Alcohol Use and Dissatisfaction with Self and Life: A Longitudinal Analysis of Young Adults

Abstract

This study examined whether alcohol use is a significant antecedent (causal factor) and/or consequence (result) of feelings of dissatisfaction toward self (self-derogation) and toward one's peer relationships, life opportunities, and global-perceived environment. Six hundred-forty subjects were assessed as adolescents and four years later as young adults on identical sets of alcohol use and dissatisfaction measures. Consumption of alcohol (beer, wine, and liquor) increased significantly over this four-year period. Self-derogation and dissatisfaction with parents decreased, whereas dissatisfaction with school or work and “chances to be what you want” increased over the same period of time. A series of cross-lagged latent variable structural models were used to evaluate the longitudinal antecedents and consequences of alcohol use on the dissatisfaction measures. Although Alcohol Use and Self-Derogation (as latent factors) were positively correlated at the first time point, adolescent Alcohol Use significantly decreased Self-Derogation as a young adult. Adolescent Alcohol Use significantly increased Dissatisfaction with Peer Relations and Dissatisfaction with Perceived Environment as young adults, even after controlling for initial levels of dissatisfaction. Finally, adolescent Dissatisfaction with Opportunity significantly increased young adult Alcohol Use when initial levels of alcohol consumption were controlled.

Youth Life Satisfaction: A Review of the Literature

“…More specifically, results revealed solitary binge drinkers to be the most socially inhibited, depressive, and victims of bullying in comparison to social binge drinkers, who were socially accepted but more often offenders of violence (Kuntsche and Gmel 2004). Similarly, Newcomb et al (1986) examined whether alcohol use was a significant antecedent and/or consequence of low LS and found that early alcohol use led directly to an exacerbation of dissatisfaction with life and perceived environment as young adults.…”

Can alcohol make you happy? A subjective wellbeing approach

“…Among adolescents, alcohol use either has no significant effect (Mason & Spoth, 2011) or is associated with lower later wellbeing (Newcomb et al, 1986); while among young adults, studies variously find that greater levels of drinking are associated with higher later wellbeing (net of the effect of adverse consequences; Molnar et al, 2009); lower later wellbeing (controlling for genetic factors; Koivumaa-Honkanen et al, 2012); or no effect (Bogart et al, 2007). However, while this approach captures slowly-acting effects, it seems unlikely to capture shorter-term pleasures of drinking.…”

O desporto como contexto para a aprendizagem e ensino de competências de vida: Programas de intervenção para crianças e adolescentes

“…De facto, enquanto que os jovens com expectativas positivas vêem a sua participação na sociedade como tendo recompensas a longo-prazo, os adolescentes com expectativas futuras negativas, como não se sentem valorizados pela sociedade, preocupamse menos com o seu envolvimento em comportamentos problema (Gullotta, 1990). Por isso, o risco de elevado consumo de álcool da adolescência para o início da idade adulta (Newcomb, Bentler & Collins, 1986), de abuso de substân-cias (Johnston, O'Malley & Bachman, 1987), de actividades sexuais desprotegidas (Jones & Philliber, 1983) e de deliquência (Catalano, Hawkins, White & Padino, 1985) é claramente maior nestes jovens do que em jovens que têm confiança no futuro.…”