Intensive Longitudinal Associations between Stress, Mindfulness, and Alcohol Use in Highly Stressed Mothers - Project Summary/Abstract
Alcohol use is common in the United States and more frequent use is associated with individual and societal
consequences. The use of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) approaches is useful in alcohol research
to identify strategies that may reduce alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences in the moment they would
otherwise occur. The role of stress in alcohol use has received considerable attention, and some EMA studies
have found momentary associations between stress and alcohol craving and use. Parenting is one common
source of stress for adults, and mothers in particular may be more likely to drink in response to stress. Both
parent stress and parent alcohol use can impact children’s well-being and alcohol use. Therefore, it is important
to understand these associations in mothers, in the moments they occur, as they have potential to impact the
health and well-being of both mothers and their children. It is also important to understand moderators that might
disrupt associations between stress and drinking to inform alcohol interventions. Mindfulness is broadly
associated with stress reduction and less alcohol use. Therefore, mindfulness may be one useful target for
alcohol interventions that seek to disrupt stress-related drinking. However, no studies to date have tested
mindfulness buffering against stress-related drinking in EMA, and no studies have looked at this in mothers. The
proposed study will address these gaps by investigating momentary associations between stress and alcohol
craving and use in the daily lives of mothers and whether mindfulness moderates this association using EMA.
This study will leverage an ongoing R01 study of highly stressed parents (R01DA052427) by recruiting a
subsample of 75 mothers to complete an additional EMA component. EMA surveys will assess momentary stress
and stressors, alcohol craving, alcohol use, and mindfulness in mothers’ daily lives across two weeks.
Knowledge from the proposed F31 study will elucidate processes underlying stress-related drinking in mothers
that can be used as targets for future interventions, including smartphone-based just-in-time interventions that
are sensitive to gender and social context (e.g., parenting). The proposed study will be completed within a
research training plan that provides training in design and implementation of EMA studies, analysis of intensive
repeated longitudinal data, knowledge of stress and alcohol and alcohol measurement, intervention science, and
research dissemination. This training will be supported by a mentorship team with expertise in EMA, stress and
alcohol use, alcohol measurement, mindfulness-based intervention, and longitudinal statistical methods.
Completion of the proposed research project will provide in-depth conceptual knowledge and hands-on training
that would prepare me to independently conduct EMA studies of alcohol use after the completion of the F31
award. Altogether, the training and mentorship afforded through the proposed study would greatly support my
development toward a career as an independent alcohol researcher, integrating cutting edge methods to
contribute meaningful knowledge to the field that can inform future alcohol interventions.
