Brief Motivational Interventions Are Associated with Reductions in Alcohol‐Induced Blackouts Among Heavy Drinking College Students

Acuff, Samuel F.; Voss, Andrew T; Dennhardt, Ashley A.; Borsari, Brian; Martens, Matthew P.; Murphy, James G.

doi:10.1111/acer.14019

Cited by 10 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Given variability in the language and time frames used to assess alcohol-induced blackout across studies, the exact prevalence of each of these forms of blackout is unclear. Among young adults who drink, lifetime prevalence of any type of blackout is estimated at 50% (Barnett et al, 2014; Marino & Fromme, 2015; Wilhite & Fromme, 2015); however, past-month incidence ranges from 25% to 68% across studies (Acuff et al, 2019; LaBrie, Hummer, Kenney, Lac, & Pedersen, 2011; Miller, DiBello, Carey, & Pedersen, 2018; Miller, DiBello, Meier, et al, 2019). Although few studies differentiate between en bloc and fragmentary blackout (or “blackouts” and “brownouts”), en bloc blackouts tend to be less common and evaluated more negatively than fragmentary blackouts (Hartzler & Fromme, 2003a; Miller, Merrill, et al, 2018; White, Signer, Kraus, & Swartzwelder, 2004).…”

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confidence: 99%

Intentions and motives to experience alcohol-induced blackout among young adults in college.

Miller

Davis

Merrill

et al. 2020

Psychology of Addictive Behaviors

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Blackouts are typically considered a negative consequence of alcohol use. Yet some college students report consuming alcohol with the intention of blacking out. This study examined intentions and motives for blackout drinking among young adults in college. College students with a past-year history of blackout (N ϭ 350, 56% female, 73% White) completed an anonymous online survey. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the incidence of blackout intentions, and individuals who did and did not report future blackout intentions were then compared on drinking patterns, depressive symptoms, social norms, and outcome expectancies. Overall, 135 participants (39%) reported consuming alcohol in the past 30 days with the intention of losing memory of the night's events, and 107 (31%) reported blackout intentions in the next 30 days. When asked (via open text box) to indicate their motives for past blackout intentions, the majority of participants provided responses that fit with coping, social, or enhancement drinking motives. A larger proportion of men than women reported blackout intentions. As a group, those reporting future blackout intentions reported heavier, more frequent, and more problematic drinking, as well as more symptoms of depression and more positive (but not negative) outcome expectancies. A substantial subset of college students reporting a blackout in the past year also endorsed intentions to experience a blackout in the next 30 days. Given strong associations between intentions and subsequent behavior, interventions targeting blackout styles of drinking are warranted. The extent to which "blackout" drinking motives differ from traditional drinking motives is unclear.

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confidence: 99%

Intentions and motives to experience alcohol-induced blackout among young adults in college.

Miller

Davis

Merrill

et al. 2020

Psychology of Addictive Behaviors

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“…This is consistent with conceptualizations of EB as the more severe and potentially more harmful of the two types of alcohol‐induced blackout (Miller et al, 2018). This distinction is expected to help identify opportunities to connect young adults at risk for adverse neurobiological outcomes with appropriate interventions (Acuff et al, 2019). This, in turn, may reduce alcohol‐related consequences and associated medical costs (Mundt & Zakletskaia, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A mixed‐methods approach to improve the measurement of alcohol‐induced blackouts: ABOM‐2

Boness

Gatten

Treece

et al. 2022

Alcoholism Clin & Exp Res

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Background Alcohol‐induced blackouts describe memory loss resulting from alcohol consumption. Approximately half of college students report experiencing a blackout in their lifetime. Blackouts are associated with an increased risk for negative consequences, including serious injury. Research has documented two types of blackouts, en bloc (EB) and fragmentary (FB). However, research is limited by the lack of a validated measure that differentiates between these two forms of blackout. This study used a mixed‐methods approach to improve the assessment of FB and EB among young adults. Specifically, we sought to improve the existing Alcohol‐Induced Blackout Measure (ABOM), which was derived from a relatively small pool of items that did not distinguish FB from EB. Methods Study 1 used three rounds of cognitive interviewing with U.S. college students (N = 31) to refine existing assessment items. Nineteen refined blackout items were retained for Study 2. Study 2 used face validity, factor analysis, item response theory, and external validation analyses to test the two‐factor blackout model among U.S. heavy‐drinking college students (N = 474) and to develop and validate a new blackout measure (ABOM‐2). Results Iterative factor analyses demonstrated that the items were well represented by correlated EB and FB factors, consistent with our hypothesis. External validation analyses demonstrated convergent and discriminant validity. These analyses also provided preliminary evidence for the two factors having differential predictive validity (e.g., FB correlated with enhancement drinking motives, while EB correlated with coping and conformity motives). Conclusions The Alcohol‐Induced Blackout Measure‐2 (ABOM‐2) improves the measurement of blackout experiences among college students. Its use could facilitate the examination of EB and FB as differential predictors of alcohol‐related outcomes in future studies.

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“…Protective resources may also exert differential and more powerful effects for women vs. men [62]. Previous research has also highlighted the positive effects of treatment, often brief motivational interviewing or interventions, with these efforts retaining the capacity for tailoring to specific audiences [17,18,55,63,64].…”

Section: Victimization Depression and Heavy Drinkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender and Childhood Victimization: A Longitudinal Study of Heavy Drinking in Young Adulthood

Ash-Houchen

Lo²,

Gerling

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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The present longitudinal study, for 12 years, followed a group of young adults, examining (1) whether/how victimization in childhood increased the likelihood of heavy drinking; (2) whether depression mediated the strain–heavy drinking relationship; and (3) whether/how relationships among strain, depression, and heavy drinking differed across two gender groups. Data came from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 cohort, dating 2004–2015 (5 interview waves and 22,549 person-wave measurements total). We linked consumption of 5+ drinks (during the month prior) to four discrete measures of violent victimization, to one measure of stressful events, and to depression. We needed to consider repeat measures of the same variables over time, so we used generalized estimating equations (GEE) to analyze data. Depression was found to increase heavy drinking uniformly. Empirical evidence confirmed that in the strain–heavy drinking relationship, depression plays a minor mediating role. Gender moderated heavy drinking’s associations. Specifically, bullying in childhood raised risk for female respondents. The current strain was associated with a higher risk of heavy drinking among male respondents. Childhood victimization, as well as current life stress, play an important role in depression and heavy drinking. Future research should focus on the development of specific, targeted care to reduce heavy drinking’s harm and promote equity among Americans.

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Brief Motivational Interventions Are Associated with Reductions in Alcohol‐Induced Blackouts Among Heavy Drinking College Students

Cited by 10 publications

References 28 publications

Intentions and motives to experience alcohol-induced blackout among young adults in college.

Intentions and motives to experience alcohol-induced blackout among young adults in college.

A mixed‐methods approach to improve the measurement of alcohol‐induced blackouts: ABOM‐2

Gender and Childhood Victimization: A Longitudinal Study of Heavy Drinking in Young Adulthood

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