Relationships Between School Harassment and Problematic Drinking in a College Sample: Is Need for Approval a Moderator?
In this study, researchers examined whether the need for approval moderated the relationship between harassment exposure and alcohol misuse over time in a college sample, and compared the results between genders. Researchers collected 6 waves of data (fall 2011–fall 2015) from 1,240 study participants from 8 colleges and universities in the Midwest. In men only, the need for approval significantly moderated the relationship between generalized harassment and binge drinking over time, such that a higher need for approval put male students at increased risk for generalized harassment and binge drinking. Researchers suggested that school counseling centers and mental health professionals should consider harassment as a risk factor contributing to high levels of drinking among college students.
This paper, “Relationships between school harassment and problematic drinking in a college sample: Is need for approval a moderator?,” was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and published in the Journal of American college health.
Link to full item
