Autistic Trait Dimensions and Alcohol Use in College Attending Emerging Adults

Emerging adults on the autism spectrum struggle with a variety of social and environmental stressors, putting them at a higher risk for alcohol use problems (Brosnan & Adams, 2020). However, findings examining the relationship between autism and alcohol use outcomes remain conflicting, suggesting the need to examine specific dimensions of autism in relation to alcohol use. Addressing this gap, the current study examines how dimensions of autism, including social skills, switching, routines, imagination, and pattern fixation, may relate to alcohol use in a non-clinical sample of college students.

A sample of 1,854 college students between ages 18-25 (M_age = 18.99, SD = 1.28; 56.4% Hispanic/Latine; 67.3% female, 30.2% male, 2.5% transgender or nonbinary) completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (ASQ; Hoekstra et al., 2011) and the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT; Saunders et al., 1993).

Tests of direct effects models indicated that individuals with social skills difficulties reported lower alcohol consumption. Individuals with greater adherence to routines reported lower alcohol dependence. In contrast, individuals high in imagination and pattern fixation reported greater alcohol use dependence.

Findings suggest that specific dimensions of autism may vary in predicting alcohol consumption and dependence among college-attending emerging adults. However, additional research is needed on specific dimensions of autism in relation to mental health outcomes that could impact maladaptive substance use to better understand such outcomes.