Drinking While Stressed and Drinking to Cope Differentially Relate to Mental Health

Abstract

Excessive alcohol use, as well as drinking to manage distress, are known to undermine mental health. The current study examined the unique associations of simply consuming alcohol while stressed, versus using alcohol to cope with distress, with mental health during the early stages of COVID-19. Participants (N = 264) reported their alcohol use and use of alcohol/substances to cope with stress daily for 22 days and completed measures of mental health at baseline and every 7 days thereafter. Hierarchical regression models were tested to predict drinking while stressed, drinking to cope, and mental health. At baseline, drinking while stressed was not significantly associated with mental health when coping motives were accounted for. However, drinking to cope was significantly associated with greater stress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Drinking while stressed was significantly predicted by baseline stress and loneliness, while drinking to cope was significantly predicted by baseline anxiety. Drinking while stressed was not a significant predictor of change in mental health when coping motives were accounted for. Drinking to cope was a significant predictor of increases in depression but not of change in stress, anxiety, or loneliness. The motivation to manage distress appears to be driving the negative effects of alcohol use on mental health.

Keywords: alcohol; coping; emotion regulation; mental health; stress.