Problem drinking from young adulthood to adulthood: Patterns, predictors and outcomes

Objective: Many young adults engage in heavy or problem drinking, but it is unclear who will continue problem drinking into adulthood. This study foll owed a general population sample in order to study patterns of problem drin king over time, to identify differences among drinking groups, to test a mo del differentiating youth-limited from developmentally-persistent problem d rinkers, and to examine adult outcomes. Method: Data were from the Health a nd Human Development Project; subjects (N = 1,073) were in three age cohort s (age 18-25; age 21-28; age 24-31). Based on use and consequences data fro m two assessment intervals, cluster analyses were performed. Results: Clust er analyses yielded four drinking groups: youth-limited problem drinkers, s table moderate drinkers, stable low drinkers and developmentally-persistent problem drinkers. Rates of youth-limited problem drinking peaked in the mi ddle cohort and rates of developmentally-persistent problem drinking decrea sed in the oldest cohort. Discriminant analysis revealed that developmental ly-persistent problem drinkers in each age cohort are more likely to be mal e, to show high disinhibition, and to experience a high level of problem be haviors. Youth-limited problem drinkers were similar to developmentally-per sistent problem drinkers on many young adult characteristics and adult outc omes. Developmentally-persistent problem drinkers in each age cohort contin ued to show higher levels of problem behaviors in adulthood than youth-limi ted problem drinkers. Conclusions: Most young adults show continuity of dri nking patterns. Although developmentally-persistent problem drinkers did no t differ from youth-limited problem drinkers in adopting adult roles, their continued experience of many problem behaviors suggests that they fail to adopt the role of greater conventionality in adulthood.