Abstract
The article examines the psychological characteristics of young people who drink alcohol, investigates the reasons for it and intensity of alcohol consumption. The propensity of young people to various addictions (addictive behaviour) and its connection with people's impulsivity are analysed. Ukrainian youth who have experience in alcohol drinking usually tried it firstly in adolescence. At the same time, the respondents most often did not mention problems with alcohol in their families, but a third of them recorded such problems, and almost half of the respondents noted that they had experienced physical or psychological violence from a drunken relative. Among the reasons for alcohol drinking, the following were predominant: as a way to distract from problems, improve mood, achieve courage or solve internal problems. Among young people, the strongest addictions were addictions to a healthy lifestyle, television, food or work. Alcohol, romantic relations, medicals, smoking, interpersonal relations and computer usage (internet, social networks) as types of addictions were at an average level. The least pronounced were religious, gambling and drug addictions. There were gender differences in susceptibility to addictions (addictive behaviour). Boys, compared to girls, had higher propensity to romantic relations, drugs and interpersonal relationships as addictions and lower propensity to addiction to medical substances. Peculiarities of personal impulsivity, its links with alcohol consumption were studied. Impulse control disorder influenced on youth's propensity to drinking, increasing alcohol drinking frequency. People with higher impulsivity, who were more prone to imbalance manifestations and more strongly influenced by external factors, were more vulnerable to the risk of developing alcohol and food addictions, addictions to a healthy lifestyle, smoking or interpersonal relationships.
Publisher
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv