The Use of Protective Behavioral Strategies is Related to Reduced Risk in Heavy Drinking College Students with Poorer Mental and Physical Health

Abstract

The present study examined the moderating role of health status (physical, mental, and social health) and the relationships between protective behavioral strategies utilized to reduce high-risk drinking (e.g., avoiding drinking games, setting consumption limits, or having a designated driver) and alcohol use and negative consequences in a sample of heavy drinking college students (N = 1,820). In this high risk sample, multiple regression analyses showed that stronger social health was related to increased drinking, while poorer physical, mental, and social health were related to increased alcohol negative consequences. Further, moderation effects revealed that increasing the use of protective behaviors was associated with significantly less drinking in those with stronger social health, as well as significantly lower numbers of negative consequences among participants with poorer physical and mental health. Implications for college counselors and medical personnel are discussed.

Measuring Protective Behavioral Strategies for Marijuana Use Among Young Adults

“…For example, a growing empirical body of research has investigated the use of protective behavioral strategies for alcohol use, including scales for assessing the behaviors (Martens et al, 2005(Martens et al, , 2007 and interventions centered around teaching and reinforcing the use of these strategies while drinking (Kenney et al, 2014). Engagement in these behaviors by drinkers has been found to be associated with less frequent consequences and fewer heavy drinking episodes (Borden et al, 2011;LaBrie et al, 2010;Pearson, 2013).…”

“…Likewise, protective strategies may vary for users in different states, such as for those younger than 21 years of age and those 21 years and older, for users with sole medicinal versus recreational reasons for using marijuana, and between genders and ethnicity/race groups. Protective strategies may also be particularly important for those using for coping reasons (as opposed to social reasons) or those suffering with mental health concerns like depression or anxiety, which has been found to be an important factor for consideration of alcohol protective behavioral strategies (Kenney et al, 2013;LaBrie et al, 2010LaBrie et al, , 2011. Thus, much work needs to be conducted in the future with the items to determine appropriateness of use within different subgroups and geographic locales of young adults.…”

“…Despite the apparent harm-reduction qualities of alcohol protective behavioral strategies (Borden et al, 2011;LaBrie et al, 2010;Martens et al, 2005Martens et al, , 2007Pearson, 2013) and the early successes of targeting these in interventions (Kenney et al, 2014), research has noted methodological concerns about how the alcohol protective behavioral strategies measures are treated in study designs. These concerns are thought to limit a full understanding of how the behaviors function to protect oneself from harm.…”

Protective Behavioral Strategies as a Mediator Between Depressive Symptom Fluctuations and Alcohol Consumption: A Longitudinal Examination Among College Students

“…Because individuals with more negative affect (e.g., anxiety, depressive symptoms) are shown to be at even greater risk for experiencing poorer alcohol outcomes (Markman Geisner et al, 2004), they may be a population that would benefi t from interventions focusing on these PBS techniques. Of the few studies that have examined PBS and mental health, it appears that greater symptoms of negative affect are associated with less frequent PBS use (Kenney & LaBrie, 2013;LaBrie et al, 2009LaBrie et al, , 2010Linden et al, 2013;Litt et al, 2013;Martens et al, 2008). Specifi cally, the association between PBS use and alcohol outcomes appears to be moderated by global mental health symptoms (LaBrie et al, 2009(LaBrie et al, , 2010, anxiety (Linden et al, 2013), and depression (Kenney & LaBrie, 2013).…”

“…Of the few studies that have examined PBS and mental health, it appears that greater symptoms of negative affect are associated with less frequent PBS use (Kenney & LaBrie, 2013;LaBrie et al, 2009LaBrie et al, , 2010Linden et al, 2013;Litt et al, 2013;Martens et al, 2008). Specifi cally, the association between PBS use and alcohol outcomes appears to be moderated by global mental health symptoms (LaBrie et al, 2009(LaBrie et al, , 2010, anxiety (Linden et al, 2013), and depression (Kenney & LaBrie, 2013). That is, those with poorer mental health overall exhibited a stronger, negative relationship between PBS use and alcohol outcomes than those with better mental health.…”