Binge Drinking in Adolescence Predicts An Atypical Cortisol Stress Response in Young Adulthood

Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance among youth (Johnston et al., 2018). The rate of binge drinking (defined as the consumption of at least 5 drinks for males and 4 drinks for females in a 2-hour period) is alarmingly high in adolescence, with as many as 18% of youth reporting at least one binge drinking episode in a 30-day period (Kann et al., 2015). For adolescents who experience family disruption, such as parental divorce, the rate of problematic alcohol consumption is even higher (Barrett and Turner, 2006; Pilowsky et al., 2009).

Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - October 6, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Melissa J. Hagan, Kathryn Modecki, Lucy Moctezuma, Linda Luecken, Sharlene Wolchik, Irwin Sandler Source Type: research