|
Affiliation
|
Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA. |
|
Abstract
|
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Emerging evidence suggests that solitary drinking may be an important early risk marker for alcohol use disorder. The current paper is the first meta-analysis and systematic review on adolescent and young adult solitary drinking to examine associations between solitary drinking and increased alcohol consumption, alcohol problems, and drinking to cope motives.
METHODS: PsychINFO, PubMed, and Google Scholar were searched using the PRISMA methodology and a pre-registered PROSPERO protocol (#CRD42020143449). Data from self-report questionnaires regarding negative correlates of solitary drinking (e.g., alcohol problems) and solitary drinking motives (e.g., drinking to cope) were pooled across studies using random effects models. Studies included adolescents (ages 12-18) and young adults (mean age between 18-30 or samples with the majority of participants age 30 or younger).
RESULTS: Meta-analytic results from 21 unique samples including 28,372 participants showed significant effects for the associations between solitary drinking and the following factors: increased alcohol consumption, r=0.23, 95%CI [0.13,0.33]; drinking problems, r=0.23, 95%CI [0.13,0.32]; negative affect, r=0.21, 95%CI [0.16,0.26]; social discomfort, r=0.17, 95%CI [0.06,0.27]; negative reinforcement, r=0.28, 95%CI [0.24,0.31]; and positive reinforcement, r=0.10, 95%CI [0.03, 0.17]. These associations were not moderated by age group (i.e., adolescent versus young adult), study quality, or differing solitary drinking definitions. Accounting for publication bias increased the effect sizes from r=0.23 to 0.34 for alcohol consumption and from r=0.23 to 0.30 for drinking problems, and lowered it from r=0.10 to 0.06, and r=0.17 to 0.11, for positive reinforcement and social discomfort, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: Solitary drinking among adolescents and young adults appears to be associated with psychosocial/alcohol problems and drinking to cope motives.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Language: en |