Dynamic Associations Among Alcohol Use and Anxiety Symptoms in Early Adolescence

The relationship between anxiety and alcohol use in adolescence remains unclear, with evidence for no association and for risk and protective effects of anxiety. Considering developmental trajectories may be important for understanding the association between anxiety and alcohol use and may help clarify prior mixed findings. The present study examined trajectories of alcohol use, social anxiety symptoms, and general anxiety symptoms in early to middle adolescence through the use of univariate and parallel process growth models. Social anxiety and general anxiety symptoms declined, while alcohol use increased with age. Parallel process growth models suggested that less rapid declines in social anxiety and general anxiety symptoms were associated with more rapid escalation in alcohol use. These results suggest that young adolescents who do not show normative declines in social anxiety or general anxiety symptoms may be at risk for more rapid increases in alcohol use.