Chronicity of sexual harassment and generalized work-place abuse: effects on drinking outcomes

Aims. This study examined the impact of two forms of interpersonal conflict in the work-place, sexual harassment (SH) and generalized work-place abuse (GWA), on drinking outcomes. We hypothesized that SH and GWA would be asso ciated more strongly with negative outcomes than task-related work stressor s, especially when SH and GWA were chronic problems. Design. This was a two -wave panel study. Setting. The study was conducted at an urban university in the United States. Participants. Participants were 2038 university emplo yees in four occupational groups (faculty, student, clerical and service wo rkers) who responded to both waves of the survey. Measurements. Data on SH, GWA, task-related stressors and drinking outcomes were gathered from self- report mail questionnaires. Data from 1880 non-abstaining respondents were included in the analyses. Findings. SH and GWA experiences were widespread, typically chronic, and tended to co-occur. In regression analyses controll ing for demographics, occupational group, prior drinking and task-related s tress, GWA chronicity was linked to increased odds of reporting one or more indicators of problem drinking at time 2, in contrast to onset and remissi on. SN chronicity coupled with no GWA experiences was also significantly re lated to increased drinking variability. Task-related stressors generally d id nor explain significant variance in drinking outcomes. Conclusions. SH a nd GWA may be better predictors of drinking behavior compared to task-relat ed stressors, particularly when harassment is chronic. Increased attention to conflictual relationships in the work-place, the relationship between SH and GWA and the dynamic nature of stressors in general is necessary in fut ure research on drinking behavior.