First Advisor

Cynthia Mohr

Term of Graduation

Summer 2024

Date of Publication

7-29-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.) in Psychology

Department

Psychology

Language

English

Subjects

Alcohol use, Distress, Health, Partner responsiveness

Physical Description

1 online resource (viii, 46 pages)

Abstract

Stress is a known predictor of various adverse health behaviors and outcomes, such as poorer physical health, injuries, and mental well-being. Specifically, stressful events, including minor daily hassles, as well as major life changes and pressures that are perceived negatively, can lead to experiences of psychological distress. Psychological distress is commonly defined as symptoms of anxiety and depression, including worry, sadness, and hopelessness. These concerns are particularly acute for military families, who experience a unique set of stressors and loneliness due to deployments and separation, long shifts, and frequent relocations. Those experiencing psychological dFreistress are also more likely to engage in heavy or binge drinking and increase their typical alcohol consumption. Moreover, alcohol use problems in military employees have been linked to poorer overall physical health, job, and social functioning. The present study examined how interpersonal relationship factors can protect partnered military employees from the negative health consequences of distress.

One interpersonal factor that may have protective effects over distress is perceived partner responsiveness. PPR refers to the extent to which one feels understood, validated, and cared for by their partner. Researchers have described PPR as a critical mechanism through which partners can impact each other’s health behaviors and outcomes. Previous literature has linked PPR to increased longevity, well-being, and certain health behaviors, namely decreased smoking and improved sleep. PPR can protect people from the adverse health outcomes of stress and uncertainty, similar to how social support buffers against the negative effects of stress. However, less is known about the potential buffering effects of PPR, which the current paper aimed to address.

The present study examined the influence of PPR on the relationship between psychological distress and health outcomes, including problematic drinking and perceived health in a sample of full-time military employees. A secondary data analysis was conducted with a sample (N = 704) from the Military Employee Sleep and Health (MESH) intervention for the U.S. National Guard (NG) service members. The participants were full-time NG employees who completed baseline, 4-month, and 9-month follow-up surveys assessing their levels of psychological distress, PPR, alcohol use disorder symptoms, and overall perceived health.

Psychological distress at baseline was hypothesized to predict higher levels of alcohol consumption (H1a) and poorer perceived health (H1b) at the 9-month follow-up. PPR at baseline was also hypothesized to predict lower levels of alcohol consumption (H2a) and better perceived health (H2b) at the 9-month follow-up. Moreover, PPR was predicted to moderate the relationship between psychological distress, alcohol consumption (H3a), and perceived health (H3b). Specifically, participants who reported high levels of PPR were expected to be less impacted by the experiences of distress than those who report lower levels of PPR. The results indicated that both distress and PPR were significant predictors of perceived health at nine months. The models with alcohol use as an outcome nor moderation hypotheses were supported by the current findings. Knowing which aspects of interpersonal relationships impact health outcomes can further help the field in advancing couple- and family-based interventions.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/42595

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