The interactive effects of alcohol cravings, cue reactivity, and urgency on college student problematic drinking

Abstract

Prior research indicated a high prevalence of problematic drinking among college students, suggesting a need for more effective screening approaches and treatments. The tendency to act rashly in face of strong emotions (e.g. positive and negative urgency), alcohol cravings, and cue reactivity all have been associated with problematic alcohol use. However, no studies have examined the interactive effects of alcohol cravings, urgency, and cue reactivity. I hypothesized that alcohol cravings will be associated with greater problematic drinking among individuals with higher levels of (1) urgency, (2) cue reactivity, and (3) cue reactivity and urgency. Data were collected from a sample (final n = 240) of college students through a survey, which consisted of measures of urgency, problematic drinking, and alcohol cravings. On the survey, participants were also exposed to alcohol and non-alcohol pictures, after which they assessed their level of cue reactivity. Results were examined using multiple regression and simple slope analyses. Results provided partial support for our hypotheses. Alcohol cravings were associated with greater problematic drinking at lower levels of negative urgency (b = 7.36, p< 0.001). Furthermore, alcohol cravings were most strongly associated with problematic drinking at high levels of cue reactivity and low levels of negative urgency (b = 8.69, p<0.001), and at low levels of cue reactivity and high levels of positive urgency (b = 6.56, p<0.001). These findings emphasize the importance of considering urgency and cue reactivity in understanding how alcohol cravings create risk for problematic drinking.