title: Trajectories of alcohol use and consequences in college women with and without depressed mood.
abstract: College students with depressed mood face heightened risk for experiencing drinking-related negative consequences. However, few studies have examined prospective patterns of alcohol consequences among depressed students. In the present investigation, we assessed how first-year college women's trajectories of heavy episodic drinking (HED) and alcohol consequences differed as a function of depressed mood at college entry. Participants were 233 heavy drinking incoming first-year college females (61% White) at a mid-sized West Coast University. Participants completed an online baseline survey, attended a single brief group intervention session, and completed 1- and 6-month post-intervention follow-up surveys. Depressed mood, alcohol consumption, and alcohol consequences were assessed at each time point. We employed latent growth curve analyses. Females with depressed mood, versus without depressed mood, experienced greater levels of alcohol consequences overall, particularly during transitions to college. However, contrary to hypotheses, participants with depressed mood (vs. without) exhibited significantly steeper declining trends in consequences, controlling for treatment condition, age, race, and ethnicity, and despite stable drinking levels, depressed mood, and use of protective behaviors over time. Potential explanations and suggestions for future research are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, School of Public Health, Brown University, United States.
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kenney
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, The College at Brockport, United States.
authors.forename: Caitlin C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Abar
authors.affiliation: Simmons School of Social Work; Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, United States.
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, The College at Brockport, United States.
authors.forename: Gabrielle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, United States. Electronic address: jlabrie@lmu.edu.
authors.forename: Joseph W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: LaBrie
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014495:Universities; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Alcohol; College students; Consequences; Depressed mood