Differential Pathways of Risky Drinking via Coping Motives in College and Noncollege Young Adults

Abstract

The current study tested a mediation model of psychological functioning (i.e., perceived stressors, psychological distress, and self-regulation) and risky drinking through a drinking to cope pathway comparing college and noncollege young adults. Participants were 623 young adult drinkers (M age = 21.46) who completed an online survey. Multigroup analyses examined the proposed mediation model for college students and nonstudents. For nonstudents, the indirect effects of psychological distress to alcohol use outcomes (i.e., alcohol quantity, binge drinking frequency, and alcohol-related problems) via coping motives was significant. Further, coping motives significantly mediated the positive effects of self-regulation on alcohol quantity, binge drinking frequency, and alcohol-related problems. For students, greater psychological distress was associated with greater coping motives, which in turn, related to greater alcohol-related problems. Coping motives significantly mediated the positive effect of self-regulation on binge drinking frequency. Findings highlight the different pathways that may result in risky drinking and alcohol problems based on young adult's educational attainment. These results have important clinical implications, particularly for those who have not attended college.

Keywords: alcohol use; drinking to cope; perceived stressors; problematic drinking; psychological distress; self-regulation.

Figure 1

Standardized Path Coefficients for Full Sample, Nonstudents, and College Students Note. Standardized coefficients reported full sample (F), nonstudents (N), and college students (C). Significant effects are bolded. Lines where paths were nonsignificant across the full sample, nonstudent sample, and college student sample are indicated by dashed lines. Sex and race were controlled on paths but removed for clarity. *p < .05; **p < .01; ***p < .001