The Influence of a Brief Alcohol Intervention on Alcohol Use Trajectories in Nonstudent Emerging Adult Drinkers

Abstract

Background-This study sought to inform research with noncollege-attending emerging adults, an at-risk and understudied population, by identifying patterns of response following a brief alcohol intervention. The present study was a reanalysis of data from a randomized controlled intervention trial testing a brief, personalized feedback alcohol intervention targeting nonstudent emerging adult drinkers.Objectives-Study aims were to (1) model intervention response by identifying subgroups characterized by changes in heavy drinking (i.e., peak use, number of binges during a typical week, proportion of binge days, peak estimated blood alcohol concentration [eBAC]) following the alcohol intervention, and (2) distinguish subgroups on factors related to intervention response (i.e., perceived norms regarding how much peers drink, alcohol use severity, mental health symptoms, and readiness to change). Methods-Participants were 81 (64.2% men) nonstudent heavy drinkers between ages 18 to 25 years (average age = 22.04) recruited from the community.Results-Findings revealed two latent subgroups that exhibited differential response to the intervention (i.e., intervention "responders" and "nonresponders"). Further, responders reported higher pre-intervention descriptive normative perceptions and alcohol use severity.Conclusions/Importance-The current investigation contributed to knowledge regarding for whom brief alcohol interventions work in the short term within nonstudent emerging adults and could inform future research to facilitate behavior change in those unresponsive to intervention efforts.

Perceived Substance Use Norms Among Jailed Women with Alcohol Use Disorders

“…Because jail stays are often quite brief, texting or emailing women after release would offer a feasible method for delivering interventions that correct normative misperceptions. Further, because such interventions may be more effective with individuals reporting higher preintervention normative perceptions and greater substance use severity (Lau‐Barraco et al, 2019), they could be targeted to women who are assessed as having this combination of high normative perceptions and greater severity; women in our study would therefore be appropriate targets. Broadening personalized normative feedback interventions to include education may help to increase effects on reduced substance use, although the SNA and education components would need to be tested separately and together to determine which components are effective and whether they are synergistic.…”