Stress, drinking, and the adverse consequences of drinking in two samples of young adults

This study examined the relationships between stress and both alcohol use a nd alcohol problems, in addition to testing the possibility that social sup port and coping styles significantly moderate these relationships. Two samp les of men and women in their 20s and 30s were studied. Findings showed tha t stress was unrelated to alcohol consumption in 1 sample, and, although th ere were significant associations in the 2nd sample, the overall percentage of variance explained was small. Stress appeared to be more highly related to alcohol problems, with some stress measures showing a protective relati onship vis a vis alcohol problems and others acting in ways that can put pe ople at risk for alcohol problems. Coping styles and social support interac ted significantly with some measures of life stress (e.g., daily hassles, n egative life events), but only in some circumstances.