Case, Philippa Claire;
(2022)
Exploring the interplay between social support and alcohol consumption at different stages of the life course (ISSAC).
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Background Both social support and alcohol consumption are known to influence health outcomes, but the relationship between social support and alcohol consumption is complex and poorly understood. A better understanding of which aspects of social support influence risky drinking could lead to improved public health messaging and interventions that incorporate social, as well as health aspects of alcohol consumption. Methods A mixed methods design was used to explore the relationship between social support and alcohol consumption at different life course stages. Cross-sectional data from the National Child Development Study and the UK Household Longitudinal Study were used in i) multinomial logistic regression models exploring associations between aspects of social support and alcohol consumption and ii) structural equation models testing the direct and indirect (via psychological distress) effects of quality of support on alcohol consumption. A thematic analysis of qualitative one-to-one interviews undertaken with 12 adults accessing alcohol treatment services was conducted. Results Key areas of social support associated with risky drinking were identified: conflict and negative support; isolation and loneliness; supportive and unsupportive friendships. Depending upon the quality of support, relationships with partners could be protective of, or associated with, risky drinking. There were no clear differences according to life course stage; however, psychological distress mediated the relationship between quality of support and drinking frequency amongst early adults and drinking volume amongst mid-adults. Conclusions Negative aspects of support, such as conflict, isolation and loneliness, were associated with risky drinking; however, so were positive aspects, such as emotional support from friends. Mixed methods enabled the representation of heavy drinker experiences missed from population-level surveys. Measures of drinking risk should consider life course stage. Interventions to address risky drinking should consider drinking motivations linked to social support to identify and address coping motives, and support the maintenance of positive relationships.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Exploring the interplay between social support and alcohol consumption at different stages of the life course (ISSAC) |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2022. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health UCL |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10151296 |
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