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Gambling and alcohol problems commonly co-occur during emerging adulthood. Co-occurring problems may relates to personality factors, physical health, mental health and gambling belief systems. In a large sample of colleges students (N = 513), we examined alcohol, gambling and co-occurring problem groups relative to a group without alcohol or gambling problems from large sample of college students. Group differences were found on Constraint and Negative Emotionality (ps ≤.05). All three groups had a higher score on gamblers' beliefs of illusion of control compared to the group with no problems (all ps <.05). Those with co-occurring problems had a higher score on illusion of control beliefs than those with alcohol problems only. For luck/perseverance gambling beliefs, those with co-occurring problems had higher levels than other groups on these beliefs. The group with alcohol problems and significantly poorer mental health outcomes than those without alcohol or gambling problems. Individuals with gambling problems or alcohol problems only had significantly poorer self-rated overall physical health (p <.01). Differences were found between groups (alcohol, gambling, alcohol + gambling and neither) on self-rated energy and fatigue as well as pain (ps <.05). Gambling and alcohol problems may relate to emotional and health problems, and personality and belief systems may be related to the co-occurrence of gambling and alcohol problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests major mental disorders co-occur at higher than chance levels. In adult samples, a two factor structure emerges when modeling the higher order structure of psychopathology. Specifically, disorders tend to co-aggregate into two dimensions: Internalizing (depression and anxiety) and Externalizing (acting out, impulsive, and addictive) disorders. Despite this large body of evidence, few studies have integrated problem gambling into this overall model. We used confirmatory factor analysis to model how the symptom count of gambling fits into the structure of psychopathology in a large, community based young adult twin sample of men and women (age 24; N = 1329). Twins were assessed via in-person, structured diagnostic interviews on disorders including: Major Depression, Phobias, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Anxiety Disorders (internalizing) and Substance Use Disorders, Gambling Problems (self-report), and Antisocial Behaviors (externalizing). The data were fit to a two-factor structure, with gambling symptoms loading most highly on externalizing, rather than internalizing. The problem gambling loadings did not differ by sex. Implications of these findings suggest that during emerging adulthood gambling problems are best classified and conceptualized in the realm of externalizing disorders for both males and females. Results also suggest prevention and intervention efforts be aimed at young adults who exhibit commonly co-occurring psychopathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several risk and protective factors are influential in predicting who uses or abstains from illicit substances during the high school years. The 2014 national cohort data from the Monitoring the Future survey shows the demographics, psychosocial factors, and attitudes regarding substance use that predict abstention by twelfth-graders (versus those who report any lifetime use of any illicit drugs). Being older, having a higher rate of sensation-seeking behaviors, perceiving drugs as easy to obtain, and participation of some social activities were associated with a lower rate of abstention. In contrast, being optimistic, involvement in school activities, perceiving drug and alcohol use as high risk, believing their peers disapprove of substance use, and personally disapproving of substance use were associated with greater abstention from lifetime substance use. A similar model including negative attitudes and experiences (nonuse-related) with marijuana was associated with a greater likelihood to abstain from substances. We examine possible explanations and prevention implications of these findings and discuss the role of abstention in post-high school substance use risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]