Post-College Social Roles, Stress, and Alcohol Use

Attaining adult roles has been posited to play a key role in maturing out of problematic alcohol use. However, inconsistent effects have been found for certain roles (e.g., full-time work), and relatively few studies have examined roles unique to the post-college period, such as returning home to live with parents and attending graduate school. We furthered this research by examining how attainment of various roles (romantic relationships, full-time work, graduate school, and living independently from parents) in the immediate years after college, and stress related to these domains, were uniquely related to drinking level, drinking to cope motivation and drinking-related problems.

Moderate to heavy college student drinkers (N = 864) reported their drinking level, drinking motives, and drinking-related problems in college and again five years later (post-college). Adult role attainment was assessed post-college, and stress related to these domains was evaluated using semi-structured phone-based interviews.

Aspects of the romantic relationship domain were the most consistent predictors of post-college alcohol outcomes, with individuals in relationships engaging in less frequent heavy drinking and having lower levels drinking to cope motivation and drinking-related problems. Similarly, lower levels of romantic relationship stress were related to lower levels of drinking to cope motivation and drinking-related problems. We also found lower drinking-related problems among individuals currently enrolled in graduate school and lower drinking frequency among individuals living with parents.

Adult life role attainment and stress beyond the romantic relationship domain might have limited effects on alcohol-related outcomes during the immediate years post-college.