Recognition of emotions and drinking expectancy: what relation with alcohol misuse during adolescence?.

Premise. Alcohol consumption among adolescents is becoming an increasingly widespread phenomenon in Italy, even among the younger population (Italy ranks first in Europa) with consequent negative effects on neurologic and psychic health. Objectives. Assess the potential correlation between alcohol consumption, alexithymia and drinking expectancies in a large adolescent students’ population. Methods. A samples of 467 students attending High school of Padua was studied throughout three questionnaires: the QASS (Questionario Adolescenti Sabato Sera), the TAS-20 (Toronto Alexithymia Scale) and the DEQ (Drinking Expectancy Questionnaire). Results. They are : - Boys drink more then girls. Both genders show the same trand, with consumption’s peak around 15 and 17 years old; - Alexithymia change according to sex and age: females’ TAS 20 scores are substantially stable, with peaks around 15 and 17 years old; besides males’ TAS 20 scores decrease with age. - Adolescents’ alcohol misuse is associated to minor level of alexithymia and to the expectancy to increase comunicative competences.