Work Stress and Alcohol Use: Developing and Testing a Biphasic Self-Medication Model

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Work stress is a significant factor influencing employee well-being and behavior.
• Existing models of alcohol use include self-medication and stress-vulnerability frameworks.
• Alcohol's biphasic effects (stimulant and sedative) may influence its role in stress management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test a moderated-mediation model linking work stress to alcohol use.
• To examine the roles of negative affect and work fatigue as mediators.
• To investigate the moderating effects of alcohol outcome expectancies and gender.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a national probability sample of 2,808 U.S. workers.
• Employed a moderated-mediation statistical model.
• Analyzed the conditional relationships between work stressors, mediators, moderators, and alcohol use.

Main Results:

• Work stressors were linked to heavy alcohol use via negative affect for individuals with strong tension-reduction expectancies.
• Work stressors were linked to after-work alcohol use for men with strong tension-reduction expectancies.
• Work stress was linked to heavy and workday alcohol use via work fatigue for men with strong fatigue-reduction expectancies.

Conclusions:

• The findings support the proposed moderated-mediation model of work stress and alcohol use.
• Identifies specific pathways and moderating factors influencing alcohol use in response to work stress.
• Highlights implications for identifying at-risk individuals and designing workplace interventions.