assessed using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Lastly, early childhood adversity was assessed using the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire – Short Form (ACES-SF). The authors used bivariate correlations between variables as well as regression analyses to test meditational models. Results indicated that participants reported drinking an average of 8.41 drinks per week and experiencing approximately 6.42 unique alcohol-related consequences during the past month. They also reported consuming about 4.65 drinks per occasion and having moderate levels of mindfulness. With respect to childhood adversity prevalence rates, parental substance misuse (19.5%) and mental illness were most commonly reported (19.5%). This was followed by childhood emotional abuse (17.9%), emotional neglect (16.1%), childhood physical abuse (9.4%), childhood sexual abuse (8.8%), parental incarceration (7.8%), and witnessing domestic violence (5.5%). ACES was negatively associated with trait mindfulness (p < 0.01) and positively associated with alcohol consequences (p < 0.001). Also, mindfulness was negatively correlated with both drinks per week (p < 0.01) and alcohol-related consequences (p < 0.001). In addition, ACEs significantly predicted mindfulness (p < 0.025). ACES (the predictor), mindfulness (mediator), and gender (covariate) significantly predicted the outcome of alcohol-related consequences (p < 0.001) as well as drinks per week (p < 0.025). Finally, higher ACE scores (p < 0.025), male gender (p < 0.025), and lower mindfulness scores (p < 0.001) were associated with increased experience of alcohol-related consequences.
Take away: This study found mindfulness to be a predictor of alcohol outcomes as well as a mediator between early adversity and alcohol use and consequences.
Brett, E. I., Espeleta, H. C., Lopez, S. V., Leavens, E. L., & Leffingwell, T. R. (2018). Mindfulness as a mediator of the association between adverse childhood experiences and alcohol use consequences. Addictive Behavior, 92-98.