Underlying mechanisms in the relationship between stress and alcohol consumption in regular and risky drinkers.
Final Report Abstract
Stress and stressful events are an important risk factor for excessive alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorders. However, the underlying mechanisms of this association are still not fully understood. The aim of this randomized controlled laboratory study was to investigate possible moderators and mediators of the association between an experimental stress induction and alcohol consumption in regular and risky drinkers. For this purpose, a male sample of healthy individuals was stratified on the basis of their habitual drinking behavior in the past 30 days and then randomized into an experimental or a control condition. Psychosocial stress was induced using the Trier Social Stress Test. Alcohol craving and the motivation to drink alcohol in the Ad-libitum Taste Test served as dependent variables. Adverse childhood experiences, trait impulsivity, and trait anxiety were examined as possible moderators. Furthermore, alcohol-related attentional biases (Dot Probe Task), state impulsivity (Delay Discounting Task), inhibitory control (GoNogo Task), and stress reactivity (cortisol and alpha-amylase reactivity) were investigated as possible mediators. The stress induction paradigm (Trier Social Stress Test) elicited a significant stress response in the experimental relative to the control group. On average, higher scores in alcohol-related craving were found in the stress group relative to the control group, but not in the motivation to consume alcohol after the stressor. The association between stress exposure and craving was also stronger in individuals with high levels in several facets of trait impulsivity as well as in high trait anxiety. There was no evidence for a mediation of the associations by any of the potential mechanisms examined. The project was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in significant limitations in recruitment and implementation. Nevertheless, an extension of the project duration and compensatory measures enabled us to reach about 75% of the recruitment goal, thus ensuring the feasibility to answer the vast majority of the research questions. Despite these limitations, the project yields valuable insights for further research and also certain aspects of their application. For example, the results point to the importance of the transition between stress-related craving and actual motivation to consume alcohol, which should be investigated in future studies. Moreover, the numerous null findings with regard to possible mechanisms, together with similar findings from other studies, suggest that the theoretical assumptions regarding the underlying factors in the relationship between stress and alcohol consumption require further research and possible refinement. The findings on the moderating role of trait impulsivity and trait anxiety in the relationship between stress exposure and craving represent promising targets to test the potential usefulness of existing interventions to modify these traits prior to stress exposure to reduce stress-related craving.
Publications
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Zugrundeliegende Mechanismen des Zusammenhangs von Stress und Alkoholkonsum bei Gelegenheitsund Risikotrinkern (MESA): Methoden und Design einer randomisierten Laborstudie. Poster auf dem 38. Symposium der Fachgruppe klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie der DGPs. 12.5-15.5. 2021 in Mannheim.Zugrundeliegende Mechanismen des Zusammenhangs von Stress und Alkoholkonsum bei Gelegenheitsund Risikotrinkern (MESA): Methoden und Design einer randomisierten Laborstudie. Poster auf dem 38. Symposium der Fachgruppe klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie der DGPs. 12.5-15.5. 2021 in Mannheim.
Wittgens, C., Muehlhan, M., Kräplin, A., Spindler, C. & Trautmann, S.
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Der Ad-libitum Taste Test: Validierung eines Paradigmas zur Messung von Alkoholkonsum im Labor. Poster auf dem Deutschen Psychotherapiekongress 2022. 7-11 Juni 2022 in Berlin.
Wittgens, C., Muehlhan, M., Kräplin, A. & Trautmann, S.
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Underlying mechanisms in the relationship between stress and alcohol consumption in regular and risky drinkers (MESA): methods and design of a randomized laboratory study. BMC Psychology, 10(1).
Wittgens, Charlotte; Muehlhan, Markus; Kräplin, Anja; Wolff, Max & Trautmann, Sebastian
