Bidirectional prospective associations between behavioral economic indicators and drinking patterns during alcohol use disorder natural recovery attempts

• Published in: Psychology of addictive behaviors Vol. 37; no. 1; p. 104
• Main Authors: Cheong, JeeWon, Rung, Jillian M, Tucker, Jalie A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.02.2023
• Subjects: Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology; Alcoholism - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Economics, Behavioral; Ethanol; Humans; Risk Factors
• ISSN: 1939-1501
• DOI: 10.1037/adb0000859

Behavioral economic (BE) theory posits that harmful alcohol use is a joint product of elevated alcohol demand and preference for immediate over delayed rewards. Despite cross-sectional research support, whether expected bidirectional relations exist between BE indicators and drinking during recovery attempts is unknown. Therefore, this prospective research investigated quarter-by-quarter cross-lagged associations between BE simulation tasks and drinking following a natural recovery attempt. Higher demand and discounting in a given quarter should predict subsequent drinking. Conversely, drinking in a given quarter should predict subsequent higher demand and discounting. Community-dwelling problem drinkers were enrolled shortly after stopping heavy drinking without treatment ( = 191). Drinking practices, problems, delay discounting, and alcohol demand (intensity, , , elasticity) were assessed at baseline and 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month follow-ups. Longitudinal cross-lagged models related each BE indicator in the previous quarter to drinking status in the next quarter, and vice versa. Higher demand intensity (consumption when drinks are free) at Quarter 1 distinguished participants who drank heavily in Quarter 2 from those who abstained. In turn, heavy drinking participants in Quarter 2 had higher intensity at Quarter 3 than abstainers and moderate drinkers in Quarter 2, and higher intensity at Quarter 3 distinguished heavy drinkers in Quarter 4 from moderate drinkers ( s < .05). Hypothesized associations for other BE indices were inconsistent or partially supported. Alcohol purchase task metrics showed some hypothesized prospective associations with drinking during a natural recovery attempt, which supports their ecological validity as relapse risk indicators. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).