Young adults are more likely to be heavy drinkers if they took their first drink of alcohol at an early age and also had to cope with stressful life events.
Young adults are more likely to be heavy drinkers if they took their
first drink of alcohol at an early age and also had to cope with
stressful life events.
It has long been known that an early beginning of alcohol use is associated with more drinking in general, and with more severe problems resulting from this alcohol use. In addition, several studies indicate that the association of an early age at first drink and the later development of alcohol use disorders might be particularly relevant in the context of stressful life events. Both animal and human research suggests that an early age at first drink may lead to greater stress-induced drinking.
Researchers studied 166 women and 140 men in Germany to examine possible interactions between age at first drink and stressful life events, and whether these interactions would have an impact on drinking patterns during young adulthood. The participants were asked about when they started drinking, whether they'd encountered any stressful life events in the previous three years, what daily hassles they might have had in the previous months, and what their drinking behaviours were at age 22 years. Participants also provided details about the amount of alcohol they consumed and how often they drank in the month before they were questioned.
It was found that the impact of stressful life events on drinking behaviour depended on the age at first drink. The earliest [age at first drink] in the study was 8 years; about half of the study participants had initiated alcohol drinking before they were 14 years old. The earlier they started with alcohol use, the stronger was the association between life stress and drinking in young adults. The researchers found this interaction effect only for the variable 'total amount of alcohol,' not for the number of drinking days and this fitted to the pattern of stress-related drinking, which is characterised by a higher number of drinks, and not so much by frequent drinking.
It's likely that people who start drinking at a very young age learn to use alcohol in stressful situations during adolescence because research indicates that, during adolescence, drinking is particularly rewarding under stressful circumstances.
The researchers suggest that the primary aim of prevention programs should be to raise the age of adolescents for having their first real drinking occasion and it is very important to protract age at first drink as long as possible in order to prevent heavy drinking and alcohol use disorder.
It has long been known that an early beginning of alcohol use is associated with more drinking in general, and with more severe problems resulting from this alcohol use. In addition, several studies indicate that the association of an early age at first drink and the later development of alcohol use disorders might be particularly relevant in the context of stressful life events. Both animal and human research suggests that an early age at first drink may lead to greater stress-induced drinking.
Researchers studied 166 women and 140 men in Germany to examine possible interactions between age at first drink and stressful life events, and whether these interactions would have an impact on drinking patterns during young adulthood. The participants were asked about when they started drinking, whether they'd encountered any stressful life events in the previous three years, what daily hassles they might have had in the previous months, and what their drinking behaviours were at age 22 years. Participants also provided details about the amount of alcohol they consumed and how often they drank in the month before they were questioned.
It was found that the impact of stressful life events on drinking behaviour depended on the age at first drink. The earliest [age at first drink] in the study was 8 years; about half of the study participants had initiated alcohol drinking before they were 14 years old. The earlier they started with alcohol use, the stronger was the association between life stress and drinking in young adults. The researchers found this interaction effect only for the variable 'total amount of alcohol,' not for the number of drinking days and this fitted to the pattern of stress-related drinking, which is characterised by a higher number of drinks, and not so much by frequent drinking.
It's likely that people who start drinking at a very young age learn to use alcohol in stressful situations during adolescence because research indicates that, during adolescence, drinking is particularly rewarding under stressful circumstances.
The researchers suggest that the primary aim of prevention programs should be to raise the age of adolescents for having their first real drinking occasion and it is very important to protract age at first drink as long as possible in order to prevent heavy drinking and alcohol use disorder.
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