Dyadic alcohol use, alcohol-specific conflict, and relationship dissatisfaction in treatment-seeking men and their female partners

Abstract

Intimate partners consuming different amounts of alcohol tend to have lower relationship satisfaction, whereas those drinking at similar levels often report happier unions. It is presently unclear how dyadic alcohol use patterns impact relationship satisfaction for couples wherein one member has an alcohol use disorder. We examined this using longitudinal data from an alcoholic treatment sample (N = 181) and further explored whether conflict pursuant to differential use played a mediating role. Partners similar in their baseline frequency of alcohol intoxication reported higher initial satisfaction but experienced significant declines in satisfaction longitudinally. Highly differential alcohol use was associated with lower satisfaction for both partners at baseline, which was mediated by conflict specific to men’s alcohol use. Notably, baseline relationship variables also predicted subsequent changes in alcohol use. These findings overall support a dyadic understanding of alcoholism and highlight that drinking patterns may link to long-term relationship outcomes differently for alcoholics.

Problematic Internet Usage and Self-Esteem in Chinese Undergraduate Students: The Mediation Effects of Individual Affect and Relationship Satisfaction

“…The participants were asked to rate the 14 items (7 positive and 7 negative) on an 8-point Likert-type scale from 0 (not at all) to 7 (always). The PN-SMD has been used to examine deviant Internet behaviour among Chinese adolescents [ 110 ] and behaviour manifesting alcohol addiction in couples [ 111 ]. The Cronbach’s α values for the PN-SMD scale as a whole, the positive semantic dimension (P-SMD) subscale and the negative semantic dimension (N-SMD) subscale were 0.764, 0.905 and 0.922, respectively.…”