# Do experiences of early adversity differentially contribute to dynamic fluctuations in dysregulated drinking through their effects on behavioral and emotional dysregulation?

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2022 · $46,752

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Up to one-third of young adults report dysregulated drinking behavior each month and alcohol misuse by
young adults results in over 1,500 deaths per year. Thus, it is crucial to understand etiologic factors that
contribute to the development of dysregulated alcohol use. Most young adults have experienced childhood
adversity—and experiences of childhood adversity may account for nearly 1/3 of adolescent and young adult
substance use disorders. Inconsistent findings for the relation between adversity and dysregulated drinking
may be clarified by examining unique adverse experiences of threat and deprivation. As both potential
consequences of adversity and strong predictors of dysregulated drinking, negative urgency and emotion
dysregulation may be potential mechanisms for this association. Thus, further exploration into the daily
dynamics of these factors is warranted. This study proposes to investigate how experiences of early adversity
contribute to dynamic fluctuations in dysregulated drinking through their effects on behavioral and emotional
dysregulation. The study will use an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) design in order to characterize
how experiences of threat and deprivation contribute to daily processes that may lead to daily dysregulated
drinking. Young adults ages 18-22 (N=500) will be recruited for intensive longitudinal assessment of substance
use and affect. Participants will provide daily reports of their negative urgency, emotional volatility, reflexive
emotion regulation, and daily alcohol intentions and use. Findings from this study could inform prevention
efforts by identifying individual difference factors that contribute to dysregulated drinking at a daily level, as well
as possible targets for intervention. The proposed study represents innovation over prior research because
there has not yet been a study that synthesizes threat and deprivation with fluctuations in behavioral and
emotion dysregulation and their links to dysregulated drinking at a daily level. This study is aligned with the
strategic plan of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), as it has possible
implications for understanding the development and improving prevention of alcohol misuse during the high-
risk developmental period of young adulthood. The funding of this project will provide substantial training to an
emerging predoctoral researcher in ethics, research methodology, advanced quantitative methods, and career
development. Overall, this project will illuminate processes by which early adversity contributes to behavioral
and emotional dysregulation, and how these processes relate to dysregulated drinking.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10603949
- **Project number:** 1F31AA030446-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Michele R. Smith
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $46,752
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-16 → 2024-09-15

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10603949

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10603949, Do experiences of early adversity differentially contribute to dynamic fluctuations in dysregulated drinking through their effects on behavioral and emotional dysregulation? (1F31AA030446-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-01 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10603949. Licensed CC0.

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