ADHD Symptomatology is Associated with Alcohol Use and Consequences via Drinking Norms

Background: Research suggests individuals with ADHD are at risk for alcohol use and related problems and are more susceptible to peer influence. Although previous research has focused on the relationship between alcohol use, related problems, and ADHD symptomatology, scant research has examined whether descriptive drinking norms (i.e., perception of others quantity of drinking) and level of alcohol use mediate this association. Objectives: Consequently, the current study tested a sequential mediation model to examine whether ADHD symptoms were associated with alcohol-related problems via drinking norms and level of alcohol use. Participants were 294 college students who completed an online survey regarding various health behaviors and mental health symptoms. Results: Path analyses were used to test the hypothesized model. Results revealed that the indirect effect from ADHD symptoms to alcohol-related problems as mediated by drinking norms and alcohol use was significant. Thus, higher ADHD symptoms were associated with greater drinking norms, which was in turn, associated with greater alcohol use, and in turn, associated with greater alcohol-related problems. Conclusions: ADHD symptoms and drinking norms may serve as risk factors for engaging in elevated alcohol use, and in turn, experiencing more alcohol-related problems. Interventions should target perceptions regarding peer alcohol use and alcohol-related problems for individuals with ADHD symptoms. Future research should explore the environment and social contexts in which individuals with ADHD symptoms are drinking in to further understand these associations.