title: The association between earlier age of first drink, disinhibited personality, and externalizing psychopathology in young adults.
abstract: Earlier age of first drink (AFD) of alcohol is associated with higher rates of alcohol abuse and dependence as well as a range of other externalizing problems. This study tested the hypotheses that in young adults earlier AFD is associated with [1] the common variance among externalizing problems (lifetime alcohol, marijuana, other drug, childhood conduct, and adult antisocial behavior problems) rather than being uniquely associated with alcohol problems, and [2] the disinhibited personality traits of social deviance and impulsivity, and that the association between earlier AFD and externalizing problems is partly accounted for by disinhibited personality. The sample (N=502) included 299 young adults with a history of alcohol dependence (AD) and 203 subjects with no history of AD. Analyses showed that [1] earlier AFD was associated with the covariance among the different domains of externalizing problems and was not unique to any one externalizing problem, [2] earlier AFD was associated with social deviance and impulsivity, and [3] social deviance and impulsivity accounted for part of the association between earlier AFD and externalizing problems. The results suggest that earlier AFD is associated with a vulnerability to disinhibitory disorders and is not specifically associated with alcohol problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
authors.forename: Kristin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Zernicke
authors.forename: Hope
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cantrell
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Finn
authors.forename: Jesolyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lucas
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D010551:Personality; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011599:Psychopathology; D055815:Young Adult