Drinking to cope (DTC) is known to be correlated with more negative drinking outcomes. Some examples are increased positive alcohol expectancies and decreased adaptative coping. The endorsement of drinking to cope is prevalent among college students. DTC has been shown to uniquely predict alcohol-related consequences and relate to a lower chance of maturing out of drinking excessively. This study aims to test the conditions under which these drinking motives may be significantly linked to drinking behavior.
This study expanded on a previous study examining several dispositional conditions that correlate to drinking to cope. A total of 565 college students participated in this study. All students were between the ages of 18 to 25 and had at least one alcoholic drink in the past 30 days. Data collection took place from Spring 2024 through Spring 2015. Participants completed an online 45-minute survey. Alcohol use was measured via The Daily Drinking Questionnaire. Alcohol-related consequences were measured via the 48-item Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire. Drinking to cope, negative effects, tension reduction expectancies, and cognitive reappraisal were also measured.
The results of this study supported preexisting literature that DTC is a mechanism between adverse effects and drinking outcomes. Cognitive reappraisal is typically known as an adaptive emotion regulation technique, but the result of the study suggests this is only sometimes true. This study reports that drinking outcomes through drinking to cope are the strongest for those with high cognitive reappraisal. Further research is needed to examine the conditions where cognitive reappraisal may or may not be adaptive.
Takeaway: Drinking to cope is a mediator for associations between negative affect and drinking-related outcomes.