Bidirectional relations of impulsive personality and alcohol use across three waves of data collection

Objective: To explore the bidirectional relations between alcohol use and three impulsive personality traits, to advance understanding of risk processes. Participants: 525 college students (mean age = 18.95 years) recruited in August 2008 and 2009 and followed up annually for three years. Methods: Personality and past/current substance use were assessed. Results: T2 sensation seeking mediated the predictive relationship between T1 and T3 alcohol use, and T2 alcohol use mediated the predictive relationship between T1 and T3 sensation seeking. In addition, T2 alcohol problems mediated the predictive relationship between T1 alcohol use and T3 negative urgency. Conclusions: Findings support a bidirectional relationship between sensation seeking and alcohol use, and drinking anticipates drinking problems, which predict increases in negative urgency. For some individuals, there appears to be an ongoing process of increased risk in the form of increases in both drinking and high-risk personality traits.

研究目标：本研究旨在探讨饮酒行为与三种冲动型人格特质间的双向关联，以深化对风险作用进程的理解。研究对象：2008年8月至2009年8月招募的525名大学生，平均年龄为18.95岁，随后对其开展了为期三年的年度追踪随访。研究方法：对参与者的人格特质及过往、当前的物质使用情况进行评估。研究结果：T2时期的感觉寻求（sensation seeking）在T1与T3时期酒精使用量的预测关系中起到中介效应；T2时期的酒精使用量则在T1与T3时期感觉寻求的预测关系中发挥中介作用。此外，T2时期的酒精相关问题在T1时期酒精使用与T3时期负性紧迫性（negative urgency）的预测关系中起到中介效应。研究结论：本研究结果证实，感觉寻求与饮酒行为间存在双向关联；饮酒行为可预判后续酒精相关问题的发生，而酒精相关问题又会进一步推动负性紧迫性的升高。对于部分个体而言，饮酒行为与高风险人格特质的同步提升似乎构成了一种持续的风险累积过程。