Date of Award
5-2020
Degree Type
Honors College Thesis
Academic Program
Biological Sciences BS
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Michael Madson, Ph.D.
Advisor Department
Psychology
Abstract
This study evaluated the mediating role of coping styles (problem-solving and avoidance coping) on the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and alcohol outcomes (i.e. hazardous drinking and alcohol-related negative consequences [ARNC]). A national sample of 672 traditional age (i.e. 18-25 years old; M = 22.35, SD = 1.97) college students who reported alcohol consumption in the past month were recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk website. Participants were 55.1% male and 60.9% White, and they completed measures of PTSD symptoms, coping styles, hazardous drinking, and ARNC. Problem-solving coping (an adaptive form of coping) mediated the positive relationship between PTSD symptoms and hazardous drinking such that PTSD symptoms were negatively associated with problem-solving coping, which was negatively associated with hazardous drinking. Avoidance coping mediated the positive relationship between PTSD symptoms and ARNC through a positive association between PTSD symptoms and avoidance coping. These novel findings highlight the importance of adaptive coping styles as a protective factor for college students experiencing co-occurring PTSD symptoms and harmful alcohol use.
Copyright
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Recommended Citation
Freeman, Tatum, "PTSD Symptoms and Alcohol-Related Outcomes in College Students: The Mediating Role of Positive and Negative Coping Styles" (2020). Honors Theses. 697.
https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/697
Comments
Honors College Award: Excellence in Research