| dc.description.abstract | Within Canada, alcohol use and alcohol related problems are experienced disproportionately by
emerging adults (aged 18 to 29). Furthermore, emerging adulthood is characterized by events
(e.g., beginning post-secondary studies) associated with high-stress levels. Individuals sensitized
to stress via experiences of childhood adversity may be at a heightened risk of using alcohol as a
coping strategy to alleviate experiences of acute stress during this transitional period. This
strategy is, however, maladaptive because alcohol use can increase the risk for adverse outcomes
such as poor interpersonal relationships and academic outcomes and does not address the cause
of the distress. As such, the proposed study examined explanatory models that predicted alcohol
use and related problems in emerging adults. It was hypothesized that perceived stress and
disengagement coping (i.e., strategies aimed at diverting from the stressor and/or its associated
emotions) would explain the relationship between childhood adversity and alcohol use and
related problems. Students at Lakehead University (N = 150) were recruited to complete a series
of self-report measures assessing childhood adversity, perceived stress, disengagement coping
strategies, and alcohol variables (frequency, quantity, and problems). As expected, childhood
adversity was positively and significantly associated with all study variables, except alcohol
frequency and quantity. Perceived stress and disengagement coping strategies mediated the
relationship between childhood adversity and alcohol related problems. Unexpectedly, perceived
stress and disengagement coping strategies did not mediate the relationship between childhood
adversity and alcohol frequency. Results suggest that university institutions might consider
providing education around stress management through trauma-informed practices and coping
strategies to mitigate the impact of early adversity on later alcohol related problems among
emerging adults. | en_US |
