TY - JOUR
T1 - Autistic traits and alcohol use in adolescents within the general population
AU - Pijnenburg, Lisa J.
AU - Kaplun, Anais
AU - de Haan, Lieuwe
AU - Janecka, Magdalena
AU - Smith, Lauren
AU - Reichenberg, Abraham
AU - Banaschewski, Tobias
AU - Bokde, Arun L.W.
AU - Quinlan, Erin Burke
AU - Desrivières, Sylvane
AU - Grigis, Antoine
AU - Garavan, Hugh
AU - Gowland, Penny
AU - Heinz, Andreas
AU - Ittermann, Bernd
AU - Martinot, Jean Luc
AU - Martinot, Marie Laure Paillère
AU - Nees, Frauke
AU - Orfanos, Dimitri Papadopoulos
AU - Paus, Tomáš
AU - Poustka, Luise
AU - Hohmann, Sarah
AU - Millenet, Sabina
AU - Fröhner, Juliane H.
AU - Smolka, Michael N.
AU - Walter, Henrik
AU - Whelan, Robert
AU - Schumann, Gunter
AU - Velthorst, Eva
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s).
PY - 2023/9
Y1 - 2023/9
N2 - It has been suggested that autistic traits are associated with less frequent alcohol use in adolescence. Our study seeks to examine the relationship between autistic traits and alcohol use in a large adolescent population. Leveraging data from the IMAGEN cohort, including 2045 14-year-old adolescents that were followed-up to age 18, we selected items on social preference/skills and rigidity from different questionnaires. We used linear regression models to (1) test the effect of the sum scores on the prevalence of alcohol use (AUDIT-C) over time, (2) explore the relationship between autistic traits and alcohol use patterns, and (3) explore the specific effect of each autistic trait on alcohol use. Higher scores on the selected items were associated with trajectories of less alcohol use from the ages between 14 and 18 (b = − 0.030; CI 95% = − 0.042, − 0.017; p < 0.001). Among adolescents who used alcohol, those who reported more autistic traits were also drinking less per occasion than their peers and were less likely to engage in binge drinking. We found significant associations between alcohol use and social preference (p < 0.001), nervousness for new situations (p = 0.001), and detail orientation (p < 0.001). Autistic traits (social impairment, detail orientation, and anxiety) may buffer against alcohol use in adolescence.
AB - It has been suggested that autistic traits are associated with less frequent alcohol use in adolescence. Our study seeks to examine the relationship between autistic traits and alcohol use in a large adolescent population. Leveraging data from the IMAGEN cohort, including 2045 14-year-old adolescents that were followed-up to age 18, we selected items on social preference/skills and rigidity from different questionnaires. We used linear regression models to (1) test the effect of the sum scores on the prevalence of alcohol use (AUDIT-C) over time, (2) explore the relationship between autistic traits and alcohol use patterns, and (3) explore the specific effect of each autistic trait on alcohol use. Higher scores on the selected items were associated with trajectories of less alcohol use from the ages between 14 and 18 (b = − 0.030; CI 95% = − 0.042, − 0.017; p < 0.001). Among adolescents who used alcohol, those who reported more autistic traits were also drinking less per occasion than their peers and were less likely to engage in binge drinking. We found significant associations between alcohol use and social preference (p < 0.001), nervousness for new situations (p = 0.001), and detail orientation (p < 0.001). Autistic traits (social impairment, detail orientation, and anxiety) may buffer against alcohol use in adolescence.
KW - Adolescence
KW - Alcohol use
KW - Autistic traits
KW - Social preference
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85133838069&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00787-022-01970-3
DO - 10.1007/s00787-022-01970-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 35318541
AN - SCOPUS:85133838069
SN - 1018-8827
VL - 32
SP - 1633
EP - 1642
JO - European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
JF - European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
IS - 9
ER -