Background Conceptual models implicating disinhibitory traits often are applied to understanding emergent alcohol use, but, little is known of how inter-individual changes in these constructs relate to increases in alcohol use in early adolescence. The current study utilized behavioral and self-report instruments to capture the disinhibitory-based constructs of sensation seeking and risk taking propensity to examine if increases in these constructs over time related to increases in early adolescent alcohol use. Methods Participants included a community sample of 257 early adolescents (aged 9-12) who completed a self-report measure of sensation seeking, a behavioral task assessing risk taking propensity, and a self-report of past year alcohol use, at three annual assessment waves. Results Both sensation seeking and risk taking propensity demonstrated significant increases over time, with additional evidence that change in the behavioral measure of risk taking propensity was not due to practice effects. Greater sensation seeking and greater risk taking propensity demonstrated concurrent relationships with past year alcohol use at each assessment wave. Prospective analyses indicated that after accounting for initial levels of alcohol use, sensation seeking, and risk taking propensity at the first assessment wave, larger increases in both constructs predicted greater odds of alcohol use at subsequent assessment waves. Conclusions Results indicate the role of individual changes in disinhibitory traits in initial alcohol use in early adolescents. Specifically, findings suggest it is not simply initial levels of sensation seeking and risk taking propensity that contribute to subsequent alcohol use but in particular increases in each of these constructs that predict greater odds of use. Future work should continue to assess the development of sensation seeking and risk taking propensity in early adolescence and target these constructs in interventions as a potential means to reduce adolescent alcohol use.

A large body of research has examined the development of internalizing and externalizing symptoms in childhood and early adolescence. Notably, there is significant concomitant impairment associated with early adolescent symptomatology, as well as association of these symptoms with future development of psychopathology, poor physical health, self-destructive thoughts and behaviors, criminal behavior, and HIV risk behaviors. Drawing on negative reinforcement theory, the current study sought to examine the potential role of distress tolerance, defined as the ability to persist in goal-directed activity while experiencing emotional distress, as a potential mechanism that may underlie both internalizing and externalizing symptoms among 231 Caucasian and African American youth (M age = 10.9 years; 45.5% female; 54.5% Caucasian ethnicity). A series of regressions resulted in significant moderated relationships, such that low distress tolerance conferred increased risk for alcohol use among Caucasians, delinquent behavior among African Americans, and internalizing symptoms among females. Clinical implications, including the potential role of negative reinforcement models in early intervention with young adolescents, are discussed.

significant clinical and public health implications. Compared with the general population, mood disorders are up to 4.7 times more prevalent in illicit drug-dependent samples. 1-3 Prevalence rates of major depressive disorder among treatment-seeking cocaine-and opiate-dependent patients are especially high, ranging from 25% to 61%. 4-6 These elevated rates are particularly important because there is extensive evidence that depressed drug users are significantly more likely than nondepressed drug users to drop out of substance use treatment and relapse to drug