Coping-Related Substance Use Motives and Stressful Life Experiences Among People with a History of Incarceration

ABSTRACT

This mixed methods quantitative–qualitative study examined coping-related motives for substance use among 68 men and women with a history of incarceration. Qualitative analyses yielded 3 principal motivational categories: coping, social reinforcement, and enhancement. Discriminant analyses revealed that coping motives were associated with greater drinking frequency and quantity, along with a broader variety of adverse consequences, alcohol dependence, parental divorce or separation, later onset of childhood neglect, and experiencing conditions perceived as analogous to war. Practice implications are discussed, including a comprehensive motivational assessment at the initiation of treatment, and the prevention or mitigation of stressful events during childhood and adult life.

KEYWORDS:

• Substance abuse motives
• adverse consequences
• stress
• coping
• divorce
• mental health

This study was supported in part by a grant from the Alcohol Research Group, Berkeley, CA. The author is also deeply grateful to Lorraine Midanik, Yu-Wen Ying, Mac Runyan, Steve Hinshaw, and Martha Stein for their encouragement, guidance, and thoughtful comments at various stages of the research.