1. Understanding Drinking among Emerging Adults using the Dualistic Model of Passion: Associations with Alcohol Consumption, Blackouts, and Overdose
Alan K. Davis, PhD1, Erin E. Bonar, PhD1, Diane Schneeberger, LLMSW1, Carrie Bourque, MS1
Amy S. Bohnert, PhD1, Rebecca M. Cunningham, MD2, Maureen A. Walton, PhD, MPH1,2
1Dept. of Psychiatry, 2Injury Center, University of Michigan
Introduction
Sample Characteristics
Summary and Conclusions
Alcohol misuse (i.e., risky drinking) during emerging adulthood is associated with injury, overdose, and academic and relationship problems.
Better understanding of the factors influencing risky drinking could enhance alcohol interventions to reduce injury and other adverse outcomes.
The dualistic model of passion has been proposed as a motivational theory influencing understanding of one’s substance use.
According to this model there are two types of passion:
Obsessive Passion – substance use is so compelling that it conflicts with other activities or one’s values
Harmonious Passion – substance use is an important but not overwhelming part of one’s life
Applying the dualistic model of passion to risky drinking implies that alcohol drinkers could develop both a harmonious and obsessive passion for this behavior, depending on the degree to which drinking alcohol is central in one’ s life and how much control he or she retains over consumption.
The sample (n=10) was mostly female (62%), Caucasian (73%), young (Mage=22.7, SD=1.1), had at least some college (51%), and had never been married (92%).
Obsessive, but not Harmonious, Passion is associated with several negative alcohol-related outcomes among emerging adults engaged in risky drinking.
Future research should examine whether targeting Obsessive Passion in early interventions reduces consumption, overdose, and blackouts.
Findings could potentially enhance the efficacy of alcohol interventions among emerging adults engaged in risky alcohol consumption.
Results
The first significant canonical variate indicated that Obsessive Passion was positively associated with frequency of alcohol consumption, binge-drinking, blackouts, and overdose, drinking to cope with negative affect, importance of reducing alcohol use, and was negatively associated with self-efficacy one could reduce consumption.
The second significant canonical variate revealed that Harmonious Passion was unrelated to any negative outcomes, was positively associated with frequency of alcohol use and negatively associated with drinking for conformity reasons.
Funding and Contact Information
Supported by NIAAA R01 AA & T32 AA007477
Contact for lead author:
Means, Standard Deviations, and Canonical Correlations for Alcohol Harmonious and Obsessive Passion Subscales and alcohol-related variables
Canonical Variate 1 2
Canonical Correlations
.79
.41 M SD
Independent Variables
Harmonious Passion for Alcohol Use
0.28
0.89
.07
.998
Obsessive Passion for Alcohol Use
-1.27
1.10
.992
-.13
Redundancy Coefficient
.49
.02
Dependent Variables
Frequency of past 30-day alcohol use (TLFB)
10.99
8.09
.46
.55
Frequency of heavy episodic alcohol use (AUDIT-C)
2.54
0.76
.50
.25
Number of blackouts in the past 3 months
1.77
.60
Lifetime frequency of overdose
3.07
1.74
.48
-.09
MI Ruler – Importance of changing alcohol use
3.21
2.72
.63
-.24
MI Ruler – Self-confidence one could change alcohol use
7.93
2.53
-.81
Drinking alcohol to fit in with peers
2.21
1.23
.14
-.59
Drinking alcohol to cope with negative affect
2.97
1.34
.71
.28
Sex (male/female)
1.62
0.49
-.15
.31
.10
Present Study
We evaluated whether the variables proposed by the dualistic model of passion were associated with alcohol consumption, motives, blackouts, overdose, and motivation to change.
Method & Data Analysis
Cross-sectional baseline data were analyzed, which were collected as part of a larger randomized controlled trial of risky drinkers (i.e., AUDIT-C score > 4 females, > 5 males) recruited via Facebook advertisements.
A canonical correlation analysis was conducted evaluating the dimensional relations between and within sets of independent and dependent variables, while controlling for the intercorrelations among all variables and sex.