Contextual and Psychological Factors Associated with Alcohol Use Frequency Among 18-year-olds Bereaved in Childhood

• In Event: Poster Session 06
  In Poster Session: PS 06 Topic - Health, Growth, Injury

Abstract

Childhood bereavement has been linked to short-term and long-term difficulties that may negatively impact functioning across multiple developmental junctures (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2005; Hamdan et al., 2013). At the onset of emerging adulthood, 18-year-olds in the United States are at a critical transition point in their development, and many face a range of changes within the domains of identity formation, personal relationships, and living arrangements (Stone et al., 2012; White & Jackson, 2004). During this period of potentially high stress, individuals may be susceptible to increased alcohol use and other health compromising behaviors (Wood et al., 2018). Experiencing the death of a loved one, or multiple deaths, during childhood may exacerbate risk for these concerning health outcomes during emerging adulthood (Mercer & Evans, 2006). Contextual resources, such as social support, and internal factors, such as psychological well-being (PWB), may serve a protective role related to alcohol use among this age cohort. The current study seeks to examine internal and contextual factors that may be related to alcohol use frequency for emerging adults who have experienced childhood bereavement. Utilizing hierarchical linear regression modeling, the current study investigated factors associated with alcohol use frequency, including number of childhood deaths, family support, friend support, and two internal factors of PWB (personal growth and purpose of life) among 18-year-old emerging adults who reported experiencing childhood loss. Participants included 152 18-year-old college students recruited from a Mid-South university in the United States. Model 1 included gender and number of deaths experienced in childhood, and Model 2 added social support from family, social support from friends, personal growth, and purpose in life. The final model was significant, F(6, 151) = 6.45, p < .001, R2 = .25; with experiencing more childhood deaths (β = .30, p < .001), more social support from friends (β = .25, p = .004), more investment in personal growth (β = .27, p = .004), and less purpose in life (β = -.44, p < .001) being associated with more frequent alcohol use. Social support from family and gender were not significantly related to alcohol use frequency. Although researchers and clinicians typically consider social support and psychological wellbeing to be protective factors that buffer against frequent substance use for individuals exposed to adversity, our study findings suggest that these constructs may contribute to increased alcohol use among emerging adults who have experienced childhood bereavement. During this developmental transition, peer relationships may be linked to greater alcohol-related social interactions and motives, explaining this contradictory finding (Thompson, 2017; Lee et al., 2018). Similarly, alcohol expectations during this period, in particular, may not be tempered by investment in personal growth. Purpose in life was supported as an adaptive psychological factor that can aid in buffering the negative effects of bereavement (Ulmer et al., 1991; Heisel & Flett, 2003). Future research should aim to parse apart how these constructs may play distinct roles in alcohol use during this developmental period in order to inform evidence-based interventions seeking to promote healthy development among bereaved youth.

Authors

• Kaytryn Doreese Robinson, University of Memphis
  Presenting Author

• Kathryn H Howell, University of Memphis
  Non-Presenting Author

• Laura Schwartz, University of Memphis
  Non-Presenting Author

• Hannah Gilliam, University of Memphis
  Non-Presenting Author

• Vivica T Martin, University of Memphis
  Non-Presenting Author

• Amy E Harrison, University of Memphis
  Non-Presenting Author