The Importance of the ‘Village’: Examining the Association between Social Supports and Hazardous Alcohol Use among Mothers with an Incarcerated Coparent

Abstract

Coparenting partners experience feelings of shame and anger and have higher risks of alcohol and drug use. Mothers experience unique challenges that exacerbate their vulnerability to substance use. Using data from the multisite family study on incarceration, parenting, and partnering was used to examine the association between social support and hazardous alcohol use among mothers with incarcerated partners. A hierarchical binary regression indicated several support factors that were shown to be connected to precarious alcohol use. Results showed that multiple forms of support are potentially helpful in mitigating hazardous alcohol use. Findings highlight the importance of considering the proverbial village.

Keywords:

• Incarceration
• substance use
• alcohol use
• family support
• family systems theory

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Dr. Rikki Patton for her assistance with the data analysis conducted for this study.