I drink alone: Mechanisms of risk for alcohol problems in solitary drinkers
•Solitary but not social drinking was directly related to alcohol problems.•Tension reduction expectancies and coping motives were mechanisms of risk.•Coping motives were a stronger mediator than tension treduction expectancies.•Effects of solitary drinking were relatively consistent by race and gen...
Saved in:
| Published in: | Addictive behaviors Vol. 102; p. 106147 |
|---|---|
| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
England
Elsevier Ltd
01-03-2020
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | •Solitary but not social drinking was directly related to alcohol problems.•Tension reduction expectancies and coping motives were mechanisms of risk.•Coping motives were a stronger mediator than tension treduction expectancies.•Effects of solitary drinking were relatively consistent by race and gender.
Although solitary drinking is less common than social drinking, it may be uniquely associated with heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems. There is also evidence that drinking contexts impact both expected and experienced alcohol effects. In particular, solitary drinking may be associated with an increased likelihood of drinking for negative reinforcement (e.g. to relieve stress). The current study examined how drinking context influences tension reduction expectancies and drinking motives, and the extent to which expectancies and motives mediate the link between solitary drinking and alcohol-related problems. We hypothesized that solitary drinking would be associated with greater tension reduction expectancies and coping motives which, in turn, would be associated with more alcohol related problems. Data were from 157 young adult moderate to heavy drinkers (21–30 years of age, 57% male) who completed baseline assessments in an alcohol administration study. A path model in Mplus tested the hypothesized mediated effects. Findings largely supported study hypotheses with significant indirect effects of solitary drinking (but not social drinking) on alcohol problems through stronger tension reduction expectancies and coping motives, though an indirect path through coping motives (but not expectancies) was also identified. Multi-group models by gender and race/ethnicity found that models operated similarly for men and women and for Non-Hispanic Caucasian and Racial/Ethnic Minority participants. The results provide important information about potential mechanisms through which solitary drinking may contribute to alcohol problems. These mechanisms represent potential targets of intervention (e.g. tension reduction expectancies, drinking to cope) for solitary drinkers. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0306-4603 1873-6327 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.106147 |