Citation

Ehlke SJ, Kelley ML. Violence Against Women 2019; 25(6): 721-742.

Affiliation

Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1077801218796334

PMID

30236032

Abstract

This cross-sectional study examined whether depressive symptoms strengthened the relationship between different forms of sexual coercion victimization and drinking to cope motivations, which was hypothesized to influence alcohol use. Participants were 214 female undergraduates who completed an online survey. Participants who experienced any lifetime sexual coercion and reported higher depressive symptoms were the most likely to report drinking to cope motivations, which in turn were associated with alcohol use. Depressive symptoms did not strengthen the relationship between specific forms of sexual coercion, drinking to cope, and alcohol use. Increasing emotion regulation strategies among sexual coercion victims may reduce drinking.

Language: en

Keywords

alcohol use; depression; sexual coercion victimization