Abstract
Since alcohol use disorders are among the most prevalent and destructive mental disorders, it is critical to address factors contributing to their development and maintenance. Drinking motives are relevant driving factors for consumption. Identifying groups of drinkers with similar motivations may help to specialize intervention components and make treatment more effective and efficient. We aimed to identify and describe distinct motive types of drinkers in dependent males from two diverse cultures (Uganda and Germany) and to explore potential differences and similarities in addiction-related measures. Moreover, we investigated specific links between motive types and childhood maltreatment, traumatic experiences, and symptoms of comorbid psychopathologies. To determine distinct drinking motive types, we conducted latent class analyses concerning drinking motives (Drinking Motive Scale) in samples of treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent men (N = 75). Subsequently we compared the identified motive types concerning their alcohol consumption and alcohol-related symptoms (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), history of childhood maltreatment (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire), trauma exposure (Violence, War and Abduction Exposure Scale), psychopathology (Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale, Depression-section of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist, and Brief Symptom Inventory) and deficits in emotion regulation (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale). We found two congruent drinking motive types in both contexts. Reward-oriented drinking motives like the generation of positive feelings and enhancing performance were endorsed almost equally by both motive types, whereas high relief motive endorsement characterized one group, but not the other. The relief motive type drank to overcome aversive feelings, withdrawal, and daily hassles and was characterized by higher adversity in general. Emotional maltreatment in childhood and psychopathological symptoms were reported to a significantly greater extent by relief drinkers (effect sizes of comparisons ranging from r = 0.25 to r = 0.48). However, the motive types did not differ significantly on alcohol consumption or alcohol-related symptoms and traumatic experiences apart from childhood maltreatment. The chronology of addiction development and patterns of drinking motivation seem to be similar across cultures, i.e., that motive targeting interventions might be applicable cross-culturally. Addressing comorbid symptomatology should be a key treatment component for relief drinkers, whereas finding alternatives for the creation of positive feelings and ways to counteract boredom and inactivity should be a general treatment element.
Highlights
Alcohol abuse and dependency is one of the key causes of premature illness and death, loss of functionality and productivity, social decline, delinquency, and domestic and community violence [1, 2]
The self-medication hypothesis, describes the use of drugs to alleviate or suppress suffering as one attempt to cope with stressors as well as psychopathological symptoms and the related negative affective and physiological states [3]
The Ugandan participants were alcohol-dependent men (n = 26) living in Gulu, who were interested in taking part in an inpatient treatment program that was announced via the radio and a community-based organization called Program for Prevention, Awareness, Counseling and Treatment of Alcoholism (PACTA)
Summary
Alcohol abuse and dependency is one of the key causes of premature illness and death, loss of functionality and productivity, social decline, delinquency, and domestic and community violence [1, 2]. Alcohol consumption is a prevalent worldwide phenomenon, and alcohol-related deterioration of physical and mental health is a highly relevant individual and societal threat. It is not surprising, that researchers have been interested in studying factors causing or contributing to the initiation and maintenance of drinking, both in general and in specific situations. Several conceptually related constructs and terminologies have been coined during the search to answer these questions One such construct, the self-medication hypothesis, describes the use of drugs to alleviate or suppress suffering as one attempt to cope with stressors as well as psychopathological symptoms and the related negative affective and physiological states [3]. We investigated specific links between motive types and childhood maltreatment, traumatic experiences, and symptoms of comorbid psychopathologies
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
