Association between relationship quality and concurrent alcohol use and sedative-tranquilizer misuse in middle and...

Mid-life adults have notably higher rates of alcohol and other substance misuse than older adults and maintain higher levels of use over time. Social isolation has been linked to higher risk use with increasing age. The purpose of this study is to examine the associations between social relationships, drinking, and misuse of sedative-tranquilizers.

The data for this study come from the national Midlife in the United States study wave 2 (MIDUS 2) of adults (N = 3378; 53.3% women) aged 40 and older. Past month alcohol use and past year sedative medication misuse were assessed with social support and strain. Multinomial logistic regressions evaluated the relationship of (a) support and (b) strain to use and co-use of alcohol and sedatives.

Of the sample, 58.4% used alcohol only, 1.7% only misused sedatives, and 3.5% co-used alcohol/misused sedative-tranquilizers. Support from friends was associated with 1.18 increased risk of co-using compared to not using either substance. Source of strain was associated with co-use for middle-aged and older adults. Familial strain was associated with increased risk of co-using for middle-aged adults. Friend-related strain was associated with increased risk of co-use for older adults.

Evidence suggests that older co-users may differ from those in midlife in terms of social risk factors. As the aging population increases, elucidating the potential mechanisms by which social factors impact concurrent alcohol use and sedative-tranquilizer medication misuse aid the development of targeted interventions and prevention programs in these groups.