Affective correlates of alcohol and cocaine use

The affective correlates of alcohol and cocaine use were investigated in two studies. In the first, alcoholics (n = 50) and cocaine addicts (n = 40) were administered factor scales from the Inventory of Drinking Situations as well as the General Temperament Survey. Substance use in negative affect states was reported more often by alcoholics than by cocaine addicts, even when age and race differences were statistically controlled. Alcoholics also reported higher levels of negative temperament, and substance use in negative affect states was correlated with negative temperament across groups. In a study using subjects dependent on both drugs (n = 21), alcohol was more likely to be used in negative affect situations than was cocaine. Thus, the affective correlates of substance use are associated with both individual differences and drug-specific effects. Possible reasons for the differential association of alcohol with negative affect are proposed.