The secondhand effects of alcohol use and the risks of drinking to cope

Abstract

Objective:The secondhand effects of alcohol use (SEA) are adverse consequences caused by another’s drinking. This study explored the relationship among the experience of SEAs, alcohol use, and alcohol related consequences (ARC). In addition, we examined whether coping (i.e., adaptive, maladaptive, substance use coping, maladaptive coping without substance use items) served as a moderator of SEA effects on alcohol outcomes. Method: 1,168 students completed a survey assessing SEA, alcohol outcomes, ARC, and coping strategies. Results: SEA was significantly positively associated with alcohol use (RR_{heavydrinking} = 1.05, SE = 0.005, p < .01; RR_AUDIT = 1.04, SE = .005, p < .01) as well as ARC (RR = 1.06, SE = .005, p < .01). Various forms of maladaptive coping moderated the relationship between SEA and alcohol outcomes. Conclusion: This study provided evidence for a relationship between SEA and more alcohol use and ARC. This relationship was exacerbated by maladaptive coping.

Keywords:

• Alcohol related consequences
• anxiety
• coping
• secondhand effects of alcohol use
• young adulthood

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of Colorado State University.

Funding

Not applicable.

Notes

1 Data for this study were collected from October 2020 through December 2020 which occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given that the pandemic likely altered many facets of participants lives, participants were asked to respond to each question in the survey twice, once to account for their current state and the second to estimate how they may have felt or behaved prior to the start of the pandemic (defined as prior to March 2020). Analyses were run with both current and pre-covid data with patterns of significance staying the same for all hypotheses. Please contact the first author for further information regarding these findings.