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Trajectories of emotional symptoms in adolescence: impact on alcohol use

Louise Elizabeth Birrell (Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia)
Nicola Clare Newton (Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia)
Lexine Stapinski (Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia)
Katrina Prior (Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia)
Katrina Elizabeth Champion (National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia)
Clare J. Mackie (Psychology & Neuroscience, Addictions Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, London, UK)
Maree Teesson (Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia)
Tim Slade (Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia)

Advances in Dual Diagnosis

ISSN: 1757-0972

Article publication date: 20 November 2017

336

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how different trajectories of emotional symptoms relate to alcohol use in adolescence.

Design/methodology/approach

In all, 431 participants (majority female), aged approximately 13 years at baseline were followed over three years and reported on their emotional symptoms and alcohol use. Latent class growth analyses explored different trajectories of emotional symptoms and regression models were run to relate these trajectories to alcohol use (full standard drink, and binge drinking) at 36-month follow-up (age 16 years).

Findings

While the majority of adolescents were best characterised by low-stable emotional symptoms, those with high-stable symptoms were more likely to be have consumed a full standard drink of alcohol and binge drunk when aged 16 years.

Research limitations/implications

Findings highlight the importance of prevention and early intervention, particularly targeting adolescents with elevated stable emotional symptoms who were more likely to be using alcohol at 16 years of age.

Originality/value

The present study is one of the first longitudinal investigations into the use of alcohol by community adolescents with different emotional symptom trajectories.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This study is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (Grant No. APP1004744). The authors would like to acknowledge Associate Investigators on the grant as well as the schools, teachers, and students who have agreed to participate in this research. Louise Birrell was funded by an Australian Rotary Health PhD Scholarship.

Citation

Birrell, L.E., Newton, N.C., Stapinski, L., Prior, K., Champion, K.E., Mackie, C.J., Teesson, M. and Slade, T. (2017), "Trajectories of emotional symptoms in adolescence: impact on alcohol use", Advances in Dual Diagnosis, Vol. 10 No. 4, pp. 130-141. https://doi.org/10.1108/ADD-08-2017-0014

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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