Alcohol motivations and behaviors during months young adults experience social role transitions: Microtransitions in early adulthood.

Abstract

Objective The study examines how young adult transitions into and out of social roles (i.e., starting or ending a job, school, a romantic relationship) are associated with drinking motives (coping, enhancement, social, and conformity) and alcohol use on a given month. Method A community sample of young adult drinkers (N=767; 56.3% female; 59.3% White; ages 18–23) completed 24 consecutive months of online surveys (N=15,333 months of data) about the previous month’s experiences, social role transitions, and alcohol use. Results During the 2-year data collection window, participants reported starting/ending a job (10.0%/8.2%), a relationship (2.7%/4.3%), and school (9.2%/17.4%). Between-persons, those who more often started jobs were more likely to drink and those who more often ended jobs had higher enhancement motives; those who more often ended relationships were more likely to drink, have a greater number of drinks when drinking, and have higher coping and enhancement motives; and those who more often started relationships had higher conformity motives. Within-persons, in months when a relationship ended participants reported stronger coping motives and in months when a relationship started they reported stronger social motives for drinking. In months when a relationship started or ended, participants also reported consuming a greater number of drinks when drinking. There were no differences based on starting or ending school. Conclusions Young adult social role transitions are associated with concurrent changes in both alcohol use and motives for drinking. Understanding these contextual changes and their concomitant risks is key to providing salient interventions to reduce alcohol-related harm.

Motives for Alcohol and Marijuana Use as Predictors of Use and Problem Use Among Young Adult College Students

“…The second hypothesis sought to assess whether motives for use predicts alcohol and marijuana use across the sample. Although SCT and prior research indicates that use motives are associated with alcohol and marijuana use outcomes (Bonar et al, 2017;Bonn-Miller et al, 2007;Bray et al, 2019;Buckner, 2013;Cooper, 1994;Cox & Klinger, 1988;Moitra et al, 2015;Patrick et al, 2011, Patrick, Rhew et al, 2018Van Damme et al, 2013), less research has focused on the nuances of use motives that are particularly critical intervention targets. Bivariate analyses indicated that use motives for the respective substances were highly correlated with one another (except marijuana use motives in relation to Self-enhancement and Conformity); moreover, motives for alcohol and marijuana use also were highly correlated.…”

Transitions Catalyst Model: Testing within- and between-Person Associations between Social Relationships and Alcohol Use, Motives, and Consequences among Young Adults

“…Social reasons for drinking were most likely to be endorsed in young adulthood with 80% of drinkers reporting this reason at age 20, falling to 63% of drinkers by age 30. In a separate study using data examined in the present study, Patrick et al (2018) examined alcohol use and drinking motives during months when social role transitions were experienced (e.g. starting and ending a relationship).…”

“…Data were collected from a community sample of young adults participating in a longitudinal study on social role transitions and alcohol use. Eligibility criteria at screening included being ages 18 to 23, consuming alcohol at least once in the past year, living in the greater Seattle area, coming once into the research office, and completing a baseline assessment (see Patrick et al, 2018 for additional details). A total of 779 young adults met eligibility criteria, completed the baseline survey, and were invited to complete online monthly surveys for the next 24 consecutive months.…”

“…A developmental contextual approach can be applied to examine how normative tasks and transitions are related to alcohol use among young adults (Schulenberg & Maggs, 2002;Schulenberg et al, 2018). The Transitions Catalyst Model suggests some amount of risk behavior is normative among young adults and can even be perceived to aid in the negotiation of certain developmental and social tasks and transitions (Hatzenbuehler et al, 2008;Patrick et al, 2018;Schulenberg & Maggs, 2002;Williams et al, 2018). This model posits that increased alcohol use during young adulthood could occur because young adults believe that alcohol can help facilitate new friendships, romantic relationships, and social bonding during a period in the life course when these relationships are highly desired.…”

Changes in alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic among a sample of cannabis users

“…Drinking to cope with problems, social consumption with friends and partners, or dealing with normal transitions throughout life stages may be motives for alcohol consumption (Patrick et al, 2017(Patrick et al, , 2018. Consuming alcohol for coping or regulating emotions may be an indicator of problematic consumption or alcohol-related problems (Simons et al, 2017;Stewart et al, 2002) and individuals with heavy alcohol consumption are more at risk to experience comorbid emotional disorders (Berenz et al, 2019).…”