Financial Stress, Social Support, and Alcohol Involvement: A Longitudinal Test of the Buffering Hypothesis in a General Population Survey

This study examined whether specific facets of social support (tangible assistance, appraisal, and belonging) moderate the relationship between a specific type of stress (financial stress) and alcohol involvement (drinking to cope, heavy drinking, and alcohol problems). Data were derived from a community sample stratified by education and race. Respondents ( N = 1, 040) were interviewed in 1986 and 1989 and had drunk alcohol during the year preceding both interviews. Results supported the buffering influence of tangible support on the financial stress-alcohol involvement relationship. In contrast, neither appraisal nor belonging support consistently revealed a buffering pattern. These findings indicate the importance of taking into account specific components of social support when examining the relationship between specific sources of life stress and alcohol involvement.