Meaning in life: investigating protective and risk factors for harmful alcohol consumption

Abstract

Background Individuals with greater meaning in life tend to consume less alcohol. However, research elucidating pathways through which meaning in life influences consumption is lacking. Behavioral economic theories posit that distortions in valuation processes, whilst negative reinforcement models posit that avoidance or regulation of negative internal states, are central in decisions to consume alcohol. Method Pre-registered, cross-sectional design. Five hundred forty-six regular alcohol consumers (≥18 years old) completed an online questionnaire which asked about alcohol use, meaning in life, alcohol-free reinforcement, alcohol value, depressive symptoms, and drinking to cope motives. Results Presence of meaning had a significant negative association with AUDIT scores (β = −.26, p < .001), but neither search for meaning nor alcohol-free reinforcement were significant predictors (ps > .53). Subsequent path analyses revealed a significant indirect effect of presence of meaning on AUDIT scores through lower alcohol value (95% CI = −.17 to −.08) and drinking to cope (95% CI = −.07 to −.00), and a serial mediation effect through both lower depressive symptoms and drinking to cope (95% CI = −.09 to −.04). Although search for meaning was not a direct predictor of AUDIT scores, there was a significant indirect effect through greater drinking to cope (95% CI = .01 to .06) and a serial mediation effect through both greater depressive symptoms and drinking to cope (95% CI = .01 to .04). Conclusions Meaning in life subscales predict alcohol consumption indirectly via individual differences in alcohol value, depressive symptoms, and drinking to cope.