Dr. Vernig published this longitudinal, multi-site study of college students’ drinking motives as predictors of later development of symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder. Using a new statistical modeling technique not previously used in this area of research, he found that first-year college students who used alcohol to numb depression or increase positive emotions at the start of the semester were more likely to have problems with alcohol by the end of the semester.
Dr. Vernig published this review of the scientific literature surrounding Wegscheider-Cruse’s family roles in the journal Substance Use and Misuse. Wegscheider-Cruse proposed that children in homes where a parent is living with Alcohol Use Disorder adapt to fill pre-defined roles (e.g., The Family Hero, The Enabler, The Mascot, The Lost Child), and despite little evidence, this theory became accepted as accurate and taught to many therapists and other mental health professionals.
