Alcohol Use and Drinking Motives Among Suddenly Bereaved College Students

AbstractObjective: Thousands of Americans grieve the sudden death of a loved one each year. These sudden deaths may be the result of violent deaths, as in the cases of homicide, suicide, or fatal accidents, or may occur as the result of natural causes such as heart attacks or strokes. Sudden loss survivors often experience negative mental health outcomes such as depression, prolonged grief disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Survivors may also misuse alcohol for varied reasons after these losses, which can put them at risk for alcohol-related consequences. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore associations between psychological distress and alcohol-related outcomes among young adults with a history of sudden loss.Methods: A sample of 659 young adults completed a series of self-report measures assessing loss history, psychosocial distress, perceived alcohol-related problems, and drinking motives.Results: Results showed that survivors of sudden, violent losses reported higher rates of past...