Personality and Early Adolescent Alcohol Use : Assessing the Four Factor Model of Vulnerability

Aim: To examine the longitudinal associations between impulsivity, sensation seeking, hopelessness, anxiety sensitivity and alcohol use across early adolescence. Design and participants: A total of 604 students (mean age = 13.0, SD = 0.40; 65% female) from eight schools across Australia took part in this longitudinal study. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire at four time points across a 36 month period (ages 13 to 16 years) which assessed their levels of impulsivity, sensation seeking, hopelessness, anxiety sensitivity and alcohol use (any alcohol use including a sip and binge drinking consuming 5 or more standard drinks on one occasion). To examine the longitudinal relationship between personality and alcohol use, generalised estimating equations (GEEs) were conducted. Results: Over time, alcohol use significantly increased as did episodes of binge drinking. As hypothesised, impulsivity (Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.20), sensation seeking (OR = 1.47) and hopelessness (OR = 1.22) were significantly and independently associated with increased alcohol use. Similarly, impulsivity (OR = 1.45), sensation seeking (OR = 1.78) and hopelessness (OR = 1.55) were significantly and independently associated with increased binge drinking. Anxiety sensitivity, however, was not significantly associated with alcohol use or binge drinking over time. Conclusion: This study is the first to examine the four factor model of vulnerability and early adolescent alcohol use over a 36 month period. Findings have important implications for the timing and implementation of selective prevention programs. Research Article Citation: Nair NK, Newton NC, Barrett EL, Slade T, Conrod PJ, et al. Personality and Early Adolescent Alcohol Use: Assessing the Four Factor Model of Vulnerability. J Addiction Prevention. 2016;4(2): 6. J Addiction Prevention 4(2): 6 (2016) Page 2 ISSN: 2330-2178 stimulating experiences and a willingness to take risks to engage in them, has been strongly and consistently linked with alcohol misuse both in adolescence and adulthood [9,18,19]. This personality factor has also been linked with binge drinking, particularly in adolescent samples [17,20]. Trials involving high school students in the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada have found sensation seeking to be associated with binge drinking both concurrently and longitudinally [9,19]. Research has shown that sensation seeking is associated with an earlier pathway of alcohol use characterised by early initiation, early onset dependence in young adulthood and early onset of severe dependence in later life [6,21,22]. Despite the extensive research in this area, very few studies have focused on alcohol use in early adolescence. Another facet of the four factor model is hopelessness which is characterised by a tendency to think negatively about the future [23]. Although most previous literature has focused on adult samples, some studies have found a link between hopelessness and alcohol use among high school students in Canada, the UK and Turkey while other studies have shown this factor predicts an accelerated trajectory of alcohol use in young people [16,17,19,24,25]. Hopelessness, as measured by negative effect, has also been linked with an increased risk of developing an alcohol use disorder in adulthood [23]. Most of this literature, however, has focused on adult samples. Another trait in the four factor model thought to predict alcohol use in later life is anxiety sensitivity which is characterised by a specific fear of anxiety-related bodily sensations due to beliefs that they will lead to catastrophic outcomes [8]. Whilst there is extensive literature prospectively linking impulsivity, sensation seeking and hopelessness with alcohol misuse, there are very few studies examining the longitudinal relationship between anxiety sensitivity and substance misuse particularly in adolescence, and those that do exist show mixed results [10]. While there is some evidence that anxiety assessed in children and adolescents is associated with later alcohol misuse, other studies suggest there is no concurrent or longitudinal relationship between anxiety sensitivity and substance use [16,26,27]. It has been suggested that this relationship is age-specific as some studies involving adults show an association between anxiety and alcohol use whereas most focusing on adolescent samples do not [10]. Recent studies suggest anxiety sensitivity may be a protective factor in very early adolescence [17]. It is clear that more research is needed to examine under which conditions anxiety sensitivity predicts alcohol use. To address the gaps in the literature, the aim of the current study is to examine the longitudinal associations between personality risk factors and alcohol use during early adolescence (13 to 16 years), when alcohol initiation is most common. It is hypothesised that high levels of impulsivity, sensation seeking, hopelessness and anxiety sensitivity will be associated with increased alcohol use and binge drinking over time. Previous research has suggested the need to examine personality related pathways to substance use across different developmental periods including early adolescence [10]. This is the first study to compare the personality traits of the four factor model of vulnerability and early adolescent alcohol use across a 36 month period. Method Participants and procedure The sample was derived from the Climate and Preventure (CAP) study, a cluster randomised controlled trial designed to prevent substance use and related harms. The study was conducted in 26 schools in Australia between 2012 and 20151. A detailed description of the study participants and procedure is published elsewhere [28]. This study presents secondary analysis of baseline, 12 month, 24 month and 36 month follow-up data from the eight control schools, to avoid any contaminating effect of the interventions. From these eight schools, 604 students (who received parental consent and gave consent themselves) completed the baseline assessment (65% female, mean age: 13.0 years, SD = 0.40). Students were surveyed, at baseline and each follow-up occasion in a classroom setting using self-report questionnaires. The research protocol was approved by the University of New South Wales Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC11274) and the trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12612000026820).