Substance use on college campuses has remained to be a public health concern that can affect almost any members of a university-based community.  Alcohol use among undergraduate students represents the most notorious manifestation of this behavior and is responsible for a litany of consequences in student populations.  Among these consequences are physiological impairment, mental health problems, decreased general safety, poor academic performance, and negative sociological impacts.  While alcohol’s effects on health and wellbeing have been thoroughly characterized, the predictive factors, like motives and specific predispositions, have not been studied as extensively.  The majority of behavioral research concerning alcohol use in the United States focuses on primarily white samples, leaving a dearth of research related to alcohol use in other races and ethnicities.  This study evaluates potential associations between resilience and alcohol use among Hispanic undergraduates in the United States. 

            The study’s sample is composed of 443 undergraduate students from a Hispanic-serving institution located in southern Texas (N=443, 54% female).  Eligibility criteria for participation included reporting Mexican descent, being at least 18 years old, and consuming alcohol at least once in the prior 3 months.  Participants completed surveys which assessed the following measures: sociodemographics, resilience (via Brief Resilience Scale), drinking motives (via Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised), alcohol consumption, and alcohol consequences (via Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire).  The data was analyzed using multiple linear regression modelling. 

            Results of the analysis found resilience to display protective effects in the study population.  An increase in resilience scores was found to be inversely related to the experience of alcohol-related consequences.  In participants reporting social and enhancement motives for alcohol use, elevated resilience was found to mitigate the relative number of alcohol consequences reported.  Takeaway: behavioral research continues to lag when characterizing substance use among racial and ethnic minority populations in the United States.  This study suggests that resilience may serve as a mitigating factor against alcohol related consequences in certain Hispanic undergraduate students.

Sanchez A, Gainza Perez M, Field CA. The role of resilience in alcohol use, drinking motives, and alcohol-related consequences among Hispanic college students. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 2021;0(0):1-10. doi:10.1080/00952990.2021.1996584