Harm reduction strategies can mitigate against some of the deleterious effects of alcohol on families. These strategies are most feasible and cost-effective when they can be targeted at those who are most at risk. Previous studies examining the relation between parents’ alcohol use and their children’s psychological adjustment have failed to consider important contextual questions such as drinking motives. The current investigation set out to identify the extent to which parents’ drinking motives predict internalizing and externalizing psychopathology in their children. The investigation consisted of cross sectional analysis of parents’ drinking motives and their children’s adjustment using data from 154 families recruited from the local community. Utilizing Bayesian data analytic techniques, we examined the role of parents’ drinking motives along with possible mediating variables including familial conflict, parental depression, and parenting style. Results showed that maternal social drinking motives were better predictors of children’s maladjustment than either coping or enhancement drinking motives. Unexpectedly, maternal enhancement drinking motives were associated with fewer adjustment problems. Maternal enhancement drinking motives also predicted higher levels of collaborative conflict resolution and lower levels of parental depression, both of which were associated with reduced levels of children’s externalizing problems. Paternal alcohol consumption and drinking motives were not associated with children’s internalizing or externalizing problems. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Elevated social anxiety is a well-documented risk factor for developing problematic alcohol use behaviors. Adolescents with high social anxiety often report drinking for coping-related reasons, and drinking to cope has been linked to both acute and chronic alcohol use problems. Research further suggests that parenting is a primary socialization domain in terms of adolescent alcohol use onset and trajectory; however, no work has yet examined the role of parenting factors in the relation between social anxiety and coping motives for drinking. The current study investigated the role of two parenting dimensions, rejection/warmth and psychological control, on the link between social anxiety and problematic drinking motives. Drawing from an ongoing assessment of an inpatient program, the sample consisted of 94 girls and boys (ages 11-17 years). Regression analyses evaluated main effects of social anxiety, rejection, psychological control, the interactive effects of the parenting dimensions, and the three-way interaction of both parenting dimensions with social anxiety on coping motives for alcohol use. As expected, social anxiety was positively and statistically significantly related to coping motives when examined via raw scores, proportional values, and in the final model. Further, zero-order correlations indicated a positive, statistically significant relation between proportional coping motives and both rejection and psychological control; however, no other hypothesis was supported. Collectively, this body of work underscores the potential benefit of integrating social stress and anxiety management in problematic alcohol use intervention efforts, as well as drinking motive education in efforts targeting social anxiety.

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Social anxiety disorder (SAD) and alcohol use disorders (AUDs; i.e., alcohol dependence, alcohol abuse) are highly prevalent and potentially debilitating. They also commonly co-occur, and when they do, their combined effect may be even more devastating. The onset of SAD most commonly precedes the onset of AUDs, suggesting that SAD may be a marker or risk factor for the onset of these other disorders. Previous research has not sufficiently examined the mechanisms involved in the development of AUDs, and longitudinal research is lacking. The current study examined mechanisms related to the development of AUDs among incoming college freshman students at two large universities in the United States. Incoming freshmen are at higher risk for developing symptoms consistent with SAD, particularly during their first semester, and they may be more likely to cope with their symptoms of anxiety by drinking alcohol. The current study aimed to explicate the relationship between social anxiety and alcohol consumption in college freshmen. Baseline data collection occurred late in the summer after registration for the Fall semester or early in the Fall semester. Follow-up data collection occurred later in the Fall semester. It was expected that social anxiety, the quantity and frequency of drinking alcohol (including frequency of intoxication), and alcohol-related problems would increase among the freshmen over the course of the fall semester. Additionally, several relationships among the variables being examined were hypothesized. Drinking motives, symptoms of depression, and quality of life were expected to mediate the relationship between social anxiety and the drinking outcome variables. In addition, expectancies about alcohol consumption were expected to moderate the mediated relationship. However, there were no increases in social anxiety, alcohol consumption, or alcohol-related problems between baseline and follow-up. There were few hypothesized relationships found, although there was a positive relationship between social anxiety and negative alcohol expectancies and a negative relationship between social anxiety and quality of life. Model testing generated one promising model in which the relationship of positive expectancies regarding alcohol use to alcohol use and problems was mediated by coping with anxiety drinking motives. In particular, the main effect of positive expectancies of alcohol and coping with anxiety drinking motives generated a medium effect whereas the other relationships generated small to medium effects. Clinical implications and limitations of the current study are discussed. / Psychology

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Context: There are two ways that digital media may influence alcohol use. The first is commercial alcohol marketing. The second is user-created alcohol promotion, defined as content distributed through new media that promotes consumption, but independent of commercial marketing. This thesis explores how both types of content promote alcohol, what association there is between exposure and alcohol-related attitudes and behaviour, and the differences between marketing and user-created promotion. Method: A mixed method design was employed, divided into two studies. The first was a content analysis of the design features, topical references, and messages suggested about alcohol in digital marketing and user-created promotion on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. The second was a cross-sectional survey with young adults (n = 405). This measured awareness of, and participation with, digital marketing and user-created promotion, and the association with consumption, higher-risk drinking, brand recall, expectancies, and drinking motives. Results: The content analysis found that digital marketing had personalised designs which contained subtle and positive messages about consumption, whereas user-created promotion had simpler designs, displayed little ethical practice, and contained overt messages about higher-risk drinking. The cross-sectional survey found that young adults were aware of, and participating with, both digital marketing and user-created promotion, with exposure greater for the latter. Exposure to both types of content was positively associated with alcohol use, higher-risk consumption, and drinking intentions. User-created promotion had a stronger association with all outcomes than marketing. The association between exposure and consumption, for both types of content, was mediated through drinking motives and expectancies. Conclusion: Young adults are aware of, and participating with, a range of digital marketing and user-created promotion. That such exposure is associated with alcohol-related attitudes and behaviour highlights the potential of new media to influence alcohol consumption. Further research is required to better understand young people’s experience with digital media and the challenges of addressing online health risk messages.