Substance Use and Anger in Mid-Life Women

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine individual and social network variables that relate to drinking alcohol and utilizing over-the-counter (OTC) medications. The present study sought to expand on the literature by adding modes of anger expression and social network variables as potential explanations of alcohol and OTC use in mid-life women. Secondary analyses were conducted on data from 87 mid-life women who were participating in a longitudinal study of health. Both alcohol and OTC users reported higher anger symptomatology than nonusers and had different profiles in tern of education and age. Social network variables were unrelated to substance use. Implications for intervention strategies and future research were discussed.