Relations between affect, self-efficacy, and alcohol expectancies in adults experiencing homelessness

Abstract

Background

Alcohol misuse is higher among adults experiencing homelessness (AEH) compared to housed adults. Greater expectancy that alcohol will improve mood, negative affect, and lower self-efficacy have been linked to alcohol misuse in AEH. However, little is known about the momentary relationships between affect, alcohol expectancies, and self-efficacy to avoid alcohol in AEH. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine these constructs in a sample of AEH.

Methods

AEH (n = 72; M_age= 47, 85% Male, 68% Nonwhite) completed smartphone-based ecological momentary assessments 5x/day for four weeks. Generalized multilevel modeling examined the association between concurrent momentary ratings of (1) expectancy that alcohol would improve mood and negative and positive affect and (2) self-efficacy to do something other than drink to improve mood and negative and positive affect.

Results

Momentary reports of increased negative affect were associated with greater expectancy that alcohol would improve mood (b = 0.25, p < 0.01), whereas momentary reports of increased positive affect were associated with less expectancy that alcohol would improve mood (b = −0.11, p < 0.01). Increased momentary negative affect was associated with less self-efficacy to improve mood without alcohol (b = −0.09, p = 0.03), but momentary reports of increased positive affect were associated with greater self-efficacy to do something other than drink to improve mood (b = 0.18, p < 0.01).

Conclusion

It may be important to deliver real-time treatment messages suggesting alternatives to drinking and/or ways to boost self-efficacy during moments when negative affect is high.

Keywords:

• Homelessness
• affect
• drinking expectancies
• self-efficacy
• ecological momentary assessment

Acknowledgments

This work was primarily supported by R34AA024584 to MSB and STW. JMG’s work on this study was supported by K01DA054262. Programming and technological support were provided through the mobile health shared resource of the Stephenson Cancer Center via an NCI Cancer Center Support Grant (P30CA225520) and through the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust grant 092-016-0002.

Ethics statement

The IRBs at University of North Texas Health Science Center granted permission for original data collection and the University of Alabama at Birmingham granted permission for secondary analyses for the current study.

Statement of informed consent

Informed consent was gathered for the study.

Disclosure statement

Dr. Businelle is the primary inventor of the Insight mHealth Platform, which was used in the current study. He receives royalties related to its use, but since he was a PI on R34AA024584, he did not receive royalties in this case.

Data availability statement

Data are not available.

Additional information

Funding

This work was primarily supported by R34AA024584 to MSB and STW. JMG’s work on this study was supported by K01DA054262. Programming and technological support were provided through the mobile health shared resource of the Stephenson Cancer Center via an NCI Cancer Center Support Grant (P30CA225520) and through the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust grant 092-016-0002.