Subjective stimulant and sedative effects of alcohol during early drinking experiences predict alcohol involvement in treated adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
Research on low subjective response to alcohol has focused primarily on alcohol's sedative effects during early drinking experiences. This study examined subjective response to both stimulant and sedative effects of alcohol during initial drinking experiences as predictors of treated adolescents' severity of alcohol involvement before treatment and over 1-year follow-up.


METHODS
Adolescents (N = 169) recruited from addictions treatment reported on the number of drinks needed to obtain stimulant and sedative effects of alcohol for early and heavy drinking periods. The number of drinks needed to obtain stimulant and sedative effects, as well as the degree of stimulant and sedative effect obtained, were examined as predictors of adolescents' alcohol involvement at baseline (before treatment) and 1-year follow-up.


RESULTS
During early drinking experiences, females reported a greater degree of sedative effect compared with males; there was no gender difference in degree of stimulant effect reported during early drinking experiences. Both early subjective stimulant and sedative effects of alcohol predicted the usual number of drinks needed to become intoxicated and the maximum drinking quantity per day before treatment. However, at 1-year follow-up, only early sedative effects predicted 1-year outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
Study findings suggest potentially important roles for both early subjective stimulant and sedative effects of alcohol in relation to adolescent alcohol involvement.
Chung
Tammy
T
Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic/Pittsburgh Adolescent Alcohol Research Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pennsylvania 15213, USA. chungta@upmc.edu
Martin
Christopher S
CS
D000293:Adolescent; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives