Heavy Drinking and Negative Affective Situations in a General Population and Treatment Sample: Alternative Explanations

Author(s)

John A. Cunningham, University of TorontoFollow
Mark B. Sobell, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
Linda C. Sobell, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
Douglas R. Gavin
Helen R. AnnisFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-1995

Publication Title

Psychology of Addictive Behaviors

Volume

9

Issue/Number

2

First Page

123

ISSN

0893-164X

Last Page

127

Abstract/Excerpt

Situations associated with heavy alcohol consumption were compared across respondents with different levels of alcohol dependence within a general population sample and within a sample of individuals in treatment. Results from both groups suggested that, associated with increasing problem severity, there was a shift in the relative balance from drinking heavily in positive affective situations to more often drinking heavily in negative affective situations. At least 3 alternative hypotheses could explain these cross-sectional findings: Heavy drinking is increasingly used as a coping response as problems increase in severity; the relationship is epiphenomenal, reflecting a shift in overall life circumstances; or the shift reflects a respondent selection bias due to individual differences. Implications of these alternatives are discussed. The source of the relationship can only be definitively investigated using a longitudinal design.

DOI

10.1037/0893-164X.9.2.123

NSUWorks Citation

Cunningham, J. A., Sobell, M. B., Sobell, L. C., Gavin, D. R., Annis, H. R. (1995). Heavy Drinking and Negative Affective Situations in a General Population and Treatment Sample: Alternative Explanations. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 9(2), 123-127.
Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_facarticles/536