Alcohol use and social adjustment in adolescence: a longitudinal, multilevel study.

The study examined to what extent alcohol use among Dutch adolescents (1,421 adolescents, aged 12-16) was related to sociability and whether the social context affects this association. Data were based on self-reports and peer reports during 2005 and 2006. The results indicated that in contrast to previous assumptions, alcohol use did not predict changes in subsequent sociability. The findings also did not support the idea of curvilinear effects of alcohol use. In addition, the proportion of peers in class who drank had no effect on this association. Limitations and directions for future research are given.