ThinkIR: The University of Louisville\u27s Institutional Repository
Abstract
Mental health and alcohol-related behaviors are constructs of concern on university campuses, as a significant portion of college students experience alcohol-related consequences. There is an established link between mental health variables, including repetitive thoughts associated with depression and anxiety, and drinking behaviors among college students. However, how preventative behaviors – protective behavioral strategies – impact the associations between repetitive thoughts and drinking behaviors and outcomes is less understood. The current longitudinal study analyzed mediational relationships among these variables in college students at a mid-sized 4-year university (N = 107; 78.5% female; average age = 21.06 years, SD = 4.41). Analyses indicated that no mediational relationships existed among the variables. Moreover, the alcohol consequences measure did not have a significant relationship with any of the other study variables. Implications and limitations are discussed
