Heavy drinking in college students: who is at risk and what is being done about it?

Problem drinking and related consequences are a major social issue plaguing college campuses across the United States. Each year, alcohol is responsible for fatalities, assaults, serious injuries, and arrests that occur among college students. The authors review and discuss the risk factors, drinking patterns, and consequences that are relevant to the general student population. In addition, the authors highlight individuals at an increased risk of experiencing alcohol-related problems, such as Greek-letter social organization members and student athletes. The authors also discuss the interventions that attempt to reduce risky drinking and related problems in these subgroups as well as the future directions for research.     

Examination of the mediational influences of peer norms, environmental influences, and parent communications on heavy drinking in athletes and nonathletes.

The present study used perspectives from the general literature on college alcohol consumption to examine mediational influences of peer, environmental, and parental variables on heavy drinking for student athlete and nonathlete samples. Eight hundred thirty-five freshmen who differed in organized sports involvement were compared on heavy drinking outcomes, peer norms, environmental influences, and parental communication. College athletes reported significantly more heavy drinking experiences than nonathletes. Peer norms, environmental influences, and parental communication were all significant mediators of the athlete-heavy drinking relationship. Athletes reported a higher perception of peer drinking, peer approval of drinking, higher alcohol availability, and direct drink offers, which, in turn, were related to higher rates of heavy drinking. Parental communication mediated the athlete-heavy drinking relationship differently, depending on the specific topic of conversation. Discussion surrounding the importance of incorporating a variety of interventions aimed at reducing collegiate athlete drinking on the basis of the peer, environmental, and parental influences observed in the present analyses are presented. Limitations and directions for future research are also noted.     

Clinical Considerations in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders with Veterans

This article addresses issues associated with the treatment of substance use disorders (SUD) in the U.S. veteran population. First, we examine special considerations regarding the assessment of alcohol and drug use in veterans. Second, we discuss current treatment approaches that have demonstrated efficacy in this population, with special consideration the issue of co-morbidity (especially SUD and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder). Third, we discuss two strategies to coordinate treatment of SUD: stepped care as a way to implement these treatments for SUD alone, and integrated treatment for SUD and co-morbid disorders. Finally, we discuss promising future directions for the treatment of SUD in the veteran population, including examination of mechanisms of behavior change, formal involvement of the veteran’s family in treatment, and use of existing datasets.