I Can’t Drink You Away: Age Specific Associations between Problematic Drinking and Mental Illness

• In Event: 136 - Open Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 13. Mental and Emotional Health

Abstract

Scholars have long noted the association between the negative emotional experience of anxiety and depression and problematic alcohol consumption, with the Self-Medication Hypothesis emerging as a popular theoretical explanation. The Self-Medication Hypothesis, prevalent in substance abuse literature, proposes that individuals consume a particular substance as a means of relieving some sort of negative emotional affect. Using data from the Mississippi Alcohol and Safety Education Program, I examine the role of age as a moderator of the relationship between mental illness and problematic alcohol consumption. Granting special attention to the role of age, I find that links between mental illness and problematic drinking vary at unique life stages, with the relationship strongest among individuals over the age of 25. Results suggest that policymakers should consider the unique environments in which individuals consume alcohol, where contextual factors likely serve to promote or hinder consumption as a strategy to relieve symptoms associated with depression or anxiety.

Authors

• Andrew Tatch, Mississippi State University

• Angela A. Robertson, Mississippi State University