2.1. Participants and procedure

Participants were drawn from a larger longitudinal study investigating associations between reactivity to U-threat and changes in psychopathology over time in young adults. Participants were recruited via advertisements posted in the Chicago community and nearby college campuses. Participants were enrolled before the COVID-19 pandemic between July 2017 and July 2019 and were followed for 1-year via clinical assessments every 3-months. Inclusion criteria for the larger study included self-reported lifetime consumption of >1 but <100 standard alcoholic drinks, affiliation with risky peers, and access to alcohol if desired. These criteria were selected to ensure the sample was at high-risk for alcohol abuse, due to the aims of the larger project. Participants were also required to be between the ages of 17 and 19. Demographic characteristics of the sample are listed in Table 1 . Exclusion criteria included any major medical or neurological illness, active suicidal ideation, psychosis, deafness, traumatic brain injury, psychotropic medication use within the past four months, smoking 5 cigarettes or more per day, lifetime history of alcohol use disorder or substance use disorder (AUD/SUD), contraindications for fMRI (e.g., ferrous metal in body), pregnancy or trying to become pregnant, positive urine drug screen for illicit substances (including tetrahydrocannabinol, cocaine, amphetamine, morphine, phencyclidine, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, 3,4-methyl​enedioxy​methamphetamine, oxycodone, and buprenorphine) or positive breathalyzer test for alcohol. Psychopathology was assessed via the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Disorders (First et al., 2015), in-person, by trained assessors, and supervised by a clinical psychologist.

Participant demographics and characteristics.

Note. IDAS = Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms.

The study occurred at the University of Illinois at Chicago and was approved by the University Institutional Review Board. Participants provided written informed consent. The first study visit involved a battery of self-report questionnaires and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-V). During the second study visit (2 to 7-days later), participants completed an fMRI scan including the NPU-threat task. Participants were instructed to abstain from drugs and alcohol at least 24-hours prior to the lab assessments, which was verified via breath alcohol and urine screens. All participants were monetarily compensated for their time.

During the peak of the Coronavirus Pandemic in the United States, in the Fall of 2020, The Young Adult Coronavirus Impact Survey was sent to all participants enrolled in the study (i.e., active participants and study completers). The survey was distributed online and participants were monetarily compensated for completing the form. The survey was sent to a total of 118 individuals and 63 (53%) completed the optional COVID-19 measure. Individuals who completed the measure did not differ from those who did not complete the measure on age (p = 0.48), sex (p = 0.07), race (ps > 0.19), or severity of baseline depression (p = 0.42) or anxiety symptoms (p = 0.97) (scale information described below). Of those 63 respondents, 59 had good quality imaging task data resulting in a final sample of 59 subjects.