Relationship of work-family conflict to substance use among employed mothers: the role of negative affect

Little research has examined the relationship between work-family conflict and alcohol or cigarette use among women. Building on affect regulation theory and recent research on work-family conflict and negative emotions, this study tested a model relating work-family conflict to heavy alcohol use and cigarette use via domain-specific (i.e., job- and family-related) and general negative affect. Data were obtained through household interviews with a random sample of 366 employed mothers of adolescents. As hypothesized, work-family conflict was indirectly related to both heavy alcohol use and cigarette use via negative affect.