» Articles » PMID: 31692685

Alcohol Consumption, Life Satisfaction and Mental Health Among Norwegian College and University Students

Overview
Date 2019 Nov 7
PMID 31692685
Citations 24
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Objective: High-level alcohol consumption is common in, and central to, the student community. Among adults, high-level alcohol consumption, and sometimes also low, has been associated with poorer social integration and mental health. We aimed to investigate how alcohol consumption relates to life satisfaction and mental health among students in higher education.

Methods: Data from the Norwegian study of students' health and well-being (SHoT, 2014, n = 9632) were used. Associations between alcohol consumption (AUDIT; abstainers, low risk, risky and hazardous consumption) and life satisfaction and mental health complaints, as well as number of close friends, and social and emotional loneliness were investigated using linear regression models. Crude models and models adjusted for age, gender and relationship status were conducted.

Results: Students reporting hazardous consumption reported lower life satisfaction, more mental health complaints, and more emotional and social loneliness than students with low risk consumption. Students reporting risky consumption reported slightly reduced life satisfaction and more mental health complaints, but more close friends and less social loneliness. Abstainers did not report reduced life satisfaction or more mental health complaints, despite reporting fewer close friends and more social loneliness.

Conclusion: High-level alcohol consumption among students might indicate increased risk of several problems in the future - but also currently. Our findings further imply that the quality of friendships might be more important for life satisfaction and mental health than the number of friends, but also that social integration in student communities might be more difficult for students who do not drink.

Citing Articles

Loneliness is associated with adverse health behaviour and obesity: a Danish population-based study of 122,258 individuals.

Jensen M, Friis K, Maindal H, Hargaard A, Knudsen M, Gronkjaer M BMC Public Health. 2025; 25(1):375.

PMID: 39881306 PMC: 11781069. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-025-21490-4.


Assessing self-determined motivation for drinking alcohol via the Comprehensive Relative Autonomy Index for Drinking.

Courtney J, Russell M, Conroy D Front Psychol. 2025; 15:1354545.

PMID: 39845537 PMC: 11751038. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1354545.


An Ecological Momentary Assessment Approach of Environmental Triggers in the Role of Daily Affect, Rumination, and Movement Patterns in Early Alcohol Use Among Healthy Adolescents: Exploratory Study.

Prignitz M, Guldner S, Lehmler S, Aggensteiner P, Nees F JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2024; 12:e53401.

PMID: 39657181 PMC: 11668999. DOI: 10.2196/53401.


Household health expenditure does not improve people's subjective well-being in China.

Wang W, Sun Y, Li G, Tang Y Front Public Health. 2024; 12:1402191.

PMID: 39329003 PMC: 11424426. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1402191.


Optimism and mental health in college students: the mediating role of sleep quality and stress.

Lai Y, Tsai E, Jarustanaput P, Wu Y, Chen Y, OLeary S Front Psychol. 2024; 15:1403146.

PMID: 39081373 PMC: 11286569. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1403146.


References
1.
Peele S, Brodsky A . Exploring psychological benefits associated with moderate alcohol use: a necessary corrective to assessments of drinking outcomes?. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2000; 60(3):221-47. DOI: 10.1016/s0376-8716(00)00112-5. View

2.
Balsa A, Homer J, French M, Norton E . Alcohol Use and Popularity: Social Payoffs from Conforming to Peers' Behavior. J Res Adolesc. 2011; 21(3):559-568. PMC: 3158622. DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00704.x. View

3.
Kypri K, Langley J . Perceived social norms and their relation to university student drinking. J Stud Alcohol. 2004; 64(6):829-34. DOI: 10.15288/jsa.2003.64.829. View

4.
Caldwell T, Rodgers B, Jorm A, Christensen H, Jacomb P, Korten A . Patterns of association between alcohol consumption and symptoms of depression and anxiety in young adults. Addiction. 2002; 97(5):583-94. DOI: 10.1046/j.1360-0443.2002.00092.x. View

5.
Hoel S, Eriksen B, Breidablik H, Meland E . Adolescent alcohol use, psychological health, and social integration. Scand J Public Health. 2004; 32(5):361-7. DOI: 10.1080/14034940410027894. View