Traumatic Event Exposure and Alcohol Use Expectancies among Adolescents

Heidemarie Blumenthal, Ellen W. Leen-Feldner, Ashley A. Knapp, Christal L. Badour, Adriel Boals

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Extant work suggests that trauma-exposed adolescents are at risk for problematic drinking. Although work conducted with adults suggests that trauma-exposed individuals drink to reduce negative affectivity, no work has yet examined alcohol use outcome expectancies (AOEs) among trauma-exposed adolescents. The current study examined positive AOEs as a function of trauma history among 63 community-recruited youths (Mage = 15.92; 46% girls). Findings indicated that trauma exposure predicted elevated tension-reduction AOEs. Furthermore, the indirect effect of tension-reduction expectancies accounted for a significant proportion of the relation between trauma exposure and alcohol use frequency. These preliminary data are discussed in terms of future research efforts.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)337-343
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse
Volume24
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2 2015

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2015, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Keywords

  • adolescent development
  • alcohol use outcome expectancies
  • trauma

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Education
  • General Psychology
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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