Sexual Identity Uncertainty and Risk of Alcohol Use Disorder: The Roles of Tension Reduction Beliefs and Coping...

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) disparities are often observed in individuals who are questioning or unsure of their sexual identity. Sexual identity uncertainty (SIU) is evident when people acknowledge that their sexual feelings, actions, and identities do not align within or across time. SIU is argued to function as an internal source of stress, which some may attempt to mitigate via alcohol misuse. Objective: The present study hypothesized that the association between participants' SIU scores and AUD symptomology would be moderated by coping motives as well as tension reduction expectancies for drinking, such that the relation would be stronger among drinkers who are motivated to use alcohol to cope with distress and who believe alcohol reduces tension. Results: Participants (n = 451) were recruited from either an introductory psychology or a media and communications course. Results supported young adults who are experiencing SIU and who are typically motivated to drink to alleviate stress are at greater risk of alcohol misuse. Findings suggest tension reduction expectancies also moderate the relation between SIU and AUD symptomology, though results differed between women and men. Conclusion: Results suggest that, among sexually diverse young adults, interventions should be tailored to provide adaptive identity exploration and alternative ways to cope with sources of identity-related stress.