Codevelopment Between Key Personality Traits and Alcohol Use Disorder From Adolescence Through Young Adulthood

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Personality traits, particularly negative emotionality and low constraint, are linked to alcohol use disorder (AUD).
• The developmental interplay between these personality traits and AUD symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the prospective interplay between AUD symptoms and personality traits (constraint, negative emotionality, aggressive undercontrol) from adolescence to young adulthood.
• To determine the developmental trajectory of AUD and its relationship with personality over time.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Minnesota Twin Family Study (N=2,769).
• Employed random-intercept, cross-lagged panel models to analyze developmental interplay from ages 17 to 29.
• Conducted biometric analysis of twin data to assess genetic influences.

Main Results:

• Low constraint and aggressive undercontrol predicted increases in AUD symptoms from ages 17 to 24.
• AUD symptoms did not predict changes in these personality traits during the same period.
• Evidence for reciprocal effects between personality and AUD emerged from ages 24 to 29.
• Genetic factors explained a significant portion of the correlations between personality and AUD over time.

Conclusions:

• Personality traits characterized by low constraint and aggressive undercontrol are significant vulnerability factors for early adult AUD.
• In later young adulthood, personality and AUD exhibit simultaneous co-development.
• Findings support personality-based risk assessments and targeted prevention strategies for AUD.