The Great Recession and Drinking Outcomes: Protective Effects of Politically Oriented Coping

Research derived from the stress paradigm suggests that certain types of coping (e.g., problem-focused coping instead of behavioral disengagement) are protective against problem-related drinking to deal with social stressors. Going beyond the typical focus in the coping literature, we hypothesize that stressors engendered by macrolevel social forces may require coping actions within the political realm in contrast to modes of coping focused outside of the political realm. A United States sample of 663 respondents completed a mail survey in 2010, including measures of stressful consequences of the Great Recession, drinking patterns and problems, modes of coping encompassed in the Brief COPE instrument, and politically oriented coping. Structural equation modeling examined whether modes of coping mediated the links between stressors and drinking outcomes. A substantial portion of the associations between stressors and drinking was explained by modes of coping. Politically oriented coping was protective against problem drinking for both genders. Future studies should further explore politically oriented coping in addition to modes of coping outside of the political realm when studying the relationships between macrolevel social stressors and deleterious drinking outcomes

Macrolevel Stressors, Terrorism, and Mental Health Outcomes: Broadening the Stress Paradigm

Objectives. We examined the extent to which the stress paradigm linking psychosocial stressors to mental health status has focused disproportionate attention on microlevel social stressors to the detriment of macrolevel stressors. Also, we assessed the effects of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, on subsequent mental health among participants in a Midwestern cohort study

Sexual Harassment, Psychological Distress, and Problematic Drinking Behavior Among College Students: An Examination of Reciprocal Causal Relations

Sexual harassment on college campuses is a frequent occurrence and serious public health concern. Victims of sexual harassment are at risk for many possible negative health consequences. In addition, certain psychological distress symptoms and/or alcohol use may put individuals at increased risk of being victims of sexual harassment. Data from more than 2,000 college students in the Midwestern United States were used to examine reciprocal causal effects of the relations between (a) experiencing sexual harassment and alcohol use and (b) experiencing sexual harassment and psychological distress symptoms, specifically depression and anger/hostility. Analyses were conducted separately for sexual harassment which occurs at school and which occurs in college students’ workplaces, and also separately for men and women. Results of cross-lagged panel models showed that there were reciprocal causal effects between sexual harassment and alcohol problems, depression, and anger. Discussion focuses on the overall patterns of results as well as the nuances within these findings

Age Differences in the Longitudinal Relationship between Work-Family Conflict and Alcohol Use

Research on the relationship between work-family conflict and alcohol use has generally shown small effects possibly due to failure to include important individual differences relevant to the experience of work-family conflict and alcohol use, notably age. This study examined whether the relationships between aspects of work-family conflict and alcohol use variables differed by age. Participants were 543 individuals (51.2% women) from a community sample of working adults in the greater Chicagoland area who responded to a mail survey at three time points. Results showed important differences between age groups in several predictors of alcohol use. Strain versus time-based conflict had different effects on drinking, and strain-based forms of work-family conflict were related to increased problematic alcohol use depending on age. This study indicates that individual differences, particularly age, should be systematically accounted for when studying the relationship between work-family conflict and alcohol use

Workplace harassment patterning, gender, and utilization of professional services: Findings from a US national study

This study constitutes the first national longitudinal survey to address the relationship between workplace harassment and service utilization. We examine how patterns of sexual harassment and generalized workplace harassment are linked to utilization of mental health, health, legal, spiritual, and work-related services, and whether and how gender influences these relationships. Data derive from a random digit dial telephone survey with a continental US sample of employed adults. Eligibility criteria were being 18 years of age or over, and being employed at least 20 h per week at some time in the 12 months prior to the wave 1 survey. Out of 4116 households with eligible individuals, 2151 agreed to participate at wave 1. At wave 2, 1418 participated, thus, the overall response rate was 34.5%. We show that the patterning of workplace harassment over two time points (chronic, remission, onset, never harassed) is associated with the use of different types of services. Gender partially moderated the relationship between workplace harassment and services.USA Workplace harassment Work stress Gender Service utilization

A Fresh Look at Socio-Demographics in Work-Family Conflict: a Cluster Analysis Approach

An important gap in work-family literature is the understanding of how socio-demographic variables, such as sex, age, hours worked, age of youngest child, and household income may relate to work-family conflict. Using data from 667 individuals and longitudinal data from 1007 caregivers, separate exploratory cluster analysis by gender provided a three cluster solution for caregiving men, non-caregiving men, and caregiving women and a four cluster solution for non-caregiving women. Differences in work interfering with family were found in caregiving men, caregiving women, and non-caregiving women clusters. Non-caregiving men, non-caregiving women, and caregiving women had differential levels of family interfering with work by cluster. Cohen’s D revealed that age had the largest effect size between clusters for individuals and caregivers. Findings and implications are discussed

Risk factors and outcomes of chronic sexual harassment during the transition to college: Examination of a two-part growth mixture model

A two-part latent growth mixture model was implemented in order to examine heterogeneity in the growth of sexual harassment (SH) victimization in college and university students, and the extent to which SH class membership explains substance use and mental health outcomes for certain groups of students. Demographic risk factors, mental health, and substance use were examined as they related to chronically experienced SH victimization. Incoming freshmen students (N = 2855; 58% female; 54% White) completed a survey at five time points. In addition to self-reporting gender, race, and sexual orientation, students completed measures of sexual harassment, anxiety, depression, binge drinking, and marijuana use. Overall, self-reported SH declined upon college entry, although levels rebounded by the third year of college. Results also supported a two-class solution (Infrequent and Chronic) for SH victimization. Being female, White, and a sexual minority were linked to being classified into the Chronic (relative to the Infrequent) SH class. In turn, Chronic SH class membership predicted greater anxiety, depression, and substance use, supporting a mediational model

Effects of Workplace Generalized and Sexual Harassment on Abusive Drinking Among First Year Male and Female College Students: Does Prior Drinking Experience Matter?

Background: Workplace harassment, a known risk factor for adult drinking, is understudied in college samples, but may help explain observed gender differences in drinking patterns. Objective: We examine effects of sexual and generalized workplace harassment on changes in drinking behavior over the first semesters of college, and the extent to which these effects differ based on prematriculation drinking for men and women students. Method: Data derive from two waves of a longitudinal study of eight Midwestern colleges and universities. Data were collected from 2080 employed students via a Web-based survey assessing sexual and generalized workplace harassment, stressful life events, drinking to intoxication, and binge drinking prior to freshman year (fall 2011) and approximately one year later (summer to fall 2012). At baseline, lifetime drinking status, frequency of alcohol consumption, and demographics were also assessed. Results: Linear-mixed modeling indicated that employed women students who were frequent drinkers prematriculation were at risk for high levels of drinking associated with workplace harassment, while men who were nondrinkers were most at risk of increasing problem drinking over time when exposed to workplace harassment. Conclusions: Alcohol use prevention efforts directed towards employed students are needed both prior to and during college, to instruct students how to identify workplace harassment and cope in healthier ways with stressful workplace experiences. These efforts might be particularly useful in stemming problematic drinking among women who drink frequently prior to college, and preventing men who are nondrinkers upon college entry from initiating problematic drinking during subsequent enrollment years