Alexithymia, Impulsivity, and Reward Sensitivity in Young Adult University Student Children of Alcoholics

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Personality traits previously known as risk factors for alcohol use disorder (AUD) were assessed in 29 young adult children of alcoholics (COAs) and 68 young adult children of nonalcoholics (non-COAs). Male and female university students (M_age = 22.11 years) completed questions pertaining to demographics and alcohol use, and the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test; Toronto Alexithymia Scale; Barratt Impulsiveness Scale; Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire; and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. Results: Results indicated that personality traits of alexithymia, reward sensitivity, and impulsivity, as well as negative moods, were significantly elevated in COAs compared to non-COAs, independent of current alcohol consumption and drinking history. Conclusions: Findings are consistent with familial transmission of AUD-associated personality traits in COAs, presumably via influences of genetics and/or familial environment.

Keywords:

• Alcohol
• impulsivity
• alexithymia
• reward

Notes

1  Present use of the term “children of alcoholics” reflects its widespread use in the relevant research literature; outside of that specific context, “alcohol use disorder” is used herein instead of “alcoholic.”

2  A separate, unplanned examination of the TAS-20 subscales indicated that although all three were significantly correlated with the other trait and mood factors in the same way as the total scale score, only the DIF factor was significantly correlated with CAST scores, r = .35, p < .0001.

3  Although no predictions were made concerning the three subcomponents of alexithymia, for investigative purposes a separate comparison of CAST groups was conducted on the TAS-20 subscales after controlling for drinking history; this MANCOVA indicated that scores on DIF, F(1, 92) = 10.84, p = .001, η˜² = .11, and EOT, F(1, 92) = 7.28, p = .008, η˜² = .07, but not DDF, were significantly higher in COAs (M_DIF = 20.62, SD = 8.16; M_EOT = 20.83, SD = 4.43) compared to non-COAs (M_DIF = 15.37, SD = 6.09; M_EOT = 18.63, SD = 4.34).