Social readjustment in childhood, interpersonal sensitivity, and alcohol consumption in adulthood

This study utilised path analysis to examine the strength of direct and indirect associations between social readjustment to life events (retrospectively recalled to have been experienced in childhood) and patterns of alcohol consumption in adulthood, with indirect associations proposed to be mediated by interpersonal awareness, need for approval, separation anxiety, timidity, and fragile inner self (the dimensions of interpersonal sensitivity). In this study, 143 Australian residents (38 males and 105 females) aged 18 to 66 years and over, completed an anonymous online questionnaire containing: demographic questions; an adapted version of Holmes and Rahe’s (1967) Social Readjustment Rating Scale used to assess social readjustment to life events experienced cumulatively during childhood; the Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure (Boyce & Parker, 1989); and, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (Babor, Higgins-Biddle, Saunders, & Monteiro, 2001), which was used to assess general patterns of alcohol consumption. Results of the path analysis revealed that greater need for social readjustment was associated with higher alcohol consumption in adulthood (β = .30, p < .001); and, high separation anxiety was associated with high alcohol consumption in adulthood (β = .23, p < .05). Additional analyses conducted to determine the impact of generation (Generation Z – born 1991 to 2005; Generation Y– born 1976 to 1990; Generation X – born 1961 to 1975; Baby Boomer – born 1946 to 1960; or, Pioneer – born prior to 1946) and gender on the dimensions of interpersonal sensitivity and alcohol consumption further revealed that (i) separation anxiety was higher in Generation Z (M = 22.86) than in both Baby Boomers (M = 17.79) and Generation X (M = 18.91), and separation anxiety was higher in Generation Y (M = 20.67) than in Baby Boomers (M = 17.79); (ii) alcohol use in Generation Z (M = 12.77) was significantly higher than in Generation Y (M = 8.62), Generation X (M = 6.39), and the Baby Boomers (M = 3.54); and, alcohol use in Generation Y (M = 8.62) was significantly higher than in Baby Boomers (M = 3.54); and, (iii) men were found to have more problematic patterns of alcohol consumption (M = 11.08) than females (M = 6.67)