A Test of the Self-Medication Hypothesis Using a Latent Measurement Model: Are Stress and Impaired Control over Alcohol Mediating Mechanisms of Parenting Styles on Heavy Episodic Drinking and Alcohol-Related Problems among University Students?
- PMID: 38785875
- PMCID: PMC11117968
- DOI: 10.3390/bs14050384
A Test of the Self-Medication Hypothesis Using a Latent Measurement Model: Are Stress and Impaired Control over Alcohol Mediating Mechanisms of Parenting Styles on Heavy Episodic Drinking and Alcohol-Related Problems among University Students?
Abstract
Introduction: The self-medication hypothesis (SMH) suggests that individuals consume alcohol to alleviate stressful emotions. Still, the underlying mechanisms between stress and heavy episodic drinking remain to be explored. Impaired control over drinking (IC) reflects a failure of self-regulation specific to the drinking context, with individuals exceeding self-prescribed limits. Parenting styles experienced during childhood have a lasting influence on the stress response, which may contribute to IC.
Method: We examined the indirect influences of parenting styles (e.g., permissive, authoritarian, and authoritative) on heavy episodic drinking and alcohol-related problems through the mediating mechanisms of stress and IC. We fit a latent measurement model with 938 (473 men; 465 women) university students, utilizing bootstrap confidence intervals, in Mplus 8.0.
Results: Higher levels of authoritative parenting (mother and father) were indirectly linked to fewer alcohol-related problems and less heavy episodic drinking through less stress and IC. Maternal permissiveness was indirectly linked to more alcohol-related problems and heavy episodic drinking through more stress and, in turn, more IC. Impaired control appeared to be a mediator for stress and alcohol-related problems.
Conclusions: Maternal permissiveness contributes to the use of alcohol to alleviate stress. Thus, reducing stress may reduce problematic heavy drinking and alcohol problems among emerging adults with high IC who may also have experienced permissive parenting. Stress may exacerbate behavioral dysregulation of drinking within self-prescribed limits.
Keywords: alcohol-related problems; heavy-episodic-drinking; impaired control over drinking; latent measurement model; parenting styles; stress.
Conflict of interest statement
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Figures
Similar articles
-
The Direct and Indirect Influences of Parenting: The Facets of Time-Perspective and Impaired Control Along the Alcohol-related Problems Pathway.Subst Use Misuse. 2019;54(1):78-88. doi: 10.1080/10826084.2018.1495739. Epub 2018 Nov 5. Subst Use Misuse. 2019. PMID: 30395760 Free PMC article.
-
The Mediating Role of Anxiety Sensitivity in Uncontrolled Drinking: A Look at Gender-Specific Parental Influences.Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2018 May;42(5):914-925. doi: 10.1111/acer.13631. Epub 2018 Apr 14. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2018. PMID: 29573434 Free PMC article.
-
Under-Researched Demographics: Heavy Episodic Drinking and Alcohol-Related Problems Among Asian Americans.Alcohol Res. 2016;38(1):17-25. Alcohol Res. 2016. PMID: 27159808 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Direct and indirect links between parenting styles, self-concealment (secrets), impaired control over drinking and alcohol-related outcomes.Addict Behav. 2015 Jan;40:102-8. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2014.08.009. Epub 2014 Sep 6. Addict Behav. 2015. PMID: 25241309
-
Gender-specific mediational links between parenting styles, parental monitoring, impulsiveness, drinking control, and alcohol-related problems.J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2011 Mar;72(2):247-58. doi: 10.15288/jsad.2011.72.247. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2011. PMID: 21388598
References
-
- Lazarus R.S., Folkman S. Stress, Appraisal, and Coping. Springer; New York, NY, USA: 1984.
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources