Accordingly, alcohol misuse in adolescence could lead to negative consequences, such as poor grades or aggressive behavior, which limit future opportunities for satisfying employment and romantic relationships, increasing the risk of subsequent stress in these domains. Given the sparse and mixed findings, it is important to determine if intoxication in adolescence predicts subsequent levels of occupational and relationship stress in early adulthood. Thus, in addition to examining the association between stress and alcohol misuse in early adulthood, the present study also tested the longitudinal association between alcohol misuse in adolescence and young adult occupational and relationship stress.
That is, frequent drunkenness in adolescence may limit youths’ educational and career opportunities (e.g., through poorer school performance, missing work), leading to occupational stress in early adulthood when youth are not able to reach desired career and financial goals. The finding that this association appeared only for men may relate to pressures they feel as a result of the traditional gender roles emphasizing men as breadwinners. Relationship stress may not be affected by early drinking in the same way as occupational stress because the effects of early drinking on relationships (e.g., partying too much, more conflict when intoxicated) may be more immediate, without lasting cumulative effects. Further research is needed to fully examine if these differences in the bidirectional relationships are consistent for other types of stress and for different alcohol use behaviors. While the present findings are consistent with previous research, our observations regarding depressive symptoms and alcohol use remain elusive. For instance, there were no gender differences between those who consumed alcohol and depression scores.
3. Data analysis
“There was just an inability to be with myself,” she told me, “and that manifested as fear.” She often sought comfort in alcohol. The relief would start even as she anticipated drinking; at the first sip, she began to feel warm and right; numb, but also energized. One of the most notable biological factors is the difference in alcohol metabolism between men and women.
Data availability statement
However, women may develop these issues more quickly and at lower levels of alcohol consumption compared to men. As the cocktail glass teeters between his and her hands, society’s unspoken rules dictate who will reach for it first when stress comes knocking. This seemingly innocuous moment encapsulates a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors that contribute to the gender divide in stress drinking. The psychological aspects of stress drinking are deeply intertwined with societal expectations and individual coping mechanisms.
- As the cocktail glass teeters between his and her hands, society’s unspoken rules dictate who will reach for it first when stress comes knocking.
- While these genetic factors can affect both men and women, some studies suggest that the impact may be more pronounced in men.
- Among college students, women report drinking to cope with negative emotions (Buckner et al., 2023) and experience more distress symptoms in conjunction with drinking (Pedrelli et al., 2016; Perrotte et al., 2018).
- In contrast, other findings suggest that there are no gender differences between drinking and distress symptoms among college students (Nourse et al., 2017).
- Alcohol has slid along a similar trajectory, with the industry assuring women that all they need to get through the day is a glass of something.
- In both men and women, Zones 3 and 4 showed higher stress perception than Zone 1, and in Zone 3, the risk for stress perception was higher in men than in women.
To evaluate the gender differences in the associations between the drinking or AUDIT levels and psychological distress, all the above variables except sex were adjusted, and menstrual condition (presence or absence of menstruation) was additionally adjusted for women. The p-values were two-tailed and those less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Drinking alcohol is a prevalent behavior among US college students (Lorant et al., 2013; White and Hingson, 2013). Not surprisingly, our study also reports that the number of drinks consumed in the past 30 days is significantly increased for participants with some college experience relative to those with less college experience. We also noted a moderate correlation between drinking and having a close friend who consumes alcohol. This is consistent with evidence indicating associations between alcohol use and peer influences among undergraduate students (Walther et al., 2017).
Johnston told me she doesn’t travel to college campuses anymore; she gets too much pushback from students who say they have a right to drink, and no one’s going to tell them otherwise. Women who experienced stress drank heavily regardless of if their first drink contained alcohol or not. Men whose first drink contained alcohol and who then experienced stress drank more than men who received the alcohol-free drink. What they found — As you might expect, all the participants who were exposed to the stressful situation consumed more booze than the control group.
Regarding neurotransmitter system and the influence of gonadal hormones, males and females show differential patterns of neurotransmitter release and receptor availability in response to alcohol consumption 12. Alcohol is known to alter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system through the GABAA receptor 41,42 and other neurotransmitter systems such as the serotonergic system 11, and sex is an important factor for neurotransmitters’ receptor subunit expression 43-45. In addition, female gonadal hormones affect many neurobiological responses 11, and specifically, changes in estrogen levels have been shown to influence concentrations of serotonin and serotonin-receptor subtype 46. This interaction may contribute to an increased vulnerability to depression or suicidal ideation in women. However, gender differences in the association between problematic drinking and stress perception showed a different pattern from depressed mood or suicidal ideation. In both men and women, Zones 3 and 4 showed higher stress perception than Zone 1, and in Zone 3, the risk for stress perception was higher in men than in women.
Demographic variables
The sociocultural landscape plays a pivotal role in shaping stress drinking patterns across genders. These influences are deeply ingrained in our society and can significantly impact how men and women approach alcohol as a stress-coping mechanism. Stress drinking, defined as the consumption of stress drinking has a gender divide alcohol as a means to cope with stress, is a widespread phenomenon that affects both men and women.
Study discovers a key gender difference in how people react to stress and alcohol
Participants responded to a single item in grade 12 from the Primary Prevention Awareness Attitudes & Usage Scale (Swisher, Shute, & Bibeau, 1984). Participants indicated how often they had ever been drunk, using a six-point scale with response options ranging from 1 (never happened) to 6 (happens almost every day or more). The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Figure 2.
In the past I’ve criticized the CDC for telling women who aren’t on birth control that they shouldn’t drink at all, a rule I still think is too paternalistic. Just as the addictive dangers of Valium became unignorable, Eli Lilly invented Prozac. Though the blockbuster antidepressant was marketed toward both genders, “there were some explicitly gendered Prozac ads that had to do with pitching Prozac to help women handle the double workday. In the end, the gender ratio of antidepressant prescriptions was similar to that of Valium. In the early 2000s, Prozac’s makers repackaged the drug, literally, in a pink-and-purple capsule; rebranded it as Sarafem; and marketed it to women to treat PMS. More than a decade ago, when Holly Whitaker worked a director-level job at a Silicon Valley start-up, insecurities haunted her.
- Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 24.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) to reflect the complex sampling design.
- Freelance journalists, actually employed by pharmaceutical companies, wrote articles for popular magazines about how sedatives “could cure everything from the blahs to sexual frigidity … every kind of a la mode problem that women experienced,” Herzberg adds.
- During certain phases of the menstrual cycle, women may be more susceptible to the effects of alcohol and may experience heightened stress responses.
- But who ends up with the condition is down to a complex mix of factors, including genetics, environmental factors, and occupational stress.
- In addition, most of the study variables were measured at a single time-point so the causal direction of the stress–alcohol misuse association cannot be determined.
In a college sample, Rice and Van Arsdale (2010) documented a significant indirect path from general perceived stress to negative consequences of drinking though coping motives. Thus, there is emerging evidence that stress predicts young adult alcohol misuse through coping motives, but to our knowledge, the mediating role of social motives has not been investigated. Furthermore, previous studies have showed gender differences in the effects of drinking alcohol and alcohol-related problems 11-14. Several studies have indicated that females experience an earlier onset of adverse somatic consequences of alcohol use (“telescoping effect”). The telescoping effect indicated that women are more vulnerable to alcohol consumption 15. Women also appear to be more vulnerable to the neurotoxic effects of alcohol than men although women generally consume less alcohol than men 11.
Remarkably, the association between problematic drinking and psychological distress is more drastic in women than men. In addition, women showed a significant association even though the severity of drinking problem was low with the exception of stress perception. These findings support the presence of gender differences in alcohol-related psychological problems and the higher susceptibility of women to the negative effects of alcohol on psychological health.
Chronic relationship stress
Men born in the early 1900s were three times as likely as women to drink in problematic ways; today, women are almost as likely as men to do so. Differences in sociodemographic and health-related data including psychological distress between males and females were tested using the chi-square test or independent t-test. All categorical variables are presented as numbers with percentages, and all continuous variables as means with standard errors (SEs).
” to evaluate the association between respondents who consume alcohol and peer drinkers. These measurements and operational definitions were constructed based on a previous report examining alcohol consumption in a college student sample (Martin et al., 2021). The cross-sectional study included 31,657 participants (17,915 women and 13,742 men) from the 2010–2013 and 2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Alcohol drinking and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) levels were assessed for evaluating the amount of alcohol intake and alcohol-related problems. Self-perception of stress, depressed mood, and suicidal ideation were assessed for evaluating psychological distress. Odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals for psychological distress were calculated using multiple logistic regression models.
In conclusion, addressing the gender divide in stress drinking requires a multifaceted approach that takes into account biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors. By recognizing and addressing these differences, we can work towards developing more effective strategies to combat stress-related alcohol use and promote healthier coping mechanisms for all individuals, regardless of gender. The gender divide in stress drinking is a complex issue rooted in biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors. Understanding these differences is crucial for developing effective strategies to address alcohol-related issues and promote healthier coping mechanisms for both men and women. Chronic alcohol use can lead to liver disease, cardiovascular problems, and increased cancer risk.