Stress and Subsequent Drinking in Individuals with Different Drinking Motives

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): One's reasons for drinking alcohol are related to risk of developing alcoholism. Both coping motives (where alcohol is used to reduce stress or negative affect) and enhancement motives (where alcohol is used to augment positive emotions) are associated with increased risk of alcohol problems compared to other motives for drinking. Whereas individuals with enhancement motives tend to drink heavily, which increases their risk of alcohol problems, those with coping motives have a higher risk of alcohol problems independent of heavy drinking. In fact, the basis of the increased risk associated with coping motives is not well understood. Research disputes that the increased risk is related to either (a) coping-motivated drinkers having greater affective distress or anxiety or (b) coping-motivated drinkers having greater severity of alcohol problems at the outset. It does appear that motives for drinking may moderate the relationship between stress and subsequent drinking, where individuals with coping motives are especially susceptible to stressinduced drinking. This study uses a clinical laboratory setting to collect pilot data that can be used in future studies to more closely examine the relationship between stress and drinking in social drinkers who endorse different motives for drinking. The project compares non-alcoholic drinkers with coping vs. enhancement motives for drinking on their alcohol consumption following a psychological stressor (or no-stress control condition). The project employs validated methods and instruments to measure drinking motives, to induce and measures stress, and to examine alcohol consumption. It is hypothesized that stress and drinking motive will interact regarding subsequent alcohol consumption, where stress has the greatest impact in individuals with coping motives for drinking. In addition, it is hypothesized that indices of the stress response will be most strongly related to alcohol consumption in participants with coping motives. In order for alcoholism prevention efforts to be well-designed and effectively administered, we must understand how risk factors are manifest. The ultimate goal of this program of research is to help alcoholism prevention efforts by providing empirical data to suggest what processes should be targeted in individuals who, because of their motives for drinking, may be at particular risk for future alcohol problems.