An examination of the extent to which mood and context are associated with real-time alcohol consumption.

To assess the effects of mood, social and environmental contexts and alcohol-related beliefs on alcohol consumption. Participants (N = 69) recorded their positive and negative outcome expectancies and self-reported mood prior to drinking (Time 1 mood). A Smartphone App then enabled alcohol consumption (total number of drinks aggregated from reports throughout a drinking occasion, current mood (Time 2 mood), social context e.g., with friends and environmental location e.g., in a bar/pub to be documented in de facto real-time a total of 3009 data points. Feeling unhappy prior to consumption onset was associated with a significant increase in drinking. During a drinking occasion, feeling happy was a significant predictor of drinking larger quantities. Interestingly, however, an interaction between T1 and T2 mood suggested it is not mood prior to consumption which drives drinking, but rather that alcohol consumption elevates mood. Being with two or more friends (relative to being alone) also predicted increased consumption. Positive and negative expectancies were not found to be significant predictors within these models. By showing that both mood and social context may shape alcohol behaviors distinctly, the current study suggests that alcohol research and intervention efforts may benefit from greater consideration of the temporally-mediated contextual influences on alcohol consumption.

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Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest. This material has not been published in whole or in part elsewhere, not is the paper being currently being considered for publication elsewhere. All authors have been personally and actively involved in substantive work leading to the report, and will hold themselves jointly and individually responsible for its content. All relevant ethical safeguards have been met in relation to patient or subject protection, or animal experimentation, including, with a full review by an appropriate ethical review committee. This research complies with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki.