The role of resilience in alcohol use, drinking motives, and alcohol-related consequences among Hispanic college students

Background: Hispanic college students experience minority stressors and are therefore at greater risk of experiencing alcohol-related consequences. Resilience may protect against problem drinking and related consequences, yet its relationship to drinking motives remains unexplored. Given that drinking motives precede both alcohol use and its consequences, investigating the role of resilience in such associations may inform interventions to reduce alcohol-related health disparities. Objectives: The current study investigated whether greater resilience predicted fewer drinking motives, lower alcohol consumption, and reduced the negative impact of drinking motives on alcohol consequences among Hispanic college students. Methods: Resilience, drinking motives and alcohol consequences were assessed among 443 students living on the U.S./Mexico border recruited via e-mail (68% female; M-age = 22.6 years, SD = 5.09). Linear regressions assessed whether drinking motives (i.e., coping, conformity, social, enhancement) and resilience predicted alcohol consumption. A linear regression also assessed resilience, drinking motives, and alcohol consumption as potential predictors of alcohol consequences. Lastly, linear regressions tested the moderating effects of resilience between each drinking motive and alcohol consumption as well as alcohol consequences. Results: Greater resilience predicted fewer alcohol-related consequences (beta = -.024, p = .028). Additionally, resilience moderated the relationships social (beta = -.095, p = .050) and enhancement drinking motives (beta = -.084, p = .050) had with alcohol consequences. Higher social and enhancement motives were not associated with alcohol consequences among resilient individuals. Conclusion: Strengthening resilience among Hispanic students whose drinking is motivated by a desire for socialization or mood enhancement may protect against alcohol-related consequences.

Automated summary

Resilience was found to have a protective effect on alcohol-related consequences among Hispanic college students. Higher resilience may reduce drinking motives and mitigate the negative impact of social and enhancement drinking motives on alcohol consequences.