To further understand drinking to cope with stressors (DTC) and development of alcohol related problems in young adulthood, a recent study looked at drinking behaviors of college-aged individuals and then collected data on a portion of those individuals 5 years post college. Problem drinking behaviors tend to decrease through young adulthood, but if they do not, they may lead to higher prevalence of further drinking problems and alcohol use disorders.
This study included 927 college participants who completed daily surveys on alcohol use for 30 days. Those labeled as “moderate to heavy drinkers” from the data collected were recruited to complete a follow-up survey 5 years later. This survey collected data on social status, drinking-related problems, and post college stress, as well as daily alcohol use and physical ailments.
The results of the survey showed that DTC was linked to next-day negative affect and depletion of self-control. The post-college results also showed a stronger effect of anxiety and lack of self-control on drinking motivation. However, the individuals in the study who took on more adult roles and experienced less post-college stress showed that anger and feelings of depression were less likely to influence drinking. Overall, post-college DTC motivation was indirectly linked to long-term effects of alcohol use disorders as a result of individuals continuing to disrupt their daily emotion regulation process with alcohol use.
This data suggests that the motivation to drink, independent from the frequency of drinking, can lead to long-term effects of alcohol use. This information shows the importance of drinking habits formed in college-aged individuals and can be used to formulate prevention efforts in students and young adults.
Take away: When looking at data of moderate-heavy college drinkers and their drinking habits 5 years later, there is evidence that stress levels and anxiety can lead to continued alcohol related problems.