Mechanisms of resilience against alcohol abuse in adolescents

• Applicant: Dr. Angela Heinrich
• Subject Area: Clinical Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Term: from 2015 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 279483564

Different risk factors such as genetic susceptibility and negative life events contribute to the development of mental disorders. However, resilient persons do not develop psychiatric disorders in face of those risk factors. By analysing both risk factors for the development of psychiatric disorders and protective factors against their development one can establish basic approaches for therapies and prevention. Thereby, the examination of adolescents is of high interest, because they are very vulnerable for the development of mental disorders. Thus, prevention may be very effective. Alcohol misuse of adolescents is a psychiatrically relevant behaviour which is associated to other mental disorders, as well. In this project, we want to identify resilience factors against alcohol misuse and their mechanisms to contribute to the development of preventive measures. Within the IMAGEN study we have access to psychological questionnaires, genetic material and functional brain data of more than 2000 adolescents over a long period. Therein we want to statistically establish the most important risk factors for the development of alcohol misuse and protective factors against it. Hence, we will develop a questionnaire containing the most important factors and questions on alcohol consumption. We will give this questionnaire to adolescents in Mannheim and surroundings and seek the return of 500 questionnaires. Thereby we will recheck the results of the statistical analyses out of the IMAGEN study and furthermore we will recruit participants for the following examination of the mechanisms of resilience. Therefor 60 adolescents will be invited for a detailed examination to the Central Institute of Mental Health. Three different groups will be recruited to determine the mechanisms of resilience and transition to harmful alcohol use: 1) a group of non-risk but heavy drinkers, 2) high-risk actual heavy drinkers, and 3) high-risk non-heavy drinkers. Participants will take part in a neuropsychological test battery including functional magnetic resonance imaging. Life situation of the high-risk groups will be very stressful but resilient adolescents might have developed strategies or possess mechanisms that lead to a differential reaction on stress. Thus, first of all we will analyse whether resilient adolescents can handle stress differently. We examine how these mechanisms are represented on a neural level, how they can be seen on the level of personality and which behavioural patterns occur that can be implemented for the development of new aspects in behaviour therapy and prevention measures.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants