(PS1-72) The Association Between Symptoms of ADHD and Alcohol Use and Related Consequences in Postsecondary Students: Size of Social Support Network as a Moderator

Excessive alcohol use, while common in postsecondary student populations, can significantly and negatively influence mental health and academic performance for students. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can also result in significant academic impairments as well as increased rates of alcohol consumption and related problems. Examining the impact that specific protective factors play in the relation between ADHD and alcohol use is critical in elucidating why some college students with ADHD excessively consume alcohol, which can subsequently inform prevention efforts. The current study examined the size of one’s social support network (SSSN) as a protective factor in the relation between ADHD and alcohol use behaviors, including alcohol use and negative alcohol-related consequences. Participants were 3,839 postsecondary students (69.8% female, 66.9% White) across three universities. Data was collected via an online survey and measures were selected to be psychometrically sound. For alcohol use, both ADHD symptoms and SSSN were significant predictors (b = .24, t = 2.16, p < .05 and b = .11, t = 3.74, p < .01, respectively); however, SSSN was not a significant moderator of the association between ADHD symptoms and alcohol use. For alcohol-related consequences, ADHD symptoms and SSSN were significant predictors (b = .33, t = 5.67, p < .01 and b = .05, t = 3.03, p < .01, respectively) and SSSN was a significant moderator of the relation between ADHD symptoms and alcohol-related consequences (b = -.01, t = -1.99, p = .04; ΔR² = .0018). Specifically, when ADHD symptoms and SSSN were reported to be low, students reported lower rates of negative alcohol-related consequences than those with low ADHD symptoms and moderate to high levels of SSSN. As ADHD symptoms increased, the reported rates of negative alcohol-related consequences were almost identical for those with low, moderate, and high rates of SSSN. While it was hypothesized that SSSN would be a protective factor against alcohol use and related consequences for students with high levels of ADHD symptoms, we in fact found that greater SSSN was associated with more alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences in general as well as more consequences among those with low levels of ADHD symptoms. At high levels of ADHD symptoms, SSSN seems to play a negligible role in alcohol-related consequences. It may be that students with large social networks have more opportunities to attend social events where alcohol is available. It is important to also consider that the data collection for this study took place during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic and this may have impacted the findings. Additional analyses examining race/ethnicity and sex/gender are underway. Overall, findings from this study may inform treatment and prevention efforts for college students with ADHD who excessively consume alcohol.