Understanding alcohol harm reduction behaviors from the perspective of self-determination theory: a research agenda

Abstract

The evidence for the efficacy of harm reduction approaches to harmful alcohol use has accumulated over the past 30 years. Self-determination theory (SDT) offers a useful framework for understanding why people engage in alcohol harm reduction behaviors, as well as for delineating active ingredients of harm reduction interventions and individual characteristics that influence response to intervention. In the current paper, we sought to advance a research agenda for applying SDT to alcohol harm reduction behaviors. We provide specific examples of the utility of SDT in advancing research on alcohol harm reduction behaviors and provide recommendations for future studies to address issues related to measurement, generalizability, temporal directionality, and causal relationships in examining the constructs of SDT and alcohol harm reduction behaviors. We also suggest that future research apply SDT to advance the understanding of how, why, and for whom harm reduction interventions are most effective. Finally, we provide recommendations for how SDT could potentially be applied to develop novel alcohol interventions.

Keywords:

• Self-determination theory
• alcohol use
• harm reduction behaviors
• motivation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

DKR is supported by an individual fellowship grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) [F32 AA028712]. MRP is supported by a career development award from the NIAAA [K01 AA023233].