How Mental Health, Sojourner Adjustment, and Drinking Motives Impact Alcohol-Related Consequences for College Students Studying Abroad
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Syracuse University SURFACE Dissertations - ALL SURFACE December 2015 HOW MENTAL HEALTH, SOJOURNER ADJUSTMENT, AND DRINKING MOTIVES IMPACT ALCOHOL-RELATED CONSEQUENCES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS STUDYING ABROAD Laura Kay Thompson Syracuse University Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.syr.edu/etd Part of the Student Counseling and Personnel Services Commons Recommended Citation Thompson, Laura Kay, "HOW MENTAL HEALTH, SOJOURNER ADJUSTMENT, AND DRINKING MOTIVES IMPACT ALCOHOL-RELATED CONSEQUENCES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS STUDYING ABROAD" (2015). Dissertations - ALL. 408. https://surface.syr.edu/etd/408 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the SURFACE at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations - ALL by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract The topic of college student drinking has been widely addressed in the literature. Traditional-aged college students are considered to be an at-risk population in terms of the problematic use of alcohol, putting them at risk for a wide range of negative consequences. College students who study abroad are a sub-group of students who may be vulnerable to increased alcohol-related consequences due to variables associated with being in an unfamiliar environment where alcohol is often more accessible. While previous studies have explored the impact that a range of factors has on alcohol-related consequences for students abroad, none has examined the impact that mental health has on consequences. The present study sought to address this gap in the literature by sampling college students (N = 157) who were participating in a study abroad program during Spring 2015. Specifically, it investigated how mental health, sojourner adjustment, and drinking motives impacted alcohol-related consequences for college students studying abroad. It also explored how mental health changed for students while abroad and how pre-abroad mental health impacted sojourner adjustment for the students. To operationalize the construct of mental health, the Distress Index of the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms-34 (CCAPS-34: Locke et al., 2012) was used. To operationalize sojourner adjustment, the Sojourner Adjustment Measure (SAM; Pedersen et al., 2011b) was used. To operationalize drinking motives, the Drinking Motives Questionnaire- Revised (Cooper, 1994) was used, and to operationalize alcohol-related consequences, the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index modified (RAPI: White & Labouvie, 1989; modifications: Pedersen et al., 2012) was used. Ten research hypotheses guided the study. It was hypothesized that poorer mental health as measured by an elevated Distress Index score (score that falls in the 70th percentile or above) on the CCAPS-34 would be associated with increased alcohol-related consequences; higher scores on the Social Interaction with Co-nationals subscale of the Sojourner Adjustment Measure would be associated with increased alcohol-related consequences; higher scores on the Homesickness/Feeling Out of Place subscale of the Sojourner Adjustment Measure would be associated with increased alcohol-related consequences; higher scores on the Coping Motives subscale of the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised would be associated with increased alcohol-related consequences; higher scores on the Social Motives subscale of the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised would be associated with increased alcohol-related consequences; higher scores on the Conformity Motives subscale of the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised would be associated with increased alcohol-related consequences; higher scores on the Enhancement Motives subscale of the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised would be associated with increased alcohol-related consequences; student mental health would decrease while students are abroad as evidenced by increases in Distress Index scores on the CCAPS-34; an elevated score (score that falls in the 70th percentile or above) on the Distress Index of the CCAPS-34 at pre-departure would predict lower sojourner adjustment as demonstrated by higher scores on negative sojourner adjustment scales and lower scores on the positive sojourner adjustment scales; pre-departure CCAPS-34 Distress Index scores that fell in the low range (score that falls below the 34th percentile) would predict sojourner adjustment as demonstrated by higher scores on the positive sojourner adjustment scales and lower scores on the negative sojourner adjustment scales. The hypotheses were partially supported. While elevated scores on the distress index were not specifically associated with increased alcohol-related consequences as hypothesized, findings showed that students who were academically distressed or those who had concerns related to eating or alcohol use were more at risk for alcohol-related consequences. With regards to sojourner adjustment, neither of the negative Sojourner Adjustment Measure scales predicted increased alcohol-related consequences as hypothesized. In terms of the positive Sojourner Adjustment Measure scales, those who reported they had a strong sense of identification with the host culture had statistically significant decreased rates of alcohol-related consequences. Unexpectedly, participants who indicated that they had a high degree of interaction with host nationals had more alcohol-related consequences. Next, students who indicated they drank for social reasons were more likely to experience alcohol-related consequences, whereas students who drank for other reasons were not. While it was hypothesized that mental health would decrease for students while abroad, the results did not support this hypothesis. Results from post- hoc analyses showed that only scores related to eating concerns increased in a statistically significant way for students while abroad. There was an unanticipated statistically significant decrease in social anxiety for participants from pre-abroad to abroad. Finally, results showed that pre-departure distress predicted increased feelings of homesickness once abroad, decreased interaction with both co-nationals and host-nationals, and a decreased sense of identifying with the host culture. The results of this study offer important insight into the experiences of students abroad, particularly with regards to student mental health. Moreover, these results can be used to guide future research and shape study abroad program practices and policies. Keywords: college student drinking, mental health, study abroad, alcohol-related consequences, sojourner adjustment HOW MENTAL HEALTH, SOJOURNER ADJUSTMENT, AND DRINKING MOTIVES IMPACT ALCOHOL-RELATED CONSEQUENCES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS STUDYING ABROAD By Laura K. Thompson B.A., University of San Diego, 1990 M.A., University of Nevada, 1998 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling and Counselor Education Syracuse University December 2015 Copyright 2015 Laura K. Thompson All rights reserved Acknowledgements How wonderful it feels to have finished this proverbial marathon (although it sometimes felt more like an ultra-marathon!) with feelings of profound gratitude. My past four and a half years at Syracuse University were some of the most stimulating and rewarding in my life to date, and writing my dissertation proved to be a far more enjoyable process than I had imagined it would be. First, I would like to offer my sincere gratitude to my dissertation committee: Janine, Nicole, and Cory, for your support, encouragement, and honest and detailed feedback. Your commitment has been inspiring, and it has been both an honor and pleasure to work with you throughout this process. To my Chair and Advisor, Dr. Janine Bernard, Thank you for the immeasurable amount of support and guidance you provided me throughout my dissertation process. Your efficiency is unparalleled, and your dedication to my success as a student throughout my entire doctoral experience felt like a true blessing. Dr. Nicole Hill, I appreciate your thoughtful feedback as I navigated this experience. I could visualize your smile and hear your voice as I heeded your advice to have fun writing the final section of my dissertation. Dr. Cory Wallack, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with you both in the Counseling Center and as a member of my committee. Through each experience, I learned from you, and your perspective has been invaluable to my growth as a clinician and researcher. vi Dr. Paul Bern, Research Data Services Librarian at Syracuse University, I am grateful beyond words for your responsiveness and support. Your willingness to meet with me regularly throughout the process was incredibly helpful, and it provided me with sense of calm as I navigated the sometimes daunting world of statistics. Dr. Margaret Himley, Associate Provost for International Education and Engagement at Syracuse University, I appreciate the support that you and your staff provided me in carrying out my study. Your willingness to get on board facilitated my research process in a significant way. Mom and Dad, thank you for the multiple ways you supported me throughout my doctoral experience. Thank you, too, for instilling in me the value of education. I am inspired by your commitment to lifelong learning, your curiosity about the world, and your willingness to grab life’s opportunities! Chris Cederquist, my Supervisor Extraordinaire during my three years at the Syracuse University