Brittany F. Hollis

Associations between psychological distress and alcohol outcomes as mediated by time perspective orientation among college students

The present study examined time perspective orientation as an underlying factor in explaining the associations between psychological health and alcohol use outcomes. Participants were 250 college students (182 women) from a mid-size public university. Participants completed measures of time perspective orientation, alcohol consumption and problems, and psychological symptomatology. Mediational analyses revealed that past-negative time perspective acted as an underlying mechanism in the relationships between all psychological symptoms variables (e.g. anxiety, depression) and alcohol-related problems. Our findings indicate that having a pessimistic view of ones past may help explain the positive relationship between poorer mental health symptoms and alcohol-related problems. Intervention strategies could be developed to focus more specifically on time perspective in this population.

Work Stressors, Depressive Symptoms, and Hazardous Drinking Among Navy Members Across Deployment

Few studies have attempted to examine how changes in work stressors from predeployment to postdeployment and reintegration may be associated with changes in mental health symptoms and hazardous drinking. The present study examined associations between work stressors, depressive symptoms, and hazardous drinking, and whether depressive symptoms mediated the association between work stressors and hazardous alcohol use or vice versa across deployment (predeployment, postdeployment, and 6-month reintegration). Participants were 101 U.S. Navy members (72 men; mean age = 28.34 years; SD = 5.99 years) assigned to an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that experienced an 8-month deployment after recent wars in the Middle East. They completed measures that assessed work stressors, depressive symptoms, and alcohol use at each time point (i.e., predeployment, postdeployment, and 6-month reintegration). Using a parallel process latent growth modeling approach, we found a significant indirect effect at postdeployment such that an increase in work stressors contributed to increases in hazardous drinking via increases in depressive symptoms. Specifically, increases in work stressors significantly predicted increases in depressive symptoms, which in turn significantly predicted increases in hazardous drinking from pre- to postdeployment. Our findings garner support for affect regulation models and indicate that work stressors and changes in work stressors and depressive symptoms may be key to hazardous alcohol use among U.S. Navy members experiencing high pace of deployment. Taken together, our results help identify targets for alcohol prevention efforts among current military members.

Pre-military abuse, mental health, and hazardous alcohol use among military personnel

Abstract The present study examined whether pre-military sexual and physical abuse and negative mental health symptoms prior to military service contributed to hazardous alcohol use (i.e., alcohol-related consequences, dependency symptoms, and consumption) controlling for combat exposure. Participants were a community sample of 506 (183 women) active duty, National Guard/reservists, and veterans who completed an online survey assessing pre-military abuse, pre-military mental health symptoms, combat exposure, and hazardous drinking. Results using structural equation modeling showed that while controlling for gender and combat exposure, pre-military sexual abuse was associated with higher negative mental health symptoms prior to joining the military, which in turn was associated with higher reports of current alcohol consumption. Our findings suggest that hazardous alcohol use may not be strictly related to experiences on the battlefield and that mental health prior to military enlistment may be associated with later alcohol consumption. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Acceptability of aggression among children who reside with substance-abusing parents: The influence of behavioral dysregulation, exposure to neighborhood violence, and interparental violence

ABSTRACT The present study examined how interparental violence, neighborhood violence, behavioral regulation during parental conflict, and age predicted beliefs about the acceptability of aggression and the acceptance of retaliation against an aggressive peer among youths. Participants were 110 families (mothers, fathers, and children) in which one or both parents met criteria for substance use disorder. Results of a bootstrapped multivariate regression model revealed higher exposure to neighborhood violence predicted greater acceptability of general aggression, whereas higher father-to-mother violence perpetration predicted lower acceptability of general aggression. Higher exposure to neighborhood violence, behavioral dysregulation during parental conflict, and older child age predicted greater approval of retaliation toward an aggressive peer. Findings are interpreted as related to the cognitive-contextual framework.

Social Support and Relationship Satisfaction as Moderators of the Stress-Mood-Alcohol Link Association in US Navy Members.

Abstract The present study examined associations between stress and problematic alcohol use among US Navy members anticipating deployment, whether depressive symptoms mediated the stress-alcohol link, and whether social support and relationship satisfaction moderated associations between stress, depressive symptoms, and problematic alcohol use. Participants were 108 US Navy members assigned to an Arleigh Burke–class destroyer anticipating an 8-month deployment after Operational Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom. Stress was indirectly related to problematic alcohol use such that higher levels of stress were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, which were further associated with higher levels of alcohol use. The indirect effect of stress to problematic alcohol use via depressive symptoms was tested at different levels of social support and relationship satisfaction. At higher levels of social support and relationship satisfaction, the association between stress and problematic alcohol use via depressive symptoms decreased. Results help identify targets for alcohol prevention efforts among current military members.