Citation

Boynton MH, O'Hara RE, Covault J, Scott D, Tennen H. J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs 2014; 75(2): 228-234.

Affiliation

Alcohol Research Center, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc., Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

24650816

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Racial discrimination has been identified as an important predictor of alcohol-related outcomes for African Americans. The goal of the current study was to extend previously found links between lifetime discrimination, alcohol use, and alcohol problems as well as to elucidate the affective mechanisms underlying these associations, as moderated by gender.

METHOD: A multiple-groups structural equation model was computed using survey data collected from 619 students from a historically Black college/university.

RESULTS: The final model provided excellent fit to the data, explaining 6% of the variance in alcohol consumption and 37% of the variance in alcohol problems. Discrimination was a significant predictor of alcohol-related problems but not, by and large, level of use. For men, anger-but not discrimination-specific anger-was a significant partial mediator of the link between discrimination and both alcohol use and alcohol problems. Depression partially mediated the link between discrimination and alcohol problems for both men and women.

CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that, for African Americans whose drinking leads to drinking-related problems, discrimination and poor affective self-regulation are highly relevant and predictive factors, especially for men. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 75, 228-234, 2014).

Language: en