Romantic Relationship Status Changes and Substance Use Among 18- to 20-Year-Olds

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Objective: Changes in romantic relationship status are common in emerging adulthood and may be linked to changes in substance use. This study tested the hypothesis that entry into relationships or transitioning to a more committed status leads to decreases in substance use and that dissolution of relationships or transitioning to a less committed status results in increases in substance use. Method: Data were from a community sample of 939 individuals. Substance use (heavy drinking, marijuana use, and cigarette smoking) and relationship status (single, in a romantic relationship but not cohabiting, cohabiting, or married) were assessed at the beginning and end of three 6-month intervals between the ages of 18 and 20 years. Models were estimated to assess the association between transitions in relationship status and substance use, adjusting for prior levels of use. Results: There were increases in heavy drinking, marijuana use, and cigarette smoking associated with dissolution of a romantic relationship, as well as increases in marijuana use and cigarette smoking associated with switching partners within a 6-month interval. Mediation analyses found some support for increases in both depressive symptoms and exposure to substance-using peers partially accounting for these associations. Decreases in substance use were not found for individuals entering into a new relationship or transitioning to a more committed relationship status. In fact, cigarette smoking increased among those who went from being single to being in a romantic relationship compared with those whose relationship status did not change. Conclusions: Emerging adults who experience dissolution of romantic relationships or quickly move from one relationship to another experience increased substance use. Both depressive symptoms and changes in peer environments may partially account for these changes in use. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 71, 847-856, 2010)

Romantic Relationship Status and Alcohol Use and Problems Across the First Year of College

“…We also found that alcohol problems increased for those who went from being in an exclusive relationship to being single. This is consistent with fi ndings that relationship dissolution in emerging adults is associated with increases in substance use, including heavy drinking (Fleming et al, 2010b), and that divorce is associated with increases in alcohol use and problems in adults (Horwitz et al, 1996;Overbeek et al, 2006;Power et al, 1999). Although we are unable to establish the direction of causality for this association, our fi ndings suggest that individuals experiencing relationship dissolution during the fi rst year of college may be at an elevated risk for alcohol problems.…”

“…As noted earlier, marital dissolution is associated with increases in alcohol use and problems in older-adult samples, but whether the same is true for romantic relationships in emerging adulthood is less clear. Relationship problems are one of the top three reasons that college students seek university counseling services (Mistler et al, 2012), and retrospective data indicate that experiencing a breakup in emerging adulthood is associated with elevated levels of substance use (Fleming et al, 2010b). Identifying whether relationship dissolution is associated with prospectively measured changes in alcohol problems is of particular importance for understanding the potential clinical relevance of breakups for preventing or intervening with alcohol problems in this age group.…”

The Role of Parents, Peers and Partners in Cannabis Use and Dependence Trajectories among Young Adult Frequent Users

“…Both a decrease in the number of cannabis-using peers and the act of moving in with a partner were linked to (a shift toward) nondependence. This is consistent with past research showing that protective mechanisms of romantic relationships are stronger in more serious relationships (Fleming, White, Oesterle et al, 2010) and that cohabitation is related to decreased use (Lonardo et al, 2010). Also, suggestibility emerged as an explanatory factor.…”

Young Adult Drinking Partnerships: Alcohol-Related Consequences and Relationship Problems Six Years Later

“…Drinking compatibility should be an important issue for unmarried romantic partners as well as married couples. Among dating couples, more congruent drinkers were characterized as having better relationship quality than discrepantly drinking partnerships (Fleming et al, 2010;Wiersma et al, 2009). These results may refl ect a more general phenomenon whereby partner similarity both attracts couples and reinforces couple behaviors.…”

“…Relationship type differences are important to examine both as main effects and as potential moderators. But as Fleming et al (2010) acknowledged, little research has examined whether alcohol use plays a role in the relationship quality and dissolution of dating or cohabiting relationships.…”