Heavy Drinking and Negative Affective Situations in a General Population and a Treatment Sample Alternative Explanations

• Published in: Psychology of addictive behaviors Vol. 9; no. 2; pp. 123 - 127
• Main Authors: Cunningham, John A, Sobell, Mark B, Sobell, Linda C, Gavin, Douglas R, Annis, Helen M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Educational Publishing Foundation 01-06-1995
• Subjects: Alcohol Treatment; Alcohol Use; Emotional States; Heavy drinking; Human; Negative affectivity; Relationship; Toronto
• ISBN: 1433817225; 9781433817229
• ISSN: 0893-164X; 1939-1501
• DOI: 10.1037/0893-164X.9.2.123

Situations associated with heavy alcohol consumption were compared across respondents with different levels of alcohol dependence within a general population sample and within a sample of individuals in treatment. Results from both groups suggested that, associated with increasing problem severity, there was a shift in the relative balance from drinking heavily in positive affective situations to more often drinking heavily in negative affective situations. At least 3 alternative hypotheses could explain these cross-sectional findings: Heavy drinking is increasingly used as a coping response as problems increase in severity; the relationship is epiphenomenal, reflecting a shift in overall life circumstances; or the shift reflects a respondent selection bias due to individual differences. Implications of these alternatives are discussed. The source of the relationship can only be definitively investigated using a longitudinal design.