Why a URI study is examining the link between ADHD and alcohol use disorder
Q. What do we know about the link between ADHD and alcohol use disorder right now?
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Stamates:
That 18 to 25
[year old]
period when people are transitioning to young adulthood ... there hasn't been as much research focused to that age range. And so what we do know is that the folks who continue to have symptoms related to ADHD into adulthood, they're at higher risk for developing a substance use disorder. If they do receive treatment, they usually have poor treatment outcomes, so they're more likely to relapse. If they have to go to an inpatient facility, they have a longer stay at that facility, and so it just increases the risk of having more symptoms related to substance use disorders and less … improved treatment outcomes.
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"What we are examining is their executive functioning skills … and how that relates to the development of alcohol use disorder symptoms," URI psychology professor Amy Stamates said.
University of Rhode Island
What will your research explore?
We just wrapped up year three. What we are looking at is among college students who have ADHD, we're comparing them to college students who do not have ADHD. What we are examining is their executive functioning skills … and how that relates to the development of alcohol use disorder symptoms. So there are certain symptoms that we might look for, things like craving, and then are they experiencing any problems related to their drinking? And so we're looking at that over [a] one-year period through some different technological advances that we have in research.
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With executive functioning, it's a really complicated thing to study. Executive functioning skills are really important, cognitive skills that we need for daily functioning. So we use these every day to solve problems and make decisions. We're processing information, we're learning how to control our behavior, and obviously folks with ADHD might have issues with some of these skills, but that doesn't look the same for everybody with ADHD. And so what we're looking at is what specific types of executive functioning are important for the young adults with ADHD, and how do these relate to their substance use problems.
This study is supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health. With all the federal cutbacks to research funding
, are you concerned about whether
that will impact your work
?
I think everyone's concerned about how this will impact their research. I think that for this particular focus, substance use problems, they're not going away. I think that NIH will continue to fund this type of work, but we don't really know what the budgets are going to look like long term.
You're also the director of URI's Health and Alcohol-Related Problems Lab. Can you tell me a little bit about what the lab does?
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We're really interested in different approaches to studying substance use problems, and so in my lab ... we actually give participants alcohol in the lab to see how they respond to it. And so what we're looking at is if I give you alcohol in the lab, how does that impact your decision-making in the lab, how does that impact your motivation to drink more alcohol? We look at that behaviorally in the lab.
The other thing that we do in my work is a data collection method called ecological momentary assessment. And this type of method has become critical to looking at substance use behavior, because participants download an app on their phone and then we just send them surveys throughout the day to ask them, where are you? Who are you with? Did you use substances? We ask things about like, if you're at a party did you drive? Do you have a designated driver? And then the next morning, we might ask things about, you know, do you have a hangover? Did you black out last night? So we're getting more detailed information about what actually is going on, versus when they come in the lab.
What about our relationship with alcohol concerns you most? And are there glimmers of hope in improving our relationship?
Researchers don't do a good job at talking about the risk associated with alcohol, and a lot of people don't know that alcohol use is a carcinogen. It increases the risk of cancer, other health issues and different types of chronic disease, and I think a lot of that isn't common knowledge among folks.
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The other part that's hopeful is …. younger adolescents and younger adults right now are engaging in less alcohol use than traditionally. Part of that could be because there's other things going on — they're not going out, they're isolating in their house, or they're not actually going to parties and things like that, but we're generally seeing a downward trend. So I think that's hopeful.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Boston Globe's weekly Ocean State Innovators column features a Q&A with Rhode Island innovators who are starting new businesses and nonprofits, conducting groundbreaking research, and reshaping the state's economy. Send tips and suggestions to reporter Alexa Gagosz at
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