Disaggregating Within- and Between-Person Effects of Affect on Drinking Behavior in a Clinical Sample With Alcohol Use Disorder

Objective: The goal of the current study was to better understand affect-drinking relations among those diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder (AUD), as recent meta-analytic work suggests that daily negative affect may not universally predict subsequent alcohol consumption in those nondependent on alcohol. Specifically, we investigated the between- and within-person effects of positive and negative affects on drinking. Method: Participants (n = 92) who met AUD diagnostic criteria completed a 90-day daily assessment of drinking behavior and positive and negative affects. Results: Time-lagged multilevel modeling revealed that within-person elevations in negative affect predicted increased odds and quantity of drinking later in the day. Relations between positive affect and drinking were nonsignificant. Conclusions: These findings are in contrast to recent meta-analytic findings and highlight the complexity of affect-drinking relations among those diagnosed with AUD.