Does it really matter that I do not remember my night? Consequences related to blacking out among college student drinkers

Abstract

BackgroundAlcohol‐induced blackouts (AIBs) are experienced frequently by college student drinkers and are more likely to occur on days with high‐intensity drinking (HID; 8+ for females/10+ for males) compared to non‐HID days. Research suggests that AIBs are associated with experiencing other alcohol‐related consequences (ARCs), including more severe ARCs (SARCs; e.g., legal and sexual consequences), but we do not know whether individuals experience more ARCs and more SARCs on occasions when they black out versus do not black out. This study examines the associations between AIBs and a) total number of ARCs and b) SARCs.MethodsStudents (N=462, 51.7% female, 87.7% White, Mage=20.1) were assessed across 6 weekends via e‐surveys (80‐97% response rate). Multilevel models were conducted to test for main effects, controlling for drinking (HID or estimated blood alcohol concentration; eBAC) and sex.ResultsDrinking days when an AIB was experienced resulted in greater total ARCs (b=3.54, 95% CI: 3.10, 3.99) and greater SARCs (b=0.77, 95% CI: 0.60, 0.95) per day compared to non‐AIB days. The more frequently a person experienced an AIB, the more total ARCs (b=5.33, 95% CI: 4.40, 6.25) and SARCs (1.05, 95% CI: 0.80, 1.30) they reported on average.ConclusionAIB days were associated with higher levels of harm than non‐AIB days, even at the same levels of drinking. Interventions that focus on reducing the occurrence of AIBs and factors that contribute to AIBs, in addition to drinking alcohol, may help reduce total harm associated with drinking among college students.

Transdermal alcohol concentration features predict alcohol‐induced blackouts in college students

“…Alcohol-induced blackouts (AIBs) are a consequence of drinking that act as an accelerant for other consequences ( Richards, Glenn, et al, 2023 ). AIBs are defined as experiencing periods of amnesia for all or part of a drinking episode ( Wetherill & Fromme, 2016 ).…”

“…Several studies have shown that AIBs are associated with experiencing additional alcohol-related consequences, ranging in severity (e.g., feeling embarrassed to sexual victimization; Hingson et al, 2016 ; Merrill et al, 2019 ; Voloshyna et al, 2018 ). On nights when an AIB is experienced, college students experience an average of 3.5 additional consequences compared to non-AIB nights ( Richards, Glenn, et al, 2023 ). AIBs have also been associated with longer term consequences such as experiencing symptoms of alcohol use disorder (AUD; Glenn et al, 2023 ; Studer et al, 2019 ; Yuen et al, 2021 ).…”