A new study examined how profiles of alcohol use and symptoms of common mental health disorders (i.e., depression and PTSD) influenced the perceived need for and actual seeking of different types of treatment (for alcohol vs. psychological distress) in college students. Participants (N = 164) were undergraduate college students attending a Northeastern university. Participants were assessed between 2009 and 2015 and participated in interviews and self-report measures, which included the following. Trauma and PTSD was assessed via interview using the Life Events Checklist (LEC) and the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for the DSM IV. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8). Alcohol Use was assessed using the Daily Drinking Questionnaire (DDQ). Drinking motives (i.e., Coping, Conformity, Enhancement and Social Reinforcement) were assessed using the Drinking Motives Questionnaire (DMQ). Alcohol-related problems were assessed using the Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (YAACQ).Participants were also asked about their expectancies for alcohol’s effects, readiness to change and their interest in seeking psychological services. The authors categorized participants into different symptom profiles using model-based clustering and compared these profiles on a variety of variables. Results showed that 26% of participants exhibited a clinical elevation (PHQ score greater than 10) in depressive symptoms, 17% met diagnostic criteria for PTSD, and 70% reported weekly drinking above the recommended cutoffs per week. After the examination of symptoms across profiles, the authors classified them as (1) Low Risk Drinking, (2) Concomitant Drinking, and (3) Heavy Drinking. There was a significant difference across profiles in terms of sex (p < .05), with more women than men in the Concomitant profile (77% women) than in the Low Risk (47% women) and Heavy Drinking (48% women) profiles. The Concomitant profile exhibited significantly more depressive symptoms and PTSD symptoms than both the Heavy Drinking and Low Risk groups. Furthermore, the Heavy Drinking profile endorsed consuming more drinks per week and binging more often than the Low Risk group. In addition, the Concomitant group endorsed significantly more alcohol-related consequences than the Low Risk group. Lastly, when comparing the three profiles in terms of members’ endorsement of questions regarding treatment services, it was found that profiles differed. Specifically, while the Concomitant and Heavy Drinking profiles reported similar responses, a lower percentage of the Concomitant group responded “no” to being in psychological distress over the past four weeks and that they have been more likely to know where to locate campus resources for distress.
Take away: This study yielded three profiles of alcohol use and symptoms of common mental health disorders: Low Risk, Concomitant, and Heavy Drinking. Participants in these groups significantly differed in alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and prior engagement in treatment.
Borsari, B., Yalch, M. M., Pedrelli, P., Radomski, S., Bachrach, R. L., & Read, J. P. (2018). Associations among Trauma, Depression, and Alcohol Use Profiles and Treatment Motivation and Engagement in College Students. Journal of American College Health, (just-accepted), 1-25.