Loneliness and alcoholism risk in late adolescence: a comparative study of adults and adolescents

The Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (SMAST) was administered via phone survey to a random sample of subjects 18 years of age and older in a large metropolitan county. Among late adolescents (aged 18 to 20), lonely females had the highest mean score on the SMAST, indicating a higher degree of alcoholism risk than lonely males and nonlonely males and females. Among lonely females, late adolescents scored higher on the SMAST than any other age group. For males, loneliness did not appear to increase alcoholism risk in the late adolescent age group, but did appear to do so during the early and middle adulthood years. The implications of these findings for mental health professionals and adolescent substance abuse treatment personnel are discussed.