Abstract
Limited resources for coping with stress have been associated with psychological disturbance and alcohol abuse among adults. In the current investigation, both retrospective questionnaires and prospective monitoring measures were used to test young adults' trait coping styles as predictors of their weekly alcohol consumption. Individuals who reported deficits in emotion focused and avoidant coping strategies drank more often than subjects with all other styles of coping. These subjects also exhibited greater overall alcohol consumption that subjects who employed high levels of emotion focused coping but low levels of avoidant coping. Results therefore support the idea that young adults' coping styles are related to their use of alcohol Analyses also showed strong positive correlations between questionnaire and monitored measures of drinking, but only moderate associations between the two measures of coping. Measurement methodologies of the current investigation are discussed in terms of their clinical and research applications.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abrams, D. B., and Niaura, R. S. (1987). Social learning theory. In Blane, H. T., and Leonard, K. E. (eds.),Psychological Theories of Drinking and Alcoholism. Guilford Press, New York.
Cahalan, D. H., & Grossley, H. M. (1969).American Drinking Practices. Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies, Monograph No. 6. New Brunswick, NJ.
Carver, C. S., Scheier, M. F., and Weintraub, J. K. (1989). Assessing coping strategies: A theoretically based approach.J. Personal. Social Psychol. 56: 267–283.
Clark, W., and Midanick, L. (1982). Alcohol use and alcohol problems among U.S. adults. In:Alcohol consumption and related problems. Alcohol and Health Monograph 1. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Rockville, MD.
Collins, R. L., Parks, G. A., and Marlait, G. A. (1985). Social determinants of alcohol consumption: The effects of social interactions and model status on the self administration of alcohol.J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 53: 189–200.
Cooper, M. L., Russell, M., and George, W. H. (1988). Coping, expectancies, and alcohol abuse: A test of social learning formulations.J. Abnorm. Psychol. 97: 218–230.
Fillmore, K. M. (1974). Drinking and problem drinking in early adulthood and middle age: An exploratory 20 year follow-up study.Quart. J. Stud. Alcohol, 35: 819–840.
Folkman, S., and Lazarus, R. S. (1980). An analysis of coping in a middle-aged community sample.J. Health Social Behav. 21: 219–239.
Folkman, S., Lazarus, R, S., Dunkel-Schetter, C., DeLongis, A., and Gruen, R. (1986). The dynamics of a stressful encounter: Cognitive appraisal, coping, and encounter outcomes.J. Personal. Social Psychol. 50: 992–1003.
Fromme, K., Baer, J., Kivlahan, D. R., and Mariait, G. A. (in press, 1994). The Alcohol Skills Training Program: A group intervention for prevention of alcohol problems.J. Substance Abuse Treat.
Hamilton, S., and Fagot, B. (1988). Chronic stress and coping styles: A comparison of male and female undergraduates.J. Personal. Social Psychol. 55: 819–823.
Izard, C. E. (1977).Human Emotions. Plenum Press, New York.
Katz, E. C., DelVacchio, J., and Fromme, K. (1991, November). Daily events, coping, and alcohol use among young adults: Parent and peer influences. Paper presented at the 25th annual meeting of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy, New York.
Kivlahan, D. R., Marlatt, G. A., Fromme, K., Coppel, D. B., and Williams, E. (1990). Secondary prevention with college drinkers: Evaluation of an alcohol skills training program.J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 58: 805–810.
Stone, A. A., Greenberg, M. A., Kennedy-Moore, E., and Newman, M. G. (1991). Self-report, situation-specific coping questionnaires: What are they measuring?J. Personal. Social Psychol. 61: 648–658.
Stone, A. A., Lenox, S., and Neale, J. M. (1985). Daily coping and alcohol use in a sample of community adults. In Shiftman, S., and Wills, T. A. (eds.),Coping and Substance Use. Academic Press, Orlando, FL.
Stone, A. A., and Neale, J. M. (1982). Development of a methodology for assessing daily experiences. In Baum, A., and Singer, J., (eds.),Environment and Health (Vol. 4).
Swindle, R. W., Cronkite, R., and Moos, R. H. (1989). Life Stressors, social resources, coping, and the 4-year course of unipolar depression.J. Abnorm. Psychol. 98: 468–477.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1987).Sixth Special Report to the U.S. Congress on Alcohol and Health (DHHS Pub. No. ADM 87-1519). Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.
Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, coping, and tobacco and alcohol use in early adolescence. In Shiffman, S., and Wills, T. A. (eds.),Coping and Substance Use. Academic Press, Orlando, FL.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported in part by a NIAAA grant No. 1R29AA09135-01 to Kim Fromme and by two University of Delaware undergraduate research grants to Kathy Rivet.
Received her Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 1988. Major research interest focuses on the ways in which alcohol use influences young adult's participation in a variety of risky activities.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fromme, K., Rivet, K. Young adults' coping style as a predictor of their alcohol use and response to daily events. J Youth Adolescence 23, 85–97 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537143
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537143