Exploring the complex inter-relations between internalising symptoms, executive functioning and alcohol use in young adults

Abstract Objective Globally, the prevalence of hazardous drinking peaks in young adulthood, and there is mixed evidence on whether internalising symptoms and executive functioning deficits are associated with this increased risk. This study tested whether internalising symptoms in interaction with executive functioning deficits are associated with high alcohol use disorder symptoms in emerging adulthood, via drinking motives to cope with negative affect and alcohol consumption. Method An Australian sample of 155 young adults aged 17 to 24 years (M = 20.97, SD = 2.40) provided self-report data on internalising symptom severity and alcohol-related outcomes (n = 155), and neuropsychological data measuring executive functioning (n = 104). Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to identify two latent variables representing internalising symptoms and executive functions. A series of latent moderated structural equation models and a latent mediated moderation structural equation model examined the inter-relations between internalising symptoms, executive functions and alcohol measures. Results High levels of internalising symptoms in interaction with executive functioning deficits were associated with strong drinking motives to cope with negative affect, high past month alcohol consumption and greater alcohol use disorder symptoms. Drinking motives to cope with negative affect and alcohol consumption mediated the relationship between the internalising symptoms and executive functioning latent interaction term with alcohol use disorder symptoms. Conclusions This research highlights greater executive functioning resources are associated with low desires to drink hazardous amounts of alcohol as a maladaptive way to cope with negative feelings among young people. It therefore may be useful to target executive functioning ability alongside internalising symptomology in alcohol prevention and intervention initiatives.