Neuroticism and Negative Urgency in Problematic Alcohol Use: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Public Health

Background:

• Problematic alcohol use is prevalent among university students.
• Personality traits, specifically neuroticism and negative urgency, are implicated but their relationship to problematic alcohol use is not fully understood.
• Neuroticism may impair impulse control when individuals experience emotional distress, potentially leading to impulsive drinking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether negative urgency mediates the relationship between neuroticism and problematic alcohol use in university students.
• To clarify the specific personality mechanisms underlying problematic alcohol consumption in this demographic.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 60 undergraduate students participated.
• Participants completed the Urgency subscale of the UPPS-P, the AUDIT for problematic alcohol use, and the EPQ-RSS for neuroticism.

Main Results:

• A significant indirect effect of negative urgency was found on the relationship between neuroticism and problematic alcohol use.
• This suggests that negative urgency plays a crucial role in how neuroticism influences drinking behaviors.

Conclusions:

• The tendency to act rashly when distressed (negative urgency) is a key factor in the development of problematic alcohol drinking among university students.
• It is not emotional distress itself, but the impulsive response to it, that significantly contributes to maladaptive alcohol use.